Riding while taking statins

[zelle]

’ve been recently prescribed a statin for cholesterol. I’m approaching 60, fit, good weight. I event and jump. After a rotational fall last year I took time off. We both got hurt.
As I leveled back up in fitness I decided to go get a physical - it has been 20 years. And the lipid panel came back with high LDL but otherwise good. A rare combo actually. To be high in bad cholesterol yet have very low Triglycerides and VLDL and low BP

Anyway it took me a little bit to get convinced to take anything because I feel great. Getting badly injured and broken was a major setback and I am so happy every day that I can ride and run and sleep like a normal person. It was hard to imagine that there could be anything wrong.

(Horse had multiple vet-chiro visits and was cleared - she fared better than I, thank God)

So I’m back out there on my horse and other horses and really struggling when on a statin. Resuvastatin 10mg. I paired it with coQ10 to prevent the muscle cramping that people describe.

First thing I noticed was a little short fuse with people. But it was easily controlled. Then I noticed severe dehydration when riding/ competing in the heat. There wasn’t enough water on the planet. I tried Gatorade. GAK! So much sugar. But it did help more than water. But I still felt less than great. And weak in that jello-legged way that I feel when my adrenaline is up.

At 4 weeks I had to quit taking the meds due to balance issues. I first noted it while jogging. I didn’t want to jump up the curb at a jog. And xc course walking, I didn’t want to jump across the ditches. I felt like I might miss or not stick the landing. And I usually jog backwards down hill to save my knees and exercise my brain/reflexes. That felt like a concussion waiting to happen.

Then it moved into galloping and jumping horses. (Dressage feels fine as I am more attached to the horse and not in the air above) At first it just felt like I was swimming while mounted. Not really attached to anything. I only felt doable when in the last few strides to the fence because that’s when I lightly sit. At all other times I feel unglued, off kilter. If the horse trips or something unexpected happens, I feel like it’s all over. Like I’ve fallen off a boat and am flailing around in the water. It’s a terrible feeling. (Observers don’t notice anything and I get funny looks from people that know me very well and are wondering why I am suddenly acting like everything is such a big deal)

After 2 experiences where I thought I was actually going to fall off for the stupidest reasons, I stopped taking it. The weird wavy, weak feeling went away mostly by 24 hours and completely in 2 days.

I competed this weekend in the burning heat and jumped great and didn’t need to go get emergency hydration while in warm up or between jump rounds. No jello legs. That fantasitc connection to my beautiful horse is all the way back. Even she noticed. (While on the meds, I was thinking of selling her because it felt like she’s just too strong for me - that maybe I am just too old to have this kind of power under me. Things that were fun before became too hard and didn’t feel safe anymore)

I have another appointment to recheck my lipids (I’ve gone mostly plant based in hopes that ditching dairy will fix it - I was already a pescatarian) and if a statin is still recommended, I’ll have them change the script to something else or less of the same.

I’m looking for others’ experiences with riding on statins. Anyone?

[RMJacobs]

I don’t ride any more due to disabilities, but I did have a big problem taking a statin. I have rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia in addition to a long list of other medical conditions, and I was on a statin for just a week. I felt awful, had terrible joint and muscle pain. Unfortunately the problems lasted three weeks beyond when I took the last one.

My husband takes the same med with no problem.

[CableRoad]

Hi @zelle,

Similar age and health situation here, and recently started Resuvastatin as well. I’m on 5mg daily, and see no changes to my regular self. Nada. No bloodwork yet, so I don’t know how well it’s doing the job. But, interesting that you were on 2x the dose!

Perhaps a lower dosage or different statin would make a difference. Or diet, as you point out. Good on you for getting back to competing. It’s a hard road sometimes.

CR

[zelle]

It’s so interesting how these things have such different effects on people. What a terrible experience you had! I hope they are able to figure something else out for you

[zelle]

You’re so lucky! I thought I was lucky too. For about 2-3 weeks. I did have immediate light headedness but I thought that was diet related.
As far as doing it’s job for you, I’m sure it is. These things are so well researched. I was told (not by a doctor) that you can get a lot of benefit from 1mg per week! Powerful stuff.

[Kyrabee]

I have been on statins for um, eons. I haven’t really noticed much issue. I have always taken it with at least 100mg of CoQ-10. I currently take 200mg.

About 5 years ago, I switched from atorvastatin to rosuvastatin. Rosuvastatin is water soluble and less likely to cross the blood brain barrier. I currently take 5mg every-other-day. That said, I stopped it this week. I have a couple long standing tendinopathy issues that as a last ditch, I am stopping the statin to see if that helps. It has been associated with tendon issues as well as muscle issues. I am thinking that it has already helped to stop it. My baseline pain has been better. It is a little early and it is possible that if the statin has any involvement in the tendinopathy, at this point, it might be permanent. I am going to give it a month and see.

There is huge controversy now as to whether statins do anything. Well, they do lower LDL but does that change outcomes? There is more than one size of LDL. The big fluffy ones do not seem to be the problem, it is the small dense ones. They are discovering more players in the lipid game (apoB for one). Lipid science is evolving and changing as we speak. I think the use of statins needs to be tempered a bit.

How high was your LDL? Your HDL? If your triglycerides were low (< 150) and your HDL was high (50 or 60), I would skip the statin. They have never been proven to provide primary prevention in a person without diabetes.

Yes, 10mg is probably way overkill. 5mg will give at least 85% correction. If your numbers are just borderline, is that other 15% worth all the side effects? Rosuvastatin is the most potent statin and I think for many, smaller doses are better.

