Five biggest risk factors in taking Lipitor and other statins
The following risks have been reported by the FDA and other sources as being associated with the use of Lipitor and/or other Statin drugs. Common side effects of taking Statin drugs are:
● Nausea
● Vomiting
● Constipation
● Diarrhea
● Headache
● Rash
● Weakness
● Muscle pain
● Liver failure
● Rhabdomyolysis
● Memory loss (Transient Global Amnesia)
● Neuropathy
Rhabdomyolysis is the medical term for the breakdown of muscle fibers that results in their release into the bloodstream. This is a serious side effect, often beginning as muscle pain and progressing to loss of muscle cells, kidney failure, and death. Patients suffering from this side effect sometimes feel muscle pain or tenderness and may feel weak.
More frequently this occurs when statins are used in combination with other drugs
(some of which cause rhabdomyolysis themselves) or with drugs that prevent elimination of statins, in turn raising the levels of statins in the blood. Since rhabdomyolysis can be fatal, unexplained joint/muscle pain that occurs while taking statins should be brought to the attention of a healthcare provider for immediate evaluation. Since other drugs taken in conjunction with statins can increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis, it is important that your doctor know exactly what medications you are on - these include niacin, which some people take as a supplement for high cholesterol and which, with statins, can increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis.
Besides muscle pain, the other major symptom of rhabdomyolysis is dark, red, or cola colored urine, which is the manifest of muscle breakdown. Analysis of the urine and blood will show high levels of the muscle protein myoglobin in patients with this condition.
Quitting the statin use usually stops rhabdomyolysis in its tracks and leads to full recovery.
For susceptible individuals, the use of a statin drug can interfere with proper functioning of peripheral nerves. Researchers assume that the build-up of statins in the body causes neuropathy in some individuals. If left undiagnosed, neuropathy can lead to deterioration of the muscles and paralysis. This can lead to problems swallowing, breathing, and complications of the heart – as these all involve muscle groups. In the extreme case, severe neuropathy as a side effect to statin use can lead to death.
Tell us what you think are the five biggest risks in taking Statin drugs to lower cholesterol or reduce associated heart problems. Please add your opinions in the comments section below. We will address benefits to these drugs in subsequent posts.
We are interested in hearing from patients, doctors, pharmacists, medical researchers and anyone else with an opinion on this issue.
25. August 2008 at 5:12 pm :
I am acquainted with 6 individuals who think Lipitor therapy is directly associated with the onset of their diagnoses of Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Xuiemi Huang, UNC Chapel Hill has proposed a clinical trial to determine if statins cause Parkinson’s disease,following prior study showing low LDL is positively related to Parkinson’s disease. (http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/dec06/parkinsonsldl121806.htm)
I have also read of many instances in which individuals link use of fat soluble statins to the onset of ALS (lou gehrig disease).Recently, the Director of the World Health Organization Drug Monitoring System, Dr. Ralph Edwards, authored a report of an increased incidence of ALS-like syndrome and statin use:Statins, neuromuscular degenerative disease and an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like syndrome: an analysis of individual case safety reports from vigibase
http://tinyurl.com/6c3uha
There exists numerous studies concluding an “unmasking” of neuromuscular diseases such as McArdle’s Disease, Myastenia Gravis, mononeuropathy multiplex, carnitine palmityol transferase deficiency myopathy, etc.
The “CARE” clinical trial results included a 1500% relative risk increase in incidence of breast cancer in the women who participated. The explanation was that this was a “statistical anomoly”, though I have been unable to find WHAT the RR would have been given the “normal” number of breast cancer cases in the placebo group (there were 15 cancer cases in the statins groups, 1 in the placebo group, and there were supposed to be 7 in the placebo group. What Relative Risk does this “revised normal number” represent????