Statins and PMR: Thought you might be interested in this - especially if you take statins

[PMRpro]

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

This is a study from The Netherlands about the association between statin use and the development of PMR.

[SheffieldJane]

Thanks for posting this. Another drug I neatly swerved a few years back.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to SheffieldJane]

Me too - a week of a half dose of Lipitor/atorvastatin nearly had me in a wheelchair! Even the cardiologist doesn't argue!!

[GranAmie in reply to PMRpro]

Me too... after many years of PMR and stress incidents a blood test showed +ve for RA. My GP prescribed statins May 2015 and withi 6 weeks i had collapsed cdn't walk etc.. ambulanced to A&E, swollen feet etc etc.. Hospitalised suspected food poisoning but houseman asked 'anything else' ; showed my feet / ankles 'what's that' he said. explained recent diagnosis and 6-9 month waiting list to see a rheumy... Was seen on ward next day and transferred to specialist hospital, home in w/chair after abt 2.5 weeks. Rheumy told me statins caused my collapse [bp, cholesterol etc were all good]. Thank you NHS ...[andPMR Pro!] didn't know of this research tho' have learned of links btween PMR and RA.

[polymy in reply to SheffieldJane]

Me too SJ. I had just had an angiogram which said my arteries were clear. I asked what the reason was for giving a statin when my cholesterol was 4.5 and my arteries in good shape. They took it off my list. I think they have a list of things they dish out to cardiac patients and statins is one of them. It pays to watch what is happening to you in hospital and not to accept without questioning.

[SheffieldJane in reply to polymy]

God preserve us from wonder drugs. You are right, we have to question everything.

[Nuff1]

That's interesting!

[Hidden]

That’s the top of my No List!

[Hidden]

A few years back now and just before the diagnoses that I had PMR, doctors said that as my cholesterol figure was higher than they liked, they wanted me to take statins. The first one I took made me feel unwell and two weeks later I was getting pains in my legs. After reporting this they changed to another variant. Anyway to cut the story short I tried 3 different ones and I felt absolutely terrible and depressed.

I vowed never to take another one.

[gifford7]

For a more recent link [2015] see:

archivesofrheumatology.org/...

"Is It Statin Induced Polymyalgia Rheumatica or Just a Coincidence?..........

Although statins have been reported to be associated with some musculoskeletal side effects such as myalgia, myositis, myopathy, and elevated CK, statin induced PMR is a very rare condition which has been reported only in a few anecdotal reports.(2-4) "

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to gifford7]

More recent it may be (and that not signifcantly, it is only 2 years) but that is a single case report whereas the link I quoted is a full study with hundreds in the population. Which is hardly a "few anecdotal reports".

[jinasc]

A Professor at the RVI who was a cardiologist (now retired) if a patient was referred to him and was Sim and Avor he took them off immediately. We only found this out when a member who had PMR was referred to him..............he said to her..............'if I had my way those would be taken off the market'. One of the side effects listed on Sim - is' can cause aches and pains' .

If only we would all learn read those side effects on every time. If you encounter one, even though listed, report using the Yellow Card Scheme in the UK.

[Hidden]

I took atorvastatin for a couple of years in early 2000s. I had previous been DX with fibromyalgia/chronic pain so thought the increased arm pain was due to a flare of that. Then I forgot to either take or order statin and arm pain reduced. After 4 months without it I had diabetes review, cholesterol "high" so confessed to not taking statins. Changed to pravastatin which didn't seem to cause pain etc. After nearly 14yrs I decided to stop statins and I did have a much clearer head but no significant reduction of pain. Told Dr who said fine after I said I knew not as protective for women. Cholesterol still high but hopefully it'll settle eventually. Given that my cholesterol was high with statins what was the point? I will be interested to see if it raises in the next year or two.

[suzy1959]

I was on Simvastatin, I think, briefly just before I got PMR. It gave me the aches and pains in the legs, just like the PMR pains I got subsequently. I stopped it as I couldn't sleep for the pains and I thought why am I taking something that is giving me trouble every day in case something may happen in the future- it didn't make sense to me!

