Do Statin Drugs Deplete you of Co enzyme Q10?

Unfortunately the answer is yes. The cholesterol-lowering drugs block all our cells ability to make both cholesterol and the nutrient co enzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Statins block the production of a molecule, which is the essential precursor to both cholesterol and CoQ10 production.
What is CoQ10?
CoQ10 was discovered by Fred Crane, Ph.D. in 1957 and is now known to be a powerful antioxidant. CoQ10 is made in our body and we also obtain some from our food. We make the most CoQ10  at the same time as we reach our peak athletic performance, which is in our mid 20s and thereafter we become more dependent on dietary sources. CoQ10 is most highly concentrated in organ meats such as heart, liver, and kidney, which we do not usually eat these days.
So if we put all the facts together, the combination of statin and low dietary intake, this can lead to severe depletion of this essential nutrient. If you lower cholesterol by 40% with statin drug therapy, you will lower CoQ10 levels by 40% too. CoQ10 is the cofactor, or coenzyme, necessary for the production of about 90% of our cellular energy and it follows that almost all patients taking statin drugs experience some degree of fatigue and muscle weakness.
Statin drug side effects may include varying degrees of fatigue, muscle weakness and/or muscle pain, shortness of breath with exertion, impairment in short-term memory, peripheral neuropathy with numbness and tingling in the feet and liver damage.
There was a study done in 2004, a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology documented evidence of early heart muscle weakness in 70% of patients taking statin drug therapy for a period of six months. Interestingly, this early heart muscle weakness reversed back to normal by adding supplemental CoQ10 at 100mg three times daily (total of 300mg/day).
More recently, other studies have shown reversal of skeletal muscle pain and weakness by adding supplemental CoQ10 to statin drug therapy.
Should I take statins and CoQ10 together?
Interestingly this is not new knowledge as in 1990  Merck & Co., Inc. (the manufacturer of two statin drugs, lovastatin and simvastatin) obtained two patents to combine CoQ10 with the statin drug in the same tablet to prevent liver and muscle damage. These patents have not been acted upon, the basic science behind them is sound and taking supplemental CoQ10 with a statin drug makes perfect sense. Importantly, taking a CoQ10 supplement does not affect the cholesterol-lowering action of the statin drugs.
So the answer is yes I always recommend taking CoQ10 with statins to lessen the side effects of the statin and to increase overall health. Co10 is better absorbed with a meal and I recommend a dose of 150mg per day.