[Santiagogirl]

Evaluating a common complaint (muscle pain or weakness) in a group where it is very prevalent (older adults) is tricky from the outset. I read the study you mention (Effect of statin therapy on muscle symptoms:an individual participant data meta-analysis of large-scale, randomized, double-blind trials. Cholesterol Trialists' collaboration. The Lancet. 08/29/22). Of note, several of the authors reported significant associations with the pharmaceutical industry. Results were a 7% overall increased rate ratio (RR) compared to placebo, for first reports of muscle pain or weakness in first year of statin therapy. The RR was higher at 9% for women, although digging through appendices of the article reveals RR of 14% in first year for women on low to moderate intensity statin therapy. Breaking down symptoms further, biggest overall difference was for muscle cramp or spasm (9%). More intensive statin therapy was associated with more muscle complaints, especially in the first year. Other factors associated with complaints of muscle pain were increasing body mass index,
increasing age, and race (Asians fared the worst). Statin therapy was associated with a small increase in muscle enzyme blood levels that was not considered clinically significant. (Although individuals with serious statin-related muscle damage including myopathy and rhabdomyolysis were excluded from all of these studies.) Most participants did not discontinue statin use during the study period, and reports of muscle symptoms decreased after first year of treatment. Take-home message appears to be that statins do cause relatively mild muscle complaints in at least 5-10% of people who start them, & severe symptoms including myopathy (1 in 10,000 person-years) and rhabdomyolysis (2-3 in 100,000 person-years) occur rarely. Supporting data in this study for a biological connection between statins and muscle complaints include small increases in measured muscle enzyme levels in the blood & an apparent dose-response relationship based upon level of treatment intensity. Given the established benefit of statin therapy on preventing bad cardiovascular outcomes & death, patients need to carefully weigh their individual risks versus benefits when deciding whether to start or continue treatment with statins.

[OhioBuckeye]

I had a Dr. Yrs. ago tell me that was a bunch of Hooie, there’s no medical research that proves that. Lipitor gave muscle pain but then eventually this same Dr. put me on the generic one of Lipitor, Atorvastatin. I’ve been on it for about 12 yrs. now & no pain! I agree statins do give you muscle pain.

[Santiagogirl]

Need to rephrase. Many people (up to around 60% per some studies) report muscle complaints after beginning statin therapy, but in only 5-10% of these cases do muscle symptoms appear to be a result of statin therapy. Remainder of my comments unchanged.

[Boomer]

psssss

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Hoping a physician will notice this thread and give their opinion

pssst, Stu, I have been around here for waaaaay too long………

but, just for the record:

I am 99 and 44/100% sure that I picked up somewhere along the way that our OP blueash is a physician…….

He just does not seem to need to tell us that constantly.

Carry on…….

Boomer

[JoeManz99]

Right !!!

[HRDave]

Originally Posted by njbchbum

Hmmmm........are night time wake you out of your sleep leg cramps the same as 'muscle pain' in those studies? Never had them 'til I started on statins - potassium level is great - as are cholesterol numbers w/statin and the rest of blood work numbers, too!

You may be Magnesium deficient. You can also use topical Magnesium or products like Theraworx for muscle cramps. 😎

[WiscoGirl]

Originally Posted by blueash

A new study published in Lancet, one of the world's leading journals, reviewed all the published data on statins and muscle pain. You can read the original study, no paywall.

HERE

The simple summary of the findings, looking at a series a studies all of which had over 1000 patients each and lasted at least 2 years:

Those on statins are very slightly more likely to have muscle complaints than those on a fake drug, about 1 in 100 patients. 27.1% of statin users complained of muscle symptoms. But 26.6% of people NOT taking a statin had those same complaints over an average of over 4 years of follow up. Almost all the difference is during the first three months of statin use and more common with intense medication [higher dose].

Take home message is that you should not be avoiding statins because of muscle complaints. You should not be automatically blaming statins if you have aches as they are so very common in all of us.