[Baileyw06 in reply to suzy1959]

I had a silent heart attack last year and the doctor gave me atorvastatin and it made my liver enzymes go crazy plus I went into a flare with increased muscle pain.She took me off them and liver results went back to normal.She put all statins in my do not use list!Now I am on daily aspirin and coQ10.Cholesterol much better after loosing about 5 pounds.

We have to be so careful with medication!Fosemax also gives you muscle pain which is in the side effects, that we don’t need any more of and get into a flare!

[maria40]

I was prescribed atorvastatin some years ago. Read the leaflet carefully and decided I'd prefer to stick to dietary control of cholesterol which was not very high anyway. Didn't mention to GP and they vanished from my repeat prescription list after a few months.

[gifford7]

I've been on atorvastatin for over a decade without a problem; initially at 10mg. After my GCA induced stroke put on 80mg because of hypercholesterolemia, later reduced to 40mg.

Standard procedure for ischemic stroke patients to get the LDL below 70. Tried low fat diet in the past but only got a 10% reduction of cholesterol and HDL dropped into the danger zone. Now am prediabetic so on a low refined carbo diet. Those with cardiac problems have to make a choice and atorvastatin seems to work for me.

mayoclinic.org/diseases-con...

"Familial hypercholesterolemia affects the way the body processes cholesterol. As a result, people with familial hypercholesterolemia have a higher risk of heart disease and a greater risk of early heart attack.

The gene that causes familial hypercholesterolemia is inherited. The condition is present from birth. Treatments including medications and healthy lifestyle behaviors can help reduce the risks......................................

LDL cholesterol can cause your arteries to get hard and narrow. This increases your risk of a heart attack and heart disease."

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to gifford7]

But as your post points out - familial hypercholesterolaemia is a different matter altogether. Most of us do NOT have that problem and there is no evidence that statins benefit women who have no history of cardiac events. I am not going to take a drug that makes me ill to maybe prevent something that possibly isn't going to happen anyway.

[Hidden in reply to gifford7]

Even if women have 1 cardiac event it is not effective. For men a little more so. Everyone knows their medical history and most know their family history. If there is an increased genetic risk then you obviously make your own mind up. But to make a choice all the available info and evidence is required.

[Telian]

Hubby was put on statins when he had his heart attack over 20 years ago - just before last christmas he was rushed to hospital with sepsis and pancreatitis - they immediately took him off the statins saying they can cause the latter - he nearly died.

[Gary1310]

After about 10 years on Atvorstatin I was diagnosed with PMR. Interesting that my feet and hand swelled about the same time I was on Statins. I stopped taking statins a week ago. See my Rheumatologist tomorrow and will tell him I took myself off. I am on 5mg Prednisone from 20mg. in January. I feel very well, maybe a twinge in my back and arms on a rare occasion and need to nap.......still walk, funny.....but I am pleased.

[Cross-stitcher]

I do feel it's important not to generalise. We all respond differently to different drugs. I started taking Atorvastatin in December 2016 when my total cholesterol had reached 7.1 and my LDL 4.5. Both had been steadily rising over the previous 2 years despite diet and lifestyle changes, and I agreed with my GP that it was time to take action. I have never had any side-effects from this statin. My PMR diagnosis in March this year came out of the blue, but may have been caused by a shingles vaccination 4 months earlier - who can know for sure? High cholesterol does not run in my family, as far as I know, but heart problems do and I'd like to avoid these if I can.

[twinkleyt]

My GPs nurse said to me " If everybody read the leaflet of side effects nobody would take any medication at all". I was shocked.

I take Statins and GP put me on 40mgs daily That was changed to 20mg when I was prescribed 5mg of Amlodipine by my cardiologist on advice from a prescribing chemist that high dose of Statin + Amlodipine is dangerous. This happened 2018 at Gps practice.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to twinkleyt]

They probably wouldn't - but it might save some hospitalisations due to contraindications and interactions!!!