Rituximab and statins - a good combo?

[Moomin8]

Morning Peeps 🙂

I am having my first Rituximab infusion 24th May. I have high cholesterol and have booked an appointment for a phone consultation with my GP today. I think it's about time I went on statins to reduce my high cholesterol. We have discussed it before, some time back, but she was reluctant to put me on statins because it might increase the aches and pains I was already suffering from. So, back to Rituximab...is anybody on both Rituximab and statins? Which statin are you on? I also have the Metoject (20mg) and take sulfasalazine. They're my main ones...along with a concoction of other meds: omeprazole, vitamin D3, folic acid, calceous, ferrous sulphate and etoricoxib.

Oh, I'm seropositive RA and I'm flaring big time - high CRP & ESR.

[Lolabridge]

Sorry to hear you’re flaring Moomin and hope the Rituximab will work as well for you as it does for me. I’m not on statins so I can’t answer your question but I hope someone will. X

[Lolabridge]

Your question interested me as I'm wondering whether statins may be suggested for me too before long. So I looked on this website for which are the Rituximab drug interactions:drugs.com/drug-interactions...

Then I looked up the names of the five most commonly prescribed statins in the UK and found these: simavastatin (Zocor), avorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), pravastatin (Lipostat), and rosuvastatin (Crestor).

I can't find any of these 5 drugs on the interaction list above. However it would still be a good idea to check with a pharmacist or your GP.

[AgedCrone in reply to Lolabridge]

I’m fine on statins & Rtx.....there are no contraindication for me ...I am just told to miss the BP pill on Rtx day...but as we all know what one patient is advised to do may not apply to another.The Biologics nurses are a mine of info on which drugs seem to cause problems with Rtx.

[charisma]

I’m NOT on Statins. On Rituximab though. I searched out lots of information over the last few years since RA diagnosis, and found Statins can do a great deal of harm.

Also found a good article that showed high cholesterol is not responsible for heart problems or high BP etc but that the plaques in arteries contain other substances.

The correct fats, and lowered sugar and carbs, would do more for you than Statins, according to such reports in link below. It is the same info I have found in various places but conveniently put together on that website, if you are interested before discussing with your doctor. Good luck with RTX! It took 15 weeks to make a difference for me after the first round so was on Prednisolone meantime. x.

westonaprice.org/wp-content...

westonaprice.org/?s=Cholest...

[Lolabridge in reply to charisma]

Watching Prof. Noakes video now - very interesting!

[Moomin8 in reply to Lolabridge]

Snap! 😊

[sunnyweek]

Hi sorry to hear you are flaring and hope you can have something extra to help control it in the meantime.I'm on retuximab and I also take statins. I'm take atorvastatin 20 mg a day. Its not a high dose but it has made a difference to my cholesterol which was 7.4. Been taking statins about 2 and a half years and retuximab about 8 years. I also have 1500mg of sulphasalazine a day. Plus the usual omeprazole and adcal.

I'm sero positive everything!

Hope you soon get your flare under control. Anything you need to know please just ask x

[Moomin8]

Sounds great! Thanks for sharing 👍How is Rituximab for you?

[sunnyweek in reply to Moomin8]

I've found retuximab to be great. I've had 9 cycles, last two the biosimilar. No problems touch wood. Good luck with yours.

[Moomin8]

Thanks 😊

[Chrissycl]

I'm on sulfaslazine and have been on avorvastin abnd hadcto come of it because of the pains and aches. The was given pravastion and told not many people have problems with this. I did, the same pains. I couldhardly walk without realy bad pains in my hips. so now trying low fat diet instead.

[Moomin8]

I've had a chat with my GP and she told me to add random lipids to my next blood test end or June, so we'll see what my readings are. She said I'm to liase with my rheumatologist about what to do.

[sunnyweek in reply to Moomin8]

That's a good move forward then, good luck hoping the readings will be low. Hope your flare is a little easier and your infusion on 24th May goes well x

[Moomin8]

Thanks 😊Flaring still and have been for some time...had enough if it really and I'm back into work Monday 🤷🏻‍♀️

[sunnyweek in reply to Moomin8]

Best try and rest this weekend then if you can. I hope your work understand.

[AgedCrone]

It seems you just have to suck it and see with statins. I am on blood pressure pills and statins and onRtx and have had no trouble at all – but when I first started on statins I did have dreadful aches and pains in my legs and this was pre-RA days.Your doctors will choose the statin they choose to prescribe for you from the clinical information they have...But it does seem to be a bit hit and miss.

As soon as I swapped from the first statin the aches & pains disappeared...& I have been taking them for 30+ years together with Rtx since 2016.

[Lolabridge in reply to AgedCrone]

Hi AC. Which statin did you start on and which one are you on now. The receptionist at my surgery said the GP wants me to make an appointment "to discuss my statins" (not on any at the moment 🙄) because my cholesterol was 5.97 in a recent test. The first appointment offered (only telephone of course ) is 1st July!! FGS!! 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️🙀

[AgedCrone in reply to Lolabridge]

I started on Statins 30+ years ago Lola ... I can’t remember what I took last week...let alone 30 years ago... and it really doesn’t affect what you will be prescribed......& I’m sure there are much more modern statins around than I take now... and as I am “quite elderly”!..... what I take probably wouldn’t suit you.But a word to the wise...even being on Statins your bad cholesterol can still rise if you start eating silly-sometimes on holiday I might have done that and had the misfortune to have a test soon after I got home and I get the raised eyebrows and “are you going to sort it or are we going to increase the dose”? So I rapidly adjust my diet to what it normally is without all the goodies one has on holiday and I am still only on 20 mg.

So if you really don’t want to take them you’ve got a good five or six weeks to eat really healthily and you might manage to escape for a bit longer!

[Lolabridge in reply to AgedCrone]

I eat really healthily all the time!! Hardly any alcohol or sweet stuff. Masses of fruit and veg, fish and chicken rather than red meat. My sister has been told her cholesterol is high but it’s the good stuff that’s high in her case. We are thinking there may be a family history that should be considered.

I’ve not had the fasting test yet which I believe differentiates between the good and bad types. So I’m going to ask for that and, as my sister has done, referral to a consultant.