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Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Statin side effects

Statins are safe and well tolerated; however, side effects may occur. They include:

• muscle soreness,



• generalized pain and weakness,



• vomiting,



• stomach cramps, or



• brown discolored urine caused by breakdown of muscles cells being passed in the urine.

These symptoms may suggest possible muscle problems and rhabdomyolysis, a situation where muscle cells break down and cause kidney failure. These symptoms may present a medical emergency and should not be ignored. You should stop taking the statin medication and contact your health care practitioner immediately for advice. Liver inflammation may occur with statin use and often blood tests monitoring liver function are done on a routine basis.

Less serious side effects may include upset stomach, bloating and gas, constipation, and abdominal cramps. These symptoms are usually mild to moderate and generally disappear as the body adjusts to the medication.