Rosuvastatin and Weakness: What Users Say

• Moa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 22, 2019

Rosuvastatin for High Cholesterol "After being on Crestor, it initially brought down my levels significantly within a month. However, after 3 months, I began to feel somewhat depressed, have joint aches, feel unmotivated, experience fatigue, and overall muscle weakness. Grabbing a case of water at the market was beginning to make me feel like an old lady. I stopped taking the medication and within a week I started to feel better. I could tell that my overall health was compromised. I would not take this again."

• MeR...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2020

Rosuvastatin for High Cholesterol "Started taking 10 mg yesterday. After about 2 hours, I had severe leg cramps. Yesterday, I thought it was maybe flu or something. Then, today again after a couple of hours of taking it, the cramps and weakness started. There is no way I am taking this again. I would rather die of a heart attack than be in a wheelchair."

• Jac...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 1, 2020

Rosuvastatin for High Cholesterol "Been on Crestor for about a year. Cholesterol about 260 and I’m 55 years old, but all my life I’ve been fit and lean, and my cholesterol has always been around 220 since I’m 18 years old! My good cholesterol (HDL) is on the high side, but of course, the bad one (LDL) seems to be creeping up! My issue is my elbows started hurting with pain pricks and sharp knife-like pain, so I went to the doctor. She told me to stop taking the medicine for a couple of weeks to see if the pain would go away. The pain didn’t go away, so I went back on it, only 5mg. I’m feeling fatigued, muscles seem to feel weak, and I’m not sure if it’s from the medicine or just my age. I also gained a little bit of weight. If anyone has any comments, please let me know. Thank you! Also, my triglycerides used to be very low, and since taking this medicine, they went up at least by 50."

• Bil...
• March 6, 2019

Rosuvastatin for High Cholesterol "Could not get up from a chair after taking Crestor generic. Then I stopped taking the drug two weeks ago and still have trouble with muscle weakness and pain. It is very painful to enter a car and to sleep at night. I failed to mention the problems with my joints in my fingers and toes stiffness and cramps."

• Gra...
• April 6, 2016

Rosuvastatin for High Cholesterol "Within 3 days of taking Crestor 10 mg, I got terrible leg cramps, headaches, nausea, and weakness. On top of that, I had awful dreams that were scary. Within one week, I gained 8 pounds. I felt sick. Got off of it and just did exercise and watched my diet closely. Lost 16 pounds in a month, and 3 months later, my cholesterol went down from 350 to 169. I feel so much better, and all the bad symptoms went away. Crestor is not for everyone."

• Anonymous
• July 16, 2016

Rosuvastatin for High Cholesterol "I took Crestor for about two years with minor side effects. Since I turned 65, I noticed my leg muscles (hamstrings, knees) were hurting. I stopped taking Crestor, and my legs feel better. The drug did help lower my cholesterol, but my legs were killing me, and I had trouble walking due to the stiffness and pain. While I am not 100% certain my leg pain was due to Crestor, it certainly looks that way. It has only been 6 days since I stopped."

• geo...
• December 7, 2010

Rosuvastatin for High Cholesterol "I have taken 10mg of Crestor for 3 yrs. I have experienced several issues with this statin as well as others. After 8 weeks on Crestor my HDL went from 289 to 79, on paper, I looked great! But over the last several years of taking statins, I have experienced several bad side effects. Severe bone and muscle pain, loss of muscle mass. I felt depressed, lots of mood changes. I became a wimp in bed. After taking statins for 5 yrs, I went to a cardiologist and had several things checked, nothing wrong. But recently, had blood test that showed problems with muscle and bone loss. STOPPED. After a couple of weeks I am feeling great. Your brain uses cholesterol for basic functioning and to make testosterone."

• cha...
• August 9, 2017

Rosuvastatin for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease "Took Crestor for four months and it lowered my cholesterol. Took it until my feet, shins, and calves went into cramps. Couldn't sleep, and could hardly walk. Cramps ended two days after quitting. Cardiologist put me on it and my family doc took me off it and told me never to take it again."

