Statins side effects: Five symptoms of a skeletal muscle side effect caused by drug

Statins are effective at lowering cholesterol and protecting against a heart attack and stroke, although they may lead to side effects for some people. Skeletal muscle side effects are commonly reported but what are the five symptoms to spot?
Very rarely, statins can cause life-threatening muscle damage called rhabdomyolysis.
Rhabdomyolysis can cause severe muscle pain, liver damage, kidney failure and death.
The risk of very serious side effects is extremely low and calculated in a few cases per million people taking statins.
Rhabdomyolysis can occur when you take statins in combination with certain drugs or if you take a high dose of statins.


