Warning on taking certain statins with dabigatran

[MarkS]

This article warns about the use of dabigatran (pradaxa) with certain statins:

medscape.com/viewarticle/87...

Apparently the effect of dabigatran is enhanced with lovastatin or simvastatin. The risk of major haemorrhage is increased by over 40%. This effect does not appear with other statins.

The problem with dabigatran is that there isn't a standard way to test its concentration (unlike warfarin). It was found in its trials that there were fewer strokes when its concentration was measured in a laboratory, but of course that would negate its main benefit of apparently not requiring testing. This was kept quiet at the time and caused quite a scandal when the details were finally released.

[Hidden]

Hi Mark,

Just an additional bit of information from the Aussies downunder - have a go at this - its a safety alert from the Australian Department of Health, Therapeutic Goods Administration

tga.gov.au/alert/dabigatran...

Hope that's of interest.

John

[MarkS in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, Carneuny, there do seem to be a lot of interactions. I'm sure more of these will come out in time as they didn't show up in the original trial, for whatever reason.

[jennydog]

MarkS Thank you for this. I had an appointment with my GP this morning to have a steroid injection into my frozen shoulder. I wrote out details for him and he is going to alter my Simvastatin prescription.

[cassie46 in reply to jennydog]

jennydog

Have you tried a osteopath for your frozen shoulder - I had this a few years ago before AF. Had pain killers, phsio, chyropractor nothing worked over a 9 month period. Went to the Osteopath and cured in 6 weeks. Down side you have to pay for it.

Cassie

[jennydog in reply to cassie46]

cassie46 Many thanks for this. The pain on certain movements is awful - like being electrocuted. I am told that it is bursitis. Googling it revealed that we each have 65 bursas which are like cushions between the joints.

I will certainly take your advice if this steroid injection doesn't work.

[Hidden]

That's really useful. I can only take Pradaxa so I'll keep that in mind if the Practice Nurse suggests statins, as there is now no low threshold for cholesterol to be prescribed a statin.