Iam Taking Atorvastatin And The Legs From Hip To Ankle

Posted on Sat, 11 May 2019

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 11 May 2019 Answered on

Last reviewed on

Question : Iam taking atorvastatin and the legs from hip to ankle are achy and weak now.I walk on my treadmill, but not for long.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Antoneta Zotaj (-2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Pain could be due to overexercising or Atorvastatin's side effect may be the cause - advice given

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to 'Ask a Doctor' service,

Pain in the hip and ankle can be due to the exercises if you have started them recently or you have increased the intensity of the exercise. On the other hand, atorvastatin may cause muscular pain as well.

You may try to reduce the amount of walking you do on the treadmill and also take Paracetamol 500 mg after food to help relieve the pain.

If you notice no improvement of the pain in 2-3 days or you notice any worsening you will need to see your doctor and probably have a blood test called Creatine Kinase which is generally done in case we suspect muscle pains due to atorvastatin.

To conclude:
- try to reduce the amount of exercise in the next few days
- take paracetamol and ibuprofen to help with the pain
- if no improvement, a side effect of atorvastatin can be considered and creatine kinase might need to be checked. If the doctor suspects that atorvastatin is the cause of the pain, it is advisable to stop atorvastatin for a few months.

I hope this answers your query.
Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,

Antoneta Zotaj, General and Family Physician.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee