Can statins affect your feet?

Rare side effects of statins include: muscle weakness (myopathy) loss of sensation or tingling in the nerve endings of the hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy)


Can statin drugs make your feet hurt?

When taking statins, not only do cholesterol levels fall, but the ability to make hormones drops even further. Statin drug use may be a source of foot pain from accelerated foot fat pad atrophy.

Can statin drugs cause neuropathy in feet?

Some drugs, including statins, are proposed to be among the causes of peripheral neuropathy.


Can statins cause walking problems?

While statins have been shown to significantly reduce cholesterol levels, they have also been reported to have negative side effects on skeletal muscle. Most statin-induced myopathy manifests in the leg muscles, which can lead to difficulty walking and exercising.

What medications cause neuropathy in feet?

Other drugs and substances that may cause neuropathy include: Colchicine (used to treat gout) Disulfiram (used to treat alcohol use) Arsenic.
...
Drugs used to fight infections:
  • Chloroquine.
  • Dapsone.
  • Isoniazid (INH), used against tuberculosis.
  • Metronidazole (Flagyl)
  • Nitrofurantoin.
  • Thalidomide (used to fight leprosy)


Statin Side Effects | Atorvastatin, Rosuvastatin, Simvastatin Side Effects & Why They Occur



What are the first signs of neuropathy in your feet?

Sensory neuropathy
  • prickling and tingling sensation in the affected body part pins and needles.
  • numbness and less of an ability to feel pain or changes in temperature, particularly in your feet.
  • a burning or sharp pain, usually in the feet.


Where does neuropathy in feet start?

The most common type of neuropathy is peripheral neuropathy. It affects the nerves in the hands, feet, legs, and arms. It generally starts in the feet, and it tends to start in both feet at once.

What is a major side effect common to all statins?

One of the most common complaints of people taking statins is muscle pain. You may feel this pain as a soreness, tiredness or weakness in your muscles. The pain can be a mild discomfort, or it can be severe enough to make your daily activities difficult.


What are the negative effects of taking a statin?

dizziness. feeling sick. feeling unusually tired or physically weak. digestive system problems, such as constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion or farting.

What can I take instead of statins to lower cholesterol?

7 cholesterol-lowering alternatives to statins
  • Fibrates. Mostly used for lowering triglyceride levels in patients whose levels are very high and could cause pancreatitis. ...
  • Plant stanols and sterols. ...
  • Cholestyramine and other bile acid-binding resins. ...
  • Niacin. ...
  • Policosanol. ...
  • Red yeast rice extract (RYRE) ...
  • Natural products.


Does statin neuropathy go away?

There are reported cases of statin induced peripheral neuropathy, which in the initial stages can be reversible.


Which statin does not cause neuropathy?

Pitavastatin, pravastatin and rosuvastatin, all hydrophilic, exhibited no association or a lesser association with neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy is a credible side-effect of statins.

Is there a new drug to replace statins?

There's a new drug called Nexletol, and it's used for people with the highest risk. That's people with genetic or familial high cholesterol or those who have heart disease and further need to lower their cholesterol. It's called bempedoic acid.

How do I know if my pain is from statins?

Statin-related muscle pain, if it happens at all, usually happens within the first few months after you start the drug or raise the dose. You may feel a constant soreness or weakness in your shoulders, thighs, hips, or calves. If you're like most people, it'll affect both sides of your body equally.


What causes severe foot pain?

Injury, overuse or conditions causing inflammation involving any of the bones, ligaments or tendons in the foot can cause foot pain. Arthritis is a common cause of foot pain. Injury to the nerves of the feet may result in intense burning pain, numbness or tingling (peripheral neuropathy).

Why do statins have to be taken at night?

Many statins work more effectively when they are taken at night. This is because the enzyme which makes the cholesterol is more active at night. Also, the half-life, or the amount of time it takes for half the dose to leave your body, of some statins is short.

Can you get off statins once you start?

If you're taking a statin medication to lower your cholesterol, you will need to keep taking your prescription, or your cholesterol will likely go back up. Stopping your statin can put you at risk of having heart disease and other preventable health problems like stroke and heart attack from high cholesterol.


Is statin worth the risk?

If you have high cholesterol and are at high risk for cardiovascular disease, you should consider statins. That's because the benefits of statins greatly outweigh the risks. Statins reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events like heart attack or stroke by up to 25%, and death by 10%.

Why would you stop a statin?

Dr. Carimi says muscle-related complications are the most common side effect from taking statins. “The most common reason people stop taking statins is because of side effects, like muscle aches, but many have muscle pains from other causes and stop taking the medication in error,” Dr. Carimi says.

What is the most effective statin with the least side effects?

According to a research review people who take simvastatin (Zocor) or pravastatin (Pravachol) may experience fewer side effects.


Which type of statin has least side effects?

In the analysis of 135 previous studies, which included nearly 250,000 people combined, researchers found that the drugs simvastatin (Zocor) and pravastatin (Pravachol) had the fewest side effects in this class of medications.

What is the most serious side effect of atorvastatin?

Serious side effects

you get unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, weakness or cramps – these can be signs of muscle breakdown and kidney damage.

What part of the foot hurts with neuropathy?

Peroneal neuropathy (foot drop)—The peroneal nerve is in the leg below the knee. Damage to the peroneal nerve can cause pain, tingling or numbness at the top of the foot. It may become difficult to raise your toes, your toes or ankle may feel weak, or your foot may feel like it is dropping when walking.


How do you check for foot neuropathy?

a nerve conduction test (NCS), where small metal wires called electrodes are placed on your skin that release tiny electric shocks to stimulate your nerves; the speed and strength of the nerve signal is measured.

What does it feel like to have neuropathy in your feet?

Signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy might include: Gradual onset of numbness, prickling or tingling in your feet or hands, which can spread upward into your legs and arms. Sharp, jabbing, throbbing or burning pain. Extreme sensitivity to touch.