I am going to try citrus bergamot while I am off the statin just for kicks and giggles. My LDL gets into the low 100’s but it is my triglycerides that really go high. Cutting carbs helped that but damned, I have a sugar addiction and I am sure they are back up. The citrus bergamot is supposed to lower triglycerides too and I have to find some way to ditch the sugar.

Susan (retired pharmacist).

[Willesdon]

I was put on statins by my doctor: my knee just gave way such that suddenly I could only walk using a walking stick and stairs were almost impossible. I went to see my Chiro to try to resolve the problem and she mentioned muscle weakness associated with statins. I stopped the medication and my knee rapidly returned to normal function. Statins are not always the easy, safe medication they are claimed to be.

[just_shoot_me]

I had a heart attack in 2022 while Boston marathoners were running by my house. I was told my cholesterol at the time wasn’t bad but I now have 4 stents. I was lucky that there was no damage to my heart so Atorvastatin and a baby aspirin are my normal. I requested the dose be halved because I was losing words (vit d was low) and CPK kept moving in the wrong direction. I currently take 20 mg Atorvastatin with 400 mg CoQ10 and never noticed issues but mostly did trail rides in the state park. I just got back to riding after getting hip checked by someone else’s horse in 2024.

[RMJacobs]

Nope, my doctor is just crossing his fingers that I don’t die on his watch.

[colorfan]

I have the same blood panel as you, slightly higher bad, cause I won’t stop eating good beef and butter, and low Trig and low BP. Dr said because everything else was really good the one ‘bad’ set of numbers didn’t bother him.
Frankly I think sugar is worse than fats. I hardly eat sugar, joints are so much better.
DH is on statins, he changed them several times before finding one that didn’t bother him as much. He still gets muscle cramps so has to take extra magnesium.

[Janet]

I have been on atorvastatin for years, and never had any noticeable side effects.
Each person is different.

[Bogey2]

I don’t take statins but you mentioned thirst…I hate sweet drinks so I take the electrolyte pills and drink the plain water with electrolytes in them.

[JB]

@zelle

the lipid panel came back with high LDL but otherwise good. A rare combo actually.

Did he mention, or have you looked into, any diet changes to help lower LDL? Or was it so high they wanted to try to get it lowered asap?

My stepmom can’t do statins on a daily basis. She’s tried several, and they mess with her muscles, her sleep, a lot of things. A few days a week is working better for her.

[FitToBeTied]

I’m on Resuvastatin 5mg and haven’t noticed any issues. I’m on it because if you total up both my bad and good cholesterol and called it all bad, it would be low. So Resuvastatin is supposed to increase good cholesterol as well as reduce bad.

[Kyrabee]

Yes, Rosuvastatin should lower the ‘bad’ cholesterol, raise the ‘good’ modestly and also will lower triglycerides.

Interesting for me since I quit taking my rosuvastatin, I have slept through the night 2 nights in a row. I always thought I woke up because I had to pee. Apparently not. I honestly don’t know but I don’t think I have slept through the night more than once or twice in the last several years. It is kind of weird but welcome. I am going to try the citrus bergamot for a month then do bloodwork.

[jonquil]

Different brands(?)of statins affect people differently… try another one. The first one I took made me so sore I could hardly move. Second one-atorvastatin- absolutely no side effects. Push your doctor to find one that fits you. Hope it goes better for you.

[zelle]

@Kyrabee
Interesting. Thank you for the insight. I was taking 100mg ubiquinol. Part of me wonders if that was the problem - if it lowered my BP enough to have those symptoms.

I hope your pain improves. Tendinopathy sounds incredibly annoying.

I have a positive calcium score (3.6) which is low but the reason she put me on it. LDL 148, HDL 86, Trig 48

Are you taking citrus bergamont? I’m drinking Earl Grey for that. Probably microscopic amount. I also eat raw garlic. I can’t do psyllium husk sadly. But get daily oatmeal.

I want to get the tests done to see better into my levels. And whether it’s familial.

I had a serious sweet addiction (baked goods mainly - to the point where I’m shaky and headachy without that) and I’m off refined sugar! It’s happened pretty quickly over the last few months. I weaned off sugar and chocolate by making raw energy balls -

Use a big food processor

11 pitted organic dates
1/3 cup organic cacao powder
1 cup walnuts (these lower LDL)
1 cup pecans
1 cup cashews
(All raw, unsalted)
A little flake salt (1/2 tsp}

Mix for about a minute at most.

Form into balls or press into a baking pan and cut.

If you build up a sugar craving and then try these, that’s best. After some time, regular sugar will taste less amazing. And the level sugar you get from these is more satisfying and you might not overeat them the way processed sugar tends to make people over-consume. I take them with me to horse shows where I’ll be exposed to all sorts of garbage food (on the road, hotels, etc) I tend to reach for the worst food when I’m most tired and nutrition deprived.

[zelle]

Thank you! Will do!

[zelle]

@JB She did not mention dietary changes. But I went way out on my diet to see what I can do. I was already a pescatarian and already eating what I thought was a good diet. Now I’ve gone off everything processed. And also trying a mostly vegan approach. Limiting saturated to what feels like nothing and eating tons of fiber. I’m excited to see the results. When I got my first test, I made changes and went back 2 weeks later and had a 30 point drop in LDL. From 178 to 146. Now it’s been 3 months.

[zelle]

@Kyrabee. Interesting I recently started not sleeping through the night. About the same time. But I’ve been off the statin for weeks now and I’m still not sleeping through.
I hope the citrus bergamont works for you.

I don’t need my HDL raised or Trig lowered so it makes me wonder why she put me on that one.