Cramps or spasms of the hands/fingers and feet.

[Katsmeow]

This could be statin related but may not be. Talk to doctor to make sure it isn't something else. If it is a statin they will usually try different ones as sometimes a person gets a side effect with one but not another. I get mild foot cramps with atorvastatin but nothing with rosuvastatin.

If it is tied to all statins there are a few options. One is to reduce the statin and add a small dose of ezetimibe. For many people the combo works better. When I was taking 40 mg of rosuvastatin (or 80 mg of atorvastatin) my LDL varied between 39 and 50. A little over a month ago it was 48. I talked to my cardiologist and reduced rosuvastatin to 20 mg (half the dosage I had before) and added 10 mg ezetemibe. A month later my LDL is 27 (I am higher risk so need it under 50). Anyway, you might be able to tolerate a lower statin dose but get where you need to be with ezetemibe.

If you end up not being able to tolerate the statin or you can't reach your LDL goal, then often you can get approved for a PCSK9 inhibitor which is a non-statin lipid lowering medication. It is very strong and can lower LDL by a lot but is brand name and expensive so you usually have to "fail" statins first. However, if you do fail them usually doctors don't have trouble getting one of them approved. The most well known are Repatha and Praluent.

 

[Chuckanut]

I'll check with my PCP on this. Thanks!

I had never heard of the Six Percent Rule. Here is a site which discusses it.

6 percent rule for doubling dose of a statin – GPnotebook

An article from the cardiovascular medicine section of GPnotebook: 6 percent rule for doubling dose of a statin.

gpnotebook.com

Right. Always check with your PCP. There may be other factors at play.

 

[Route246]

I've had them my whole life. Anti-cramp pills (over the counter) helps within a minute or so for me. Same for my late father, must have inherited it from him. Mine is related to sodium deficiency and dehydration. The sodium police don't like that but it is what it is for me. I'm on blood pressure meds and that controls the blood pressure. I notice if I eat a salty dinner meal there is no threat of cramps. It is also related to not drinking enough fluids before going to bed. Need to wake up for pee breaks but it is a trade off. Staying hydrated helps digestion and prevents irregularity so waking for pee breaks is what I've learned to live with.

I try to eat something salty (few nuts, small piece of beef jerky, anything with some sodium) and chase it with water an hour or two before sleep. It seems to help. When I wake in the middle of the night jumping out of bed to try to twist out of a leg cramp I immediately know I forgot to take in some sodium and a cup of water before sleeping.

 

[Koolau]

I've had them my whole life. Anti-cramp pills (over the counter) helps within a minute or so for me. Same for my late father, must have inherited it from him. Mine is related to sodium deficiency and dehydration. The sodium police don't like that but it is what it is for me. I'm on blood pressure meds and that controls the blood pressure. I notice if I eat a salty dinner meal there is no threat of cramps. It is also related to not drinking enough fluids before going to bed. Need to wake up for pee breaks but it is a trade off. Staying hydrated helps digestion and prevents irregularity so waking for pee breaks is what I've learned to live with.

I try to eat something salty (few nuts, small piece of beef jerky, anything with some sodium) and chase it with water an hour or two before sleep. It seems to help. When I wake in the middle of the night jumping out of bed to try to twist out of a leg cramp I immediately know I forgot to take in some sodium and a cup of water before sleeping.

What is your go-to anti-cramp OTC pill? I'd be willing to try. Thanks.

 

[Route246]

What is your go-to anti-cramp OTC pill? I'd be willing to try. Thanks.

Search "Hyland's Natural Calf, Leg and Foot Cramp Relief" but read the side effects, etc. I don't have any of those side effects, apparently from quinine. I probably use it 3-4 times per year and at my age I don't see any long term effects killing or affecting me any earlier, given the relief it provides.

This is one of those things that if you need it, you need it now and you don't really care about possible side effects when you're contorting to try to stop a runaway cramp at 3AM, at least for me. I was in China once on business in a 6-star hotel and woke up with my leg twisting around and it would not go away. Luckily I had a bottle of these in my shaving kit and I stumbled to the bathroom to get it, stuck one under my tongue and within 60-90 seconds the cramping just went away. I chugged some bottled water which probably helped, too. I'm not sure what I would have done if I didn't have that pill, probably just suffered. In addition to those pills I usually have a salty snack in the room if I'm in a hotel like beef jerky or salty potato chips, too.

 

[Koolau]

^^^^^^^

Thanks for the info. I'll check it out. Just had a cramp early this AM that woke me up.