Guest guest Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009  for far too long the medical profession has denied there is any relationship between taking statins and other illnesses, aches pains and associated disorders........ perhaps the tide is changing.... but who is going to inform doctors? certainly not the pharmaceutical representatives who are paid to PUSH Big Pharm's drugs Medical Services | Health Information | Appointments | Education and Research | Jobs | About Statin side effects: Weigh the benefits and risks Statin side effects can be very uncomfortable, making it seem like the risks outweigh the benefits of these powerful cholesterol-lowering medications. Consider the risks and benefits. Because of their effectiveness, statins are often prescribed for people with high cholesterol to lower their total cholesterol and reduce their risk of a heart attack or stroke. Most people who are prescribed statins will take them for the rest of their lives, which can make statin side effects difficult to manage. For some people, statin side effects can make it seem like the benefit of taking a statin isn't worth it. Before you decide to stop taking a statin, discover how statin side effects can be reduced. What are statin side effects? Muscle pain The most common statin side effect is muscle pain. You may feel this pain as a soreness, tiredness or weakness in your muscles. The pain can be a mild discomfort, or it can be severe enough to make your daily activities difficult. For example, you might find climbing stairs or walking to be uncomfortable or tiring. Very rarely, statins can cause life-threatening muscle damage called rhabdomyolysis (about one case for every 15 million prescriptions). Rhabdomyolysis can cause liver damage, kidney failure and death. Rhabdomyolysis can occur when statins are used in combination with certain other drugs. Liver damage Occasionally, statin use could cause your liver to increase its production of enzymes. If the increase is only mild, you can continue to take the drug. If the increase is severe, you may need to stop taking the drug, which usually reverses the problem. Your doctor might suggest a different statin. If left unchecked, increased liver enzymes may lead to permanent liver damage. Certain other cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as gemfibrozil (Lopid) and niacin, increase the risk of liver problems even more in people who take statins. Because liver problems may develop without symptoms, people who take statins should have their liver function tested about six weeks after they start taking a statin, and then again every three to six months for the first year of treatment, particularly if their statin dose is increased. Digestive problems Some people taking a statin may develop nausea, diarrhea or constipation after taking a statin. These side effects are rare. Most people who have these side effects already have other problems with their digestive system. Taking your statin medication in the evening with a meal can reduce digestive side effects. Rash or flushing You could develop a rash or flushing after you start taking a statin. If you take a statin and niacin, either in a combination pill such as Simcor or as two separate medications, you're more likely to have this side effect. Taking aspirin before taking your statin medication may help, but talk to your doctor first. Neurological side effects Some researchers have studied whether statins could be linked to memory loss or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Researchers have not found a link between statin use and either condition. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Rhabdomyolysis from statins: What's the risk? Statin drugs: Can they cause memory loss? Statins: Do they cause ALS? Who's at risk of developing statin side effects? Not everyone who takes a statin will have side effects, but some people may be at a greater risk than are others. Risk factors include: Taking multiple medications to lower your cholesterol Being female Having a smaller body frame Being age 65 and older Having kidney or liver disease Having type 1 or 2 diabetes Statin side effects may be linked to genetics. More research is needed before a genetic test is widely available to determine if you may have side effects from taking a statin medication. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Cholesterol medications: Consider the options What causes statin side effects? Researchers are unsure exactly what causes statin side effects, especially muscle pain. Statins work by slowing your body's production of cholesterol. Your body produces all the cholesterol it needs for digesting food and producing new cells on its own. When this natural production is slowed, your body begins to draw the cholesterol it needs from the food you eat, lowering your total cholesterol. Researchers think statins may affect not only your liver's production of cholesterol, but also several enzymes in muscle cells that are responsible for muscle growth. The effects of statins on these cells may be the cause of muscle aches. How to relieve statin side effects To relieve your statin side effects, your doctor may recommend several options. Discuss these steps with your doctor before trying them: Take a brief break from statin