Almost all medications and supplements present the possibility of negative side effects. Statins are no different. Some commonly known sides are muscle pain, digestive problems, and liver damage.
Overall, negative side effects appear in about 5% of folks on statins. It is advised people experiencing any negative sides from statins report this to their doctors.
There are some people with certain health conditions, such as pre-diabetes and liver disease, who are more at risk of having negative side effects from statins. Some folks believe statins cause dementia, or cognitive dysfunction. Statins are a preventative of these conditions.
Taking supplements is not necessarily any safer than using medications. If fact, there are no provisions in the law for FDA to approve dietary supplements for safety before they reach the consumer.
I have been prescribed statins consistently for over 40 years. The only time I have muscle pain is when I over-work them. Never have I ever had a problem with digestion. As for liver, I took D-Bol more than a couple of times starting in my teens and I've poured a fair amount of alcohol into my system for many years. In my 50's I got HEP A and was sick for nearly a month.
Oddly enough, I have never had a blood test that indicated any permanent liver damage. As an example, this is what last year's blood work showed: Albumin - 3.9 g/dL, Globulin, Total - 2.5 g/dL, BILIRUBIN, TOTAL - 0.8 mg/dL, AST - 35 IU/L, ALT - 35 IU/L, ALK PHOS - 49 IU/L, (all are within normal range).