• Bed...
• February 1, 2016

Rosuvastatin for High Cholesterol "I began on Crestor in 2013. I could not tolerate simvastatin or pravastatin but was told that Crestor was different. After a week on this med I developed severe pain in my legs. I stopped it but the pain did not go away. Three years later I am still in pain, cannot climb stairs or get out of a chair. My muscles in my thighs and rear are wasting away. Five neurologists have failed to help me."

• Apr...
• August 25, 2015

Rosuvastatin for High Cholesterol "Been on Crestor for almost a month. 20 mg daily for genetic high cholesterol. Triglycerides started at 1100! I immediately noticed the muscle weakness and belly pains. My hips, knees, and ankles ache constantly!"

• Cin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 24, 2020

For High Cholesterol "Oh my goodness! I have gone from being a very active 59-year-old to an almost crippled 90-year-old. Within days of taking this medication, I could hardly walk. That’s no exaggeration. My knees were completely broken. I hobbled. The doctor fobbed me off and said it’s osteoarthritis. I got knee braces to help, but it just got worse. My quality of life shattered. My darling sister asked me if I had changed medication, and I said yes, just 10 mg of rosuvastatin. So she read the reviews on here and oh my goodness! I stopped taking them just 3 days ago, and already I can walk! The muscles in my legs are still weak, but 1000 times better... Please, if you are having these side effects, don’t take it."

• Jo ...
• May 11, 2022

Rosuvastatin for High Cholesterol "For decades, my cholesterol numbers have been high, but because the “good” cholesterol was always much higher, I was never put on any drugs. I always had creative and stressful work, requiring long hours. I also developed HBP, although I don’t drink coffee, only have a recreational drink from time to time, and have never smoked. During an unrelated illness, my BP was high, and so I was started on metoprolol. It did not work well with me at all, so my primary changed it to the lowest dose of carvedilol. My cardiologist increased it. Then he put me on a combination of Zetia (10 mg) and Crestor (5 mg). I can tell you that the combination of all three has put me in hell: joint pain, muscular pain, fogginess, forgetfulness, lethargy, and UTIs. As I write this, I am in bed, not because of a sudden and extreme pain in my right leg last night, muscle weakness, and the most severe cramps ever. The doc will not take me off the meds as they brought the numbers down. But I will."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2019

For High Cholesterol "After taking Crestor generic, I had trouble sitting down and standing up, my muscles in my legs and shoulders are so weak and painful I have trouble entering a car and exiting a car. I am 84 years old and don’t expect to get any better."

• Man...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 14, 2020

For Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease "It's so good to know that other people are having these terrible side effects from rosuvastatin and it's not just my imagination. It is very scary stopping taking it post-heart attack, but the muscle pain and weakness, plus the bloatedness, especially in the stomach, etc. made me feel like I was being given a disease by this drug. I will take my chances and monitor with my GP, my cardio consultant won't like it, but this is the second one I've tried, and the side effects were the same but much worse."

• Kca...
• September 13, 2020

For High Cholesterol "I tried half a pill one night. By 9:45 AM the next morning, I was unable to walk, could barely lift my arms, and struggled to work even in bed because it affected my mind too. It is approximately 3 days and a few hours later since I took it. I was able to do arm and chest workouts, but I lost tremendous ability in my legs. I went from being able to leg press over 350 pounds to barely able to manage 80 pounds. I also still feel super tired from trying to go about my daily tasks with weak legs. It was a severe muscle weakness reaction. I hoped it would go away within days, but it’s still lingering."

• jks...
• July 3, 2010

Rosuvastatin for High Cholesterol "Less than 7 days after beginning Crestor, I had debilitating muscle pain and weakness in my legs. 5 weeks following and treatment by a neurologist who prescribed Lyrica, I am beginning to regain strength in my legs, but I continue to have pain, especially on the right side."

