Statins and Migraines

By evan1225

1 min read

Last updated: January 2015

Fellow sufferers,

I've been living with migraines for 15 years. My triggers have been weather, beer and wine, aged cheeses, and stress. I just recently discovered I can add Statins to the list.

I was on a Statin for 5 years and took myself off it for the past 2 years. I thought I was attributing my decrease in migraines by changing jobs and reducing stress. My doctor convinced me to start taking a Statin again. I've been taking a Statin for a month and have noticed that I have had constant migraine pain for the past week. The only change to my lifestyle has been the Statin. So I've decided to live with the POSSIBLE chance of heart disease than the constant debilitating pain of migraines.

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Katie M. Golden Moderator
Evan, I'm so glad you brought up this topic. My own father started having occular migraines just a few years ago. After reading your story I found out that there is a possible correlation with the time he began statins and when he developed occular migraines. For him, lowering his cholesterol is very important and the occular migraines come with the aura and no pain. So for him, he'll stay on the statins. Recently the guidelines for prescribing statins has dramatically increased. If there is a 7.5% chance of having heart disease, statins are now being prescribed. My point is that everyone is different and knowing the risks and benefits of being on statins versus your own experience with increasesd Migraines is important and needs to be discussed with your doctor. -Katie <a href='http://Migraine.com' target='_blank'>Migraine.com</a> Moderator
Ahall24 Member
After 6 months of increasingly worse and frequent headaches, I've Googled rosuvastatin and found headaches listed as the first side-effect.I 😖. I am halfway through the 100 hours it takes to get the med out of your system. Headaches that had been happening every 6 hours are now hitting 9-11 hours so I'm cautiously optimistic. 
1. Cheryl Picerno Moderator
 @Ahall24 that's awful! I hope you can make it through the rest of your time without too much discomfort as the medication leaves your system. I hope they find another drug to replace rosuvastatin that won't give you headaches. Warmly, Cheryl <a href='http://migraine.com' target='_blank'>migraine.com</a> team
Ahall24 Member
Thank you, Cheryl. I'll keep you posted in case this connection of migraines and statins can help someone else.. Usually its muscle soreness that's the biggest problem with statins 😊
1. Cheryl Picerno Moderator
 @Ahall24 Thanks! I would be interested in knowing if anyone else responds with similar issues with statins. Warmly, Cheryl <a href='http://migraine.com' target='_blank'>migraine.com</a> team

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