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Statins & Side Effects: Finding the Balance
Key Information
- The Balancing Scale: It can help to picture your decision as a set of scales. On one side is the small potential risk of side effects; on the other is the much larger, proven risk of a heart attack or stroke if you remain unprotected.
- Muscle Pain: While this is the most common concern, large studies show that significant muscle pain is actually rare. The vast majority of people take statins without any problems.
- Don’t Just Stop: If you suspect a side effect, suddenly stopping your medication is like stepping off the scales entirely. It leaves you unprotected against the ongoing risk of high cholesterol.
- The Solution: We can usually rebalance the scales by adjusting your dose or switching to a different type of statin. The aim is to keep the life-saving benefits while reducing side effects to as close to zero as possible.
What Happens Next?
If you are taking a statin and feel you may be experiencing side effects, please do not stop taking them without speaking to us first.
Contact us so we can review your medication and find an option that works better for you.
Further Information
For more information about statins and their potential side effects, please visit the NHS website.
Last reviewed: 21 March 2026
Next review due: 21 March 2029
CONTACT DETAILS
Bramhall Health Centre
66 Bramhall Lane South
Bramhall
Stockport
SK7 2DY
Telephone: 0161 983 5850
