Rhabdomyolysis from statins: What’s the risk?

Mild muscle pain is a common side effect of statins. But some people who take statins to lower their cholesterol may have serious muscle pain. This intense pain may be a symptom of rhabdomyolysis (rab-doe-my-OL-ih-sis). It is a rare condition that causes muscle cells to break down.

Common symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include:

• Serious muscle pain, soreness and cramping.
• Muscle weakness.
• Dark or cola-colored urine.

Overall, the risk of rhabdomyolysis from statin use is low. But the risk goes up when the dose goes up. The risk also rises if you take certain medicines with statins. These include cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune) and gemfibrozil (Lopid).

If you notice mild muscle pain after you start to take a statin, contact your healthcare professional. You may have a blood test to measure levels of an enzyme called creatinine kinase. This test can diagnose rhabdomyolysis or milder forms of muscle pain.

If you have symptoms of rhabdomyolysis, stop taking your statin and seek medical treatment right away. Your healthcare professional can take steps to help prevent kidney damage and other complications, if needed.