Written by Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP | Reviewed by Sophie Vergnaud, MDUpdated on July 21, 2022
Key takeaways:
- If you stop taking your statin medication, like atorvastatin (Lipitor), you could have a higher risk of heart problems, including heart attack and stroke.
- Your healthcare provider may recommend stopping your statin if you have serious side effects. Sometimes they may suggest switching to a different statin, lowering your current dose, or changing to a different cholesterol-lowering treatment.
- If you simply forget to take a dose of your cholesterol medication, this usually is not a big problem since your cholesterol builds up slowly over time. Just take the dose when you remember.
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Lifelong treatment with a medication is a tall order for some people — so, it isn’t all that surprising that many people who start on cholesterol medications, like statins, don’t continue taking them. Although statin medications can have big health benefits, many people worry about side effects and are hesitant to take these medications.
But is it dangerous to suddenly stop taking atorvastatin (Lipitor) or other statins? Below, we explore the answer to this and other questions about statins. We’ll also talk about what might be a “safe” way to stop statins (hint: It always involves working closely with your healthcare provider.).
Side effects of statin medications
Like all medications, there is a risk of side effects when taking statins. But here’s something surprising: Even though side effects are one of the main reasons people give for stopping statins, the number of people who truly experience side effects from statins is very, very small.
Though the overall chance of having side effects from statins is low, there are several that you should be aware of:
- Muscle and joint pain (the most common side effect, also called myalgia)
- Rhabdomyolysis (the most serious side effect, but very rare)
- Changes in liver function tests
- A risk of new-onset diabetes
You may have heard that statins cause other side effects like cancer, memory loss, and kidney damage, but there is no science to back this up.
What happens if you stop taking statins?
If you’re taking a statin medication to lower your cholesterol, you will need to keep taking your prescription, or your cholesterol will likely go back up.
Stopping your statin can put you at risk of having heart disease and other preventable health problems like stroke and heart attack from high cholesterol.
Why you shouldn’t stop taking statins
Statins in particular can help lower your LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) by 30% to 50%, but their effects go away after you stop taking them.
Despite their many benefits, many people stop taking statins. But unless you’ve had a serious side effect, or there is another serious medical reason for not taking a statin (for example, liver damage), you shouldn’t stop taking your statins. Here’s why:
- High cholesterol causes heart disease and stroke.
- Statins lower death rates in people with high cholesterol and help you live longer and healthier.
- Stopping your statin has been linked to a higher risk of serious cardiovascular events (like a heart attack or stroke) and death.
- There are plenty of statins to try. If one doesn’t work for you, it’s likely that another one will. Work with your provider to switch over from one to another to see if it’s a better fit for you.
- Most people (up to 75%) who stop taking a statin because of side effects are able to successfully restart a statin medication without side effects.
- Statin-related side effects become more tolerable with time. Rather than stopping a statin completely, you can work with your provider to try a lower dose, or take a dose every other day. More often than not, this will settle any side effects you experience.
- Some side effects people experience may not be caused by the medication, or may have other causes (muscle pain is a good example).
- If cost is an issue, there are many generic options for statins. You can find one that works for you at a price that you can afford with GoodRx.
Is it dangerous to suddenly stop taking your statin?
Yes. Suddenly stopping your statin is dangerous. Data shows that the risk of stroke, heart attack, and death within 4 years of stopping a statin is high.
What happens if you forget to take your cholesterol medication?
If you simply forget to take a dose of your statin medication, you’re not likely to have any serious effects. It could take some time for your cholesterol to build up to pre-statin levels — likely longer than a few days.
For example, the labeling for atorvastatin (taken once a day) says to take your dose as soon as you remember if you miss a dose. But if it’s been more than 12 hours, you should skip the dose and just take your next scheduled dose.
How to stop statins safely
The only way to stop statins safely is through conversation with your healthcare provider.
For most people, the protective benefits of statins far outweigh the risks. But there might be a few scenarios in which providers suggest stopping your statin.
If a different statin medication or lowering the dose of your current statin doesn’t work, your healthcare provider may recommend an alternative treatment for cholesterol like ezetimibe (Zetia) or a PCSK9 inhibitor medication.
Before stopping a statin medication, always talk with your healthcare provider.
The bottom line
Statin medications like atorvastatin are one of the most effective treatments to help you lower your cholesterol and protect you against problems like heart attack and stroke.
If you are having severe side effects from taking a statin, don’t stop taking your medication without talking with your healthcare provider. They may switch you to a different statin or lower the dose. If you do need to stop taking statins, your healthcare provider may suggest an alternative cholesterol-lowering treatment in its place.
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