The study concluded that the known benefits of statins on cardiovascular health far outweighed the small increase in muscle pain or weakness.

Now one note of caution. This Lancet article reviewed clinical trials of statins. It is almost always true that entry into a clinical trial requires that the participant pass some screening criteria. I did not review the many studies included. It is however likely that exclusion criteria may have included taking multiple other drugs, uncontrolled diabetes, renal or liver failure etc. So this conclusion that statins have minimal impact on muscle complaints should be limited to the range of patients that were able to participate in the statin studies.

I am sure that several people are going to be here absolutely certain that their pain was statin induced and that they are "allergic" to statins. No way could your pain be the result of age or activity or serendipity because you got better when you stopped and got pain again when you tried another statin. Argue with the authors and the data. Do what you think is best for you. I am just the messenger of this important contribution to the medical literature.

... "The study concluded that the known benefits of statins on cardiovascular health far outweighed the small increase in muscle pain or weakness." .... Study schmuddy.

I didn't have a small increase in pain. IT WAS MASSIVE. I was miserable. I tried all the different statins for more than a year with the same horrible results. After stopping the drug I had residual pain for over 6 months.

If you can take a statin - lucky you - however, MY quality of life far exceeded any benefits from a man-made drug. Don't overeat, don't smoke, drink in moderation, eat healthy, be active.

Doctors & pharmaceutical companies are human beings and they make mistakes. God's greatest ignorance is still smarter than any of man's greatest intelligence.

[G.R.I.T.S.]

Originally Posted by blueash

A new study published in Lancet, one of the world's leading journals, reviewed all the published data on statins and muscle pain. You can read the original study, no paywall.

HERE

The simple summary of the findings, looking at a series a studies all of which had over 1000 patients each and lasted at least 2 years:

Those on statins are very slightly more likely to have muscle complaints than those on a fake drug, about 1 in 100 patients. 27.1% of statin users complained of muscle symptoms. But 26.6% of people NOT taking a statin had those same complaints over an average of over 4 years of follow up. Almost all the difference is during the first three months of statin use and more common with intense medication [higher dose].

Take home message is that you should not be avoiding statins because of muscle complaints. You should not be automatically blaming statins if you have aches as they are so very common in all of us.

The study concluded that the known benefits of statins on cardiovascular health far outweighed the small increase in muscle pain or weakness.

Now one note of caution. This Lancet article reviewed clinical trials of statins. It is almost always true that entry into a clinical trial requires that the participant pass some screening criteria. I did not review the many studies included. It is however likely that exclusion criteria may have included taking multiple other drugs, uncontrolled diabetes, renal or liver failure etc. So this conclusion that statins have minimal impact on muscle complaints should be limited to the range of patients that were able to participate in the statin studies.

I am sure that several people are going to be here absolutely certain that their pain was statin induced and that they are "allergic" to statins. No way could your pain be the result of age or activity or serendipity because you got better when you stopped and got pain again when you tried another statin. Argue with the authors and the data. Do what you think is best for you. I am just the messenger of this important contribution to the medical literature.

I’m leery of statin use because the heart is a muscle, a very important one. Cautions that I noted were that if muscle pain appears or increases, your doctor should be told.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Boomer

psssss

pssst, Stu, I have been around here for waaaaay too long………

but, just for the record:

I am 99 and 44/100% sure that I picked up somewhere along the way that our OP blueash is a physician…….

He just does not seem to need to tell us that constantly.

Carry on…….

Boomer

Irregardless of all of back and forth we can tolerate statins and will continue to take them. Not to mention our Dr who we trust also believes we should stay on them and accept the benefits

[Indydealmaker]

Originally Posted by blueash

That is a completely untrue statement. Unlike many other facets of our lives, medical studies can NOT cherry pick their participants. They have to report exactly what the criteria was to include and exclude participants. The profiles are reviewed by institutional boards, journal editors, and printed very clearly in the study for your edification, if you are capable of reading the material.