• MJB...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 4, 2020

For Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease "I was on another statin for a couple of years. I started to have side effects: leg pain and weakness. Couldn't lift my grandson, he was 9 months old. I stopped the meds and got better within 2 weeks. The doctor started me on Crestor 5 mg every other day at bedtime. I have been waking up with headaches (something I don't suffer with) and deep muscle pain in my arm. I'm done. I refuse to take a statin ever again."

• MSU...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 30, 2020

For High Cholesterol "Absolutely never again. Rosuvastatin absolutely crippled me. Swollen knees and ankles, atrophied muscles, complete body weakness, lower back pain. It turned me into a 90-year-old with severe arthritis. My swelling is finally down, but still can barely walk from knee pain. Good luck."

• bcj...
• June 26, 2017

For High Cholesterol "56 years old. Started taking this med about 3 months ago as my cholesterol was very high, and although regularly exercising and changing diet didn't lower my numbers after battling it for about a year. Was resistant to taking this med as, like some of you, read reviews. My doctor prescribed 5 mg. Since taking it, blood work to see how body was reacting to med. My numbers have dropped drastically, and my doctor is very impressed. However, I am experiencing, as most of you, weakness in parts of body and a lot of body aches. I am unusually stiff when getting up from sitting for more than an hour, and it wakes me at night. Experiencing cramps in my big toe. Symptoms were on left side, but now experiencing on right side. Visit scheduled with doctor."

• gre...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 8, 2023

For High Cholesterol "I have been on this drug at 10 mg every day and have had muscle and joint pain along with sharp stabbing pains throughout my body at different times of the day/night. I contacted my cardiologist, and she said to take one pill every other day. Have been doing so for the last several months and have had no relief from the reduced dosage. Have blood work coming up in a couple of weeks and a follow-up visit with the doctor and will see what the results are and make a decision on what to do next. It did take care of my high LDL problem within a matter of a couple of weeks, but the pain and weakness in the body are getting to be intolerable. The pains are affecting my ability to work."

• Lis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 1, 2022

For High Cholesterol "I had a terrifying experience using this pill on the 2nd day. It started with muscle aches, then progressed to muscle weakness and full-body trembling. I almost fell twice because my legs gave out when I walked a few feet away from my sofa. THEN came the chest pain. I thought I was having a heart attack! My chest felt like it was being stepped on, and I couldn't catch a breath, my heart was beating so hard I thought it would stop at any moment, and the pain my chest felt was something I had never experienced before. No one at the ER believed my symptoms, and they documented it as anxiety. I am 32 and weigh 116 lbs and have never been obese. I have genetic cholesterol issues. I went home and researched what I was feeling the day I went to the ER, and sure enough, there was chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, muscle weakness, and so on with the deadly side effects. I have never reacted to side effects of medication before, but it was the scariest moment of my life, and I could have died."

• myo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 10, 2021

For High Cholesterol "I am a healthcare provider. I was taking rosuvastatin 5 mg for the past year. CVS changed it to a generic from Aurobindo Pharma. Myopathy is out of control. Weakness in shoulders, arms, lower extremities despite exercise. I stopped taking it 3 weeks ago, and the symptoms have not resolved. Some studies show it could take as long as 2 to 3 months to recover if indeed I recover. I am beyond livid and now understand the frustration my patients would come to me with when medications were changed and how the side effects varied by different manufacturers. The generic medications are becoming more and more of an issue. The oversight of generic medications has become a joke. My quality of life has now been compromised, and I apologize for all of those who have suffered."

• Anonymous
• October 7, 2018

Rosuvastatin for High Cholesterol "Destroyed my muscles. Started in legs and spread. Stopped taking two years ago and muscle pain and weakness has not improved. Some recent studies suggest may be permanent. Statins are poison."

• agg...
• June 17, 2014

Rosuvastatin for High Cholesterol "Side pains, weak legs, muscle stiffness, and poking pains in stomach."

• Mis...
• March 11, 2010

Rosuvastatin for High Cholesterol "Caused severe muscle pain and weakness. I was sleeping 10 hours."