Statins

[Booge_15]

I was advised to start on medication to lower my blood as apparently the guidelines for an acceptable level are now lower than previously. I have also been given statins . I have been given Atorvaststin which I know and have read in the paperwork that it can cause aching muscles ( my husband needed to change this tablet for that very reason) . I wondered if you have any information for those of us with PMR who already have muscles that are inclined to ache! I am 77 yrs old and in good health ,according to my GP ( heart wise etc) apart from my second session of PMR!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I've just written about it on another thread! I refuse to take statins - I do have high cholesterol, of course I do I'm on pred! My own usual cardiologist is fine with it - 10 days of half a dose of atorvastatin almost had me in a wheelchair so I stopped it and she accepts my reluctance. It took me months to get back to where I had been physically on discharge from hospital a few weeks earlier with the dratted stuff.

I saw a different cardio to discuss another doctor's decision to take me off all my arrythmia medication "as it obviously wasn't working": I had had a single episode of severe tachycardia which was almost certainly triggered by exhaustion and the stress of nursing a dying husband, this doctor's advice was to "avoid stress"! A different statin was offered - the first 2 weeks was fine and then the signs of a PMR flare appeared. That was about 4 months ago, I'm still dealing with it and its add-ons - it may not have been the statin - I'm not willing to risk it again until the PMR is far better under control than it is at present.

There is considerable evidence that statins do not improve the statistics for women who have not had a previous cardiac event. They do improve the status of women who have already had a heart attack or stroke and men in either case. I haven't had what counts as a cardiac event - I will take my chances because I don't really want to live for many years more feeling as I did while taking a statin.

[Lizwillis in reply to PMRpro]

This is fascinating stuff! Just a couple of days ago my GP has told me I should also go on statins and if I was her mother she would tell me to take them. I refused, as like a lot of people on here, I said I really don’t want to add any more pain than I already have. My sister, who used to be an anaesthetist, told me she saw an awful number of patients who were on statins who were in pain. So, I have been looking into it and came across Dr Aseem Malhotra, who is a cardiologist and has written some books amongst which are ones on the Pioppi diet, which I do seem to remember you, PMRpro mentioning a while ago as a way to go with our condition. It is so interesting! a I am going to order up a couple of his books. He does sound a bit like Dr Unwin with his low carb help for those of us with diabetes, in that he has been banging his head on the wall with the rest of the medical profession in trying to look seriously at what the pharmaceutical companies pressure medics to use, without really studying what is actually going on.

My cynical self feels that GP’s are pressured by the pharmaceutical companies to push their products for financial gain. However, I do know that taking Pred is the only way to go for what we all have and that has been said so many times before, just because our CRP levels come down doesn’t mean that we no longer have PMR! the rheumatologist I have in the past seen, has on previous times that I have seen her said exactly that! GRRRRRRR!!!!!

[Kendrew]

Hi Booge_15,

I have been on and off statins for a long number of years and long before I was diagnosed with PMR in 2019.

From the research I've done over the years, I'm now well aware that for many people they are not the innocuous medication they have frequently been described as. In fact for many people like Pro, they have caused some quite serious side effects.

I personally have been both unfortunate and fortunate! Unfortunate in that I have hypercholesterolemia...so without statins my overall cholesterol reading is over 12mml/L and dangerously high (allegedly)....and fortunate in that I have no significant issues with the statins I'm currently taking. (Atorvastatin 40mg)

Like myself, there are also others who are well able to tolerate taking statins but unfortunately, as individuals there is no way of knowing which category we'll fall into.

Other factors may also determine how well our bodies tolerate statins, for instance, possible interactions with other medications we're taking or other underlying conditions, but until you actually start taking the medication, there's really no reliable way of knowing.

Your circumstances will be different to ours..... you have to weigh up the pros and cons as they seem for you and then decide on the 'risk' reflected with the choice you have. It's not easy unfortunately.....as we find with many of the choices we have to make whilst dealing with PMR/GCA.

[jinasc]

My Cousin (82) had a TIA the cholesterol level was high. The stroke clinic advised a bowl of proper porridge and a whole orange (not juice it had to be a whole orange) for breakfast every day. Within six months level was OK. Now 94 and in a care how - she still have the same breakfast. We did ask the care home if they would carry on with this and they agreed, Now 94 and level has not moved and only had 1 more TIA.

D o not ask how it works, I don't know.

BTW: read the leaflet that comes with your prescription some statin side effects include aches and pains.

[SheffieldJane in reply to jinasc]

I love common sense doctors like that.

[Koalajane]

I take atorvastatin and have tried stopping it to see if it makes my pains any better and no it doesn’t seem to.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Koalajane]

How long for? It took months for my statin pains to go away

[Koalajane in reply to PMRpro]

4 months.

[PMRZ in reply to Koalajane]

The GP told my partner it would take a year before it was totally out of his body!

[Balletomane]

I've been on statins for some years. I can't remember the first one I was on, sorry, but it made me so fatigued. Also meant I had to give up my grapefruit for breakfast. I discovered there was a statin which allowed grapefruit, hooray, pravastatin, have been on it for years and not aware of any side effects. (Note: I have GCA, not PMR)

[WaltzG]

I have spent years refusing statins since as already said here there is no evidence that work well on women without any history of heart issues and cause very nasty side effects. My latest blood test showed my cholesterol had dropped due to careful diet and exercise regime (which I am lucky enough to be able to partially continue despite PMR pain). The Dr still insisted I went on statins which again I gracefully refused. Wish they were as enthusiastic about my other health issues!!!

[Noosat]

I was found to be highly allergic to the 2 statins I tried. There are other medications that can work

[winfong in reply to Noosat]

I was put on atorvastatin but had some side effects. Back to good-old-fashioned simvastatin. I would imagine they're a bit like SSRIs (anti-depressant drugs). You have to kiss a couple of frogs before you find the one that works for you.

[Bcol in reply to winfong]

Simvastatin and Atorvastatin never worked for me, really painful joints so tried Rosuvastatin with no problems at all. Been on them for many years.

[winfong]

I've successfully reduced my polypharmacy by 2 drugs recently. Maybe this is another I can get off. I've only ever had anyone tell me my numbers were only borderline.

[nuigini]

As PMRpro has said there is plenty of evidence that statins do not improve the situation for women, and evidence of the damaging side effects. here are a couple I recently read.

huffpost.com/entry/women-st...

drmicozzi.com/women-and-sta...

I've also read that women were not involved in any of the clinical trials for statins!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to nuigini]

I've also read that women were not involved in any of the clinical trials for statins!

Not quite - there were a whole 10% in the 4 main trials!

academic.oup.com/qjmed/arti...

[Highlandtiger in reply to nuigini]

'I've also read that women were not involved in any of the clinical trials for statins!'

My late mother was involved in statin trials. She was very disappointed when she ultimately discovered she’d had the placebo but she was most definitely involved!