Crestor Leg Pain Side Effects

Crestor is the brand name for the medication rosuvastatin calcium, prescribed to treat high cholesterol. A statin drug manufactured by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, it can cause some rare but serious side effects.

Myopathy

Muscle pain while taking statin drugs can be an indication of statin myopathy, an abnormal condition in muscle tissues; the muscle aches usually go away within a week or two after discontinuing the drug.

Rhabdomyolysis

More severe problems involving leg pain occur when statins cause muscle cells to break down, a condition called rhabdomyolysis.

Warning

Although the disorder is rare, if contracted, rhabdomyolysis progresses rapidly. Deteriorating muscle cells release a protein called myoglobin into the bloodstream, which can cause kidney obstruction and renal failure.

Symptoms

Symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include joint pain, leg pain or swelling, weight gain, fatigue, dark urine, and muscle tenderness, weakness or stiffness.

Precautions

People using Crestor who experience unexplained muscle pain and tenderness ( especially in the legs), should stop taking the medication immediately and contact their physician.

Resources

• Crestor official website