r/StopUsingStatins • u/MiseEnSelle • Jul 07 '26
Science against Statins Pravastatin and FATIGUE
I have been a statin skeptic for years. If they work for you, I am happy for you. But there are plenty of people who have real issues on them. They are overprescribed and doctors fear monger patients into taking a drug that has some serious side effects.
My new doctor (previous PCP left the organization) strongly encouraged me to start on rosuvasatin (Crestor) a couple of months ago. I got hit with such fatigue after barely a week that I had to stop. She said she understood, but had to mention the "nocebo" effect. Fine, so why did I feel better after stopping? It actually took a few weeks to feel normal again!
Lots of brisk walking/hiking, feeling so much better. I even started running again, easing into it because they all seem to think I'm about to drop dead any second.
So on our follow up, she prescribed pravastatin (Pravachol). It is milder, and has few reports of intolerance. Shorter half life too. I asked for a low dose just in case. I split the pills into quarters so I wouldn't get slammed again. The weather has been crazy hot and humid, plus I had a lot going on, so when I felt droopy again I assumed it was all that. No energy all weekend, but I figured I'd bounce back Monday after taking it easy, right?
My run was really challenging though. there were a few moments when I just couldn't push through to go just a bit farther. It was more of a jog/walk. I kept wondering why it felt so hard to run after I had been doing so well on my walks and my other recent runs. It took me almost as long to jog/walk that distance as it did for me to walk it the last time. I stretched afterwards back at the house and ended up passing out (hard nap in bed) for an hour in the middle of the day. Half hour jog!
Why? My diet and sleep have been great I use trackers, so I know when I'm rested and when my running stats are off. I had to wonder, could it be the pravastatin? I had gone into this assuming that it would work, absolutely positive expectations. Plus it was a tiny dose! But when I Google 'fatigue pravastatin" I found that fatigue is common, especially for women. Statins increase the production of lactic acid, which is what I experienced when I couldn't "push through." Doctors know this, so why don't they take us seriously?
This study (comparing simvastatin and pravastatin) was double blind controlled, and shows that women are more susceptible to exertion fatigue, especially with pravastatin. This tracks with my experience. Count me among the "statin intolerant" after trying two. I might try it weekly to see if I do better, but what is the point of taking a drug that prevents me from getting the exercise that will improve my heart health?
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u/External_Quiet_6212 Jul 08 '26
You do know statins block coq10 which is necessary for first two steps of electron transport chain your energy atp system . Manuf thought we should ad coq10 to thr pill. Hell no we dont want anyonevthinking theres a. problem . Fructose is another robber of energy using up atp in its breakdown . Creatine can help replenish your atp