risks of cholesterol lowering medication - muscle pain

The second issue involves muscle pain, or myopathy. The statins can cause muscle or joint pain relatively frequently. Very infrequently the muscle problem can progress to the level where it could be dangerous or even life-threatening. This complication is more likely to occur in people taking certain other medications, such as other cholesterol drugs or immunosuppressive drugs. The major way to prevent this complication is to be aware of the possibility -- that way if your muscles start to ache after starting a statin drug, you can stop taking the drug and call your doctor. As long as you don't keep taking the medication for many days once the muscle pains start, the chance of developing a severe problem is very low.