therapy. Sometimes, it's hard to tell whether the muscle aches or other problems you're having are statin side effects or just part of the aging process. Taking a break of 10 to 14 days can give you some time to compare how you feel when you are and aren't taking a statin. This can help you determine whether your aches and pains are due to statins instead of something else. Switch to another statin drug. It's possible, although unlikely, that one particular statin may cause side effects for you while another statin won't. There's some evidence that pravastatin (Pravachol) and rosuvastatin (Crestor) may be less likely to cause side effects than other statin drugs. Change your dose. Lowering your dose may reduce some of your side effects, but it may also reduce some of the cholesterol-lowering benefits your medication has. It's also possible your doctor will suggest switching your medication to another statin that's equally effective, but can be taken in a lower dose. Take it easy when exercising. It's possible exercise could make your muscle aches worse. Talk to your doctor about changing your exercise routine. Consider other cholesterol-lowering medications. Ezetimibe (Zetia), a cholesterol absorption inhibitor medication, may be less likely to cause muscle pain than statins, or may reduce muscle pain when taken with a statin. However, some researchers question the effectiveness of ezetimibe, compared with statins in terms of its ability to lower your cholesterol. Don't try over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. Muscle aches from statins can't be relieved with acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) the way other muscles aches can. Don't try an OTC pain reliever without asking your doctor first. Some doctors think Coenzyme Q10 supplements may help to prevent statin side effects. If you'd like to try adding Coenzyme Q10 to your treatment, talk to your doctor first to make sure the supplement won't interact with any of your other medications. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Cholesterol medications: Consider the options Coenzyme Q10: Can it prevent statin side effects? Watch for drug interactions Statins can also have several potentially dangerous interactions with other medications and foods that make it more likely you'll have statin side effects. These include: All statins and grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Grapefruit juice contains a chemical that makes statins more potent. This can be dangerous because it's uncertain what the effect would be on your total cholesterol. You should still be able to have some grapefruit or grapefruit juice, but talk to your doctor about limiting how much grapefruit juice you can drink. Simvastatin and amiodarone. People taking the statin simvastatin, either alone (Zocor) or in combination with ezetimibe (Vytorin) and amiodarone (Cordarone), a medication for irregular heart rhythms, are at a greater risk of severe statin side effects, such as rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure. All statins and gemfibrozil (Lopid). While not everyone who takes both of these cholesterol-lowering medications may experience side effects, people who take both gemfibrozil (Lopid) and a statin may be at a greater risk of statin side effects. All statins and some antibiotic and antifungal medications. If you have a fungal or bacterial infection, be sure to tell your doctor if you take a statin. All statins and some antidepressant medications. It's possible that taking nefazodone (Serzone) and a statin could make you more likely to have muscle aches. All statins and some immunosuppressant medications. If you take a medication to suppress your immune system, such as cyclosporine (Sandimmune) and a statin, you may be more likely to have muscle aches. Weigh the risks and benefits Although statin side effects can be annoying, consider the benefits of taking a statin before you decide to stop taking your medication. Remember that statin medications can greatly reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke, and the risk of life-threatening side effects from statins is very low. Even if your side effects are frustrating, don't stop taking your statins for any period of time without talking to your doctor first. Your doctor may be able to come up with an alternative treatment plan that can help you lower your cholesterol without uncomfortable side effects. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Top 5 lifestyle changes to reduce cholesterol Cholesterol: The top 5 foods to lower your numbers Cholesterol-lowering supplements: Lower your numbers without prescription medication RELATED Statin drugs: Can they cause memory loss? Statins: Do they cause ALS? Rhabdomyolysis from statins: What's the risk? Coenzyme Q10: Can it prevent statin side effects? Podcast: Statin drugs — Common side effects High blood cholesterol ARTICLE TOOLS Print E-mail this Larger type Reprints and permissions Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine Healthy Living set - Buy 2 books and get 1 free! Get your free trial issue of Health Letter now! More titles from MayoClinic.com Bookstore … Advertising and sponsorship policy Jan 1, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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