If the statin is the cause, the symptoms should go away within days or weeks after the drug is stopped. The clearest risk from statins is muscle damage resulting in weakness, tenderness, or pain. In the majority of situations, creatine kinase will be normal or only mildly elevated. Liver damage from statin drugs occurs in about 1 in 100,000 people, according to the AHA. Seven people developed rhabdomyolysis. The clearest risk from statins is muscle damage resulting in weakness, tenderness, or pain. Some studies link statin … These symptoms commonly occur in large muscles in the legs, chest, upper arms, shoulders, or lower back, but can occur elsewhere. Keep in mind that statins are not a substitute for heart-healthy lifestyle changes such as improved diet, exercise, and weight control. More serious muscle damage causes moderate to severe pain. Vitamin F is not a vitamin in the traditional sense, but a term for two important fats. If you have any unexplained joint or muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness while taking statins, you should call your doctor immediately. Common complaints, especially in the lower body, include: People who are physically active are more likely to have myopathy than people who are sedentary. The nocebo effect is the flip side of the placebo effect, in which positive expectations contribute to benefits. Myositis: Myositis, a type of myopathy, causes muscle pain and inflammation, as well as an elevation in CK (a muscle enzyme) levels in the blood. Your doctor should also make sure that other drugs you’re taking are not boosting the blood level of your statin. Rhabdomyolysis is an extreme, life-threatening type of myopathy. The time to find out if Medicare covers ambulance service is before you need one. In contrast, in large observational studies as well as clinical practice, anywhere from 5 to 20 percent of people (or possibly even more) report muscle symptoms that are ascribed to statins, according to Ronald Krauss, MD, director of Atherosclerosis Research at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute and a member of our Editorial Board, “and that is likely an underestimate of more subtle effects of statins on muscle biology.”. For this reason, your doctor might simply suggest switching to another statin that works just as well but can be taken in a smaller dose. Myopathy is separated into three different types based on toxicity: As with most cases of myopathy, symptoms originate in the muscles of the upper arms, shoulders, pelvis, and thighs. But such pain is common, especially in middle-aged and older people, and can have many causes. For people who already have diabetes, statins may cause a small increase in blood sugar. Statin-related muscle inflammation and damage occur on a continuum. Another established adverse effect of statins is a modestly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, especially in women and in people who already have risk factors for it, such as being sedentary or obese. Any disease affecting kidney or liver function. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Nearly one-fifth of all patients reported adverse effects, usually muscle pain, which often led to stopping the drugs. Resources such as the National Lipid Association’s Statin Myalgia Clinical Index Score focus on location, symmetry, and timing of muscle pain as well as response to dechallenge and challenge, producing statin myalgia likelihood score. Although gentle stretching may relieve muscle cramps, beginning a new vigorous exercise regimen while taking a statin may increase the risk of muscle pain. Myalgia also often comes with mild feelings of weakness. Since people with diabetes are at high risk for cardiovascular disease, the benefit of statin therapy outweighs this side effect. That often helps. If you’re taking a statin and develop muscle weakness, tenderness, or pain, consult your doctor. On rare occasions, statin drugs break down muscle cells, releasing a protein enzyme called creatine phosphokinase (CPK). During the advanced stage of the disease, the muscles of the feet and hands can be affected. Taking certain other medications, such as some antibiotic, antifungal, or HIV drugs. In 2017, a second study by the same researchers in the same journal found that among 28,000 people who reported adverse reactions to statins, 71 percent were able to continue taking the same or a different statin. These symptoms commonly occur in large muscles in the legs, chest, upper arms, shoulders, or lower back, but can occur elsewhere. Cardiovascular health among youths still has…, In a pair of articles published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers tout the potential of bempedoic acid as a powerful new tool…, As far as natural alternatives to chemical ingredients go, capric acid and caprylic triglyceride is one of the cleanest ingredients that you can find…. Unfortunately, statin usage can present certain side effects. What is clear is that these drugs have been proved effective in treating high cholesterol. Commit to an exercise routine, lose weight if you need to, and adopt a heart- healthy eating plan such as the Mediterranean diet. Although statins are the most effective oral medications for lowering your cholesterol, other types of drugs also are available. Fewer than 1 in 1,000 develop muscle symptoms accompanied by elevated blood markers for muscle damage (myopathy). The symptoms usually begin within the first few weeks or months of treatment (or after an interacting drug is started) but sometimes start later, and in some cases can be precipitated by increased physical activity. Statin-related muscle inflammation and damage occur on … Thus, the study concluded, most people who have adverse effects should not give up on statins. What Is Vitamin F? According to the AHA’s analysis of clinical trials: However, some researchers believe that participants in statin trials have not been representative of the general population, so the results may underestimate the true prevalence of statin-related side effects. If this is the case for you, your doctor will likely start by ruling out other factors that might be contributing to your pain, such as: Sometimes a brief break from statin medication is needed in order to determine if the muscle aches you’re experiencing are due to statin usage or just a part of the natural aging process. According to the AHA, clinical trials indicate that statins may increase the risk by 10 to 20 percent over five years, which works out to about 2 extra cases of diabetes per year in 1,000 statin users in the general population. Are they worth trying? Providence offers a range of Medicare Advantage health insurance plans in parts of Oregon and Washington. These potentially life-saving medications have some important medical uses, but the downside is that they could also cause muscle pain or muscle cramps—also known as statin-induced muscle pain. Advertising Policy The paper also reviewed the research on other reported or rumored side effects and safety concerns—including neurological problems, cognitive impairment, peripheral neuropathy, cataracts, cancer, erectile dysfunction, kidney problems, and tendon ruptures—and found no convincing evidence that statins increased these risks. About Us Many factors can increase the risk of statin-related muscle damage: The AHA places new emphasis on the fact that statin users may experience muscle pain because of the “nocebo” (Latin for “I will harm”) effect. So why do many people fear statins and refuse to take them—or start and then stop taking them? Liver damage used to be a major concern, but research has found that statin-related liver problems are rare and seldom progress to serious disease. The p… Fewer than 1 in 100 statin users develop muscle pain (myalgia) of any degree, compared to a placebo. Do Not Sell My Info 2. Terms of Service, © 2020 Remedy Health Media, LLC All rights reserved, faculty at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. Being over 75 (because of coexisting medical conditions and use of multiple drugs). Statins are a class of drugs that lower LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol levels in the body by preventing production in the liver, where the majority of the…. The key finding was that among the 11,000 people who reported stopping statins because of adverse effects, more than 90 percent of those who were re-challenged with a lower dose or different statin were able to continue it long term. In statin users, symptoms such as unusual fatigue, loss of appetite, or yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, particularly in people with pre-existing liver disease, require medical attention. Healthy lifestyle habits are also encouraged, such as: Muscle myopathy can be a frustrating side effect of statin therapy, but you should never stop taking your medication for any length of time without talking to your doctor first.