Update! Statin drugs cause you muscle pain? See Dr. Lane ASAP!!
Statins (Lipitor, Crestor, etc.) are a class of drugs used primarily to lower high cholesterol. They are also prescribed to those with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or those at risk for CVD.
They are considered “the best-selling prescription drug class in the U.S.,” with tens of billions of dollars in annual sales. One statin, atorvastatin, has been called “the best-selling prescription drug in the world.
It is estimated that one of every four U.S. adults over age 45 is taking a statin drug. That’s more than 32 million Americans (the populations of Florida and Illinois combined, just to put things in perspective). It’s also almost double the number of U.S. adults who see a doctor of chiropractic every year.2
As with every drug, statins have plenty of potential side effects, including muscle pain, fatigue and weakness, as well as rhabdomyolysis (a condition which damages skeletal muscle tissue).
A new study published just a weeks ago has found that “musculoskeletal conditions, arthropathies (arthritis, etc.), injuries, and pain are more common among statin users than among similar nonusers. The full spectrum of statins’ musculoskeletal adverse events may not be fully explored, and further studies are warranted, especially in physically active individuals.”
Make no mistake, statins do help! A recent meta-study on statins was huge — it looked at 135 studies throughout the past 28 years with more than 245,000 patients. What it discovered was great news: Statins, especially low to moderate doses of simvastatin and pravastatin, were found to reduce the risk of heart attack in cardiovascular patients by 54 percent and reduce the risk of stroke by 48 percent.
Those significant benefits substantially outweighed the risks associated with statins. This is welcome info for approximately 32 million North Americans who take the medications.
There are risks with statins. The risks (they’re not common) besides the muscles achyness include diabetes, fatigue and an increase (although usually reversible) in liver enzymes. Does that mean that those few folks who have adverse reactions to statins have to give up on the benefits? Possibly not.
With testing and changes to your brand, frequency and/or dosage, you may become statin-tolerant and be able to reap the rewards. (Turns out, some initial studies show statins may also reduce the risk for some cancers and dementia.)
So if you’ve had a statin prescribed for you and you’re not taking it (50 percent of you don’t follow the Rx), don’t quit. Go back to your doc and work together to find the dose and statin that’s right for you. Then go to Dr. Lane (or another chiropractor) and let them work with you on the aches.
If you have these issues, come to our office in NEWARK, NJ
Chