Statins and PMR pain

[Woolyhead]

I know statins can affect some people with muscle pain, my husband had to come off them because after a few months of taking them he could barely walk this corrected itself after a few weeks. I was diagnosed with Peripheral Arterial Disease in July and put on statins. I had been on 5mg of Prednisolone for a few months without pain. The beginning of September I noticed my shoulders getting stiff, then my hips and knees, so I upped the dose of Prednisolone to 6mg, the pain came back. Took it to 7mg, I’d never been that high since I tapered from 15 to 10 to 5.. The pain is coming back on 7mg, my knees are really painful and I can feel it in my shoulders. I’m just wondering if anyone has taken statins since having PMR and has the PMR pain increased?

[jinasc]

There was a Cardio Profeesor (now retired) in one of our local hospitals, who if someone who had been referred to him and they were on Statins ............he took them off straight away if they were complaining of:

"Muscle aches, tenderness, or weakness (myalgia)"

I do not know what, if anything, he replaced them with. We only found out when a patient with PMR was referred to him with a heart problem and admitted and he took them off her pronto.

My Cousin who is now 90 had a stroke 10 years ago, the stroke clinic told her to eat porridge and eat one orange at breakfast time..........her level came down within six months and has stayed there so for the past 10 years, porridge and an orange.

Always read the side effects on any meds you are given and then you are alert to any that may occur. Then use the Yellow Card System and tell your medics.

webmd.com/cholesterol-manag...

[Woolyhead in reply to jinasc]

I didn't take them last night. The pain has eased. It seems a bit quick but feel it can't be coincidence. I increased my Prednisolone because of the pain but obviously that didn't stop it. I think I'm due for a slow taper. Thank you for the link. I'll have a look at that.

[GerriMc in reply to jinasc]

Interesting about the porridge and orange. I have extremely high cholesterol but I stopped taking statins as I never felt well on them. It was shortly after increasing the dose that I came down with PMR. Can’t say it was the statins that caused it but in general, I feel better without them. My hubby has porridge and an orange every day plus two desert spoons of cod liver oil. He has normal to low cholesterol.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I had had PMR for about 9 years, 4 of them on pred and no problems. I did have problems while on methyl pred for 6 months but I was able to walk and function. In 10 days after starting a statin I couldn't manage 50m up a gentle slope without thinking I was about to collapse. I stopped the statin and within a couple of months I was back to where I'd been before.

[Woolyhead in reply to PMRpro]

Yes. I've stopped taking them last night and to be honest my knees, which have been hurting for weeks have stopped hurting. It does seem a bit quick for the withdrawal to make any difference but it does seem a bit of a coincidence. I don't think I'll be taking any more.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Woolyhead]

I'd think joint pain would respond fairly quickly to be honest. I now have "no statins" on my hospital notes! I think someone tried to smuggle some in on my last hospital stay for the pacemaker!!

[piglette]

Can you ask your doctor if you could have a couple of weeks trial without the statins? My father had problems with them and he had a couple of weeks off them and he changed from a zombie to someone who was full of the joys of spring.

[Noosat]

My side effects on statins different to yours, however GP took e off any of them. This as about 4 yeas ago. Just bcause newer drugs come onto market, does not mean they are better.