Question: I take a statin and have noticed my leg muscles get really sore after exercising. Is it the drugs?

Dr. Hibberd's answer:

The drug-related muscle aches we most often see on statins are usually due to CoQ10 deficiency, and can be prevented (not treated) by CoQ10 supplementation.

Sometimes simply changing to a different statin is the best initial move. Drug-induced muscle problems will normally occur at rest and during exercise. Serious muscle problems with statins are actually quite rare, and generally involve significant elevations and accumulation of a muscle enzyme called CPK, which is easily measured from a blood sample.

Exercise-induced pain is a red flag that something else may be happening. You should go to your doctor to be assessed for whether you have some other reason for your symptoms.

Vascular problems and other disorders that can cause leg pains are often treatable conditions when picked up early enough. But some wait too long and end up paying a high price for ignoring the warning signs.