The statin studies, again I did not read them, but would have had as inclusion requirements that patients had elevated lipid profiles for which taking a statin might be of benefit. It would perforce include men and women, all races if done on a population that is not homogenous.

So everyone is included in the study who might in the real world take statins except those where some other condition would disqualify. If you so distrust medicine please don't avail yourself of any product made by a major pharmaceutical company or approved by the FDA. Stick with only those things made by unregulated businesses. Have your surgery done with unapproved anesthesia and use untested materials to fix your problems. Please, see only healers who have not gone to rigorous intensive schools for their training. Please do not trust your healing to people who understand medicine and believe in science as a method to test and examine what does or does not actually work.

Learn how science and medicine work, how self correcting it is, how any paper or approach is always subject to alternative approaches and re-examination. This does not mean that medicine is always right at this or any moment. But it will find its errors, and it will find better methods. Because people are always retesting, refining, and improving with the goal of improving health outcomes.

What about the debacle of the Covud vaccines? No integrity and checks and balances!

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Indydealmaker

What about the debacle of the Covud vaccines? No integrity and checks and balances!

Have you noticed the death rate substantially lower?

[Burgy]

My experience is personal having taken statins for approximately 40 years and clinical being a general medical practitioner MD from 1977 -2014 in private practice and VA. True severe side effects such as muscle enzyme changes are quite rare. Complaints of muscle pain that have seemed truly related to the drug are uncommon perhaps 5-10% many of these will do fine with drug or dose change. Personally I have taken Pravachol, Lipitor ,Zocor and Crestor over the years honestly mainly related to the availability of samples. I have also changed around because of my perceived muscle aches and taken drug holidays for months to see if they went away and was not able to percieve a difference. My cholesterol would be about 260 and LDL of 160 without the medication and with present Crestor 20mg LDL is less than 90 and total 140-150. I have not taken Aspirin regularly with stomach concerns. Scans I have had done for other reasons do show moderate atherosclerosis but I have no clinical vascular disease so far. I believe the statins have saved and prolonged lives for the great majority including myself. The COQ-10 is probably a good idea but I can't say it made a difference for me in using it the past several years. Statins are powerful medications and should be monitored reasonably but not feared. Muscle effects or symptoms do occur but have been magnified by placebo effect, fake news and the medico-legal groups.

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Irregardless of all of back and forth we can tolerate statins and will continue to take them. Not to mention our Dr who we trust also believes we should stay on them and accept the benefits

Us, too, Stu.

Statins work for both of us………unless it’s just those walnuts I eat every day.

Boomer

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Burgy

My experience is personal having taken statins for approximately 40 years and clinical being a general medical practitioner MD from 1977 -2014 in private practice and VA. True severe side effects such as muscle enzyme changes are quite rare. Complaints of muscle pain that have seemed truly related to the drug are uncommon perhaps 5-10% many of these will do fine with drug or dose change. Personally I have taken Pravachol, Lipitor ,Zocor and Crestor over the years honestly mainly related to the availability of samples. I have also changed around because of my perceived muscle aches and taken drug holidays for months to see if they went away and was not able to percieve a difference. My cholesterol would be about 260 and LDL of 160 without the medication and with present Crestor 20mg LDL is less than 90 and total 140-150. I have not taken Aspirin regularly with stomach concerns. Scans I have had done for other reasons do show moderate atherosclerosis but I have no clinical vascular disease so far. I believe the statins have saved and prolonged lives for the great majority including myself. The COQ-10 is probably a good idea but I can't say it made a difference for me in using it the past several years. Statins are powerful medications and should be monitored reasonably but not feared. Muscle effects or symptoms do occur but have been magnified by placebo effect, fake news and the medico-legal groups.

Thank you for your informed opinion

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

What did the study say about statins causing alzheimer's? My cardiologist admitted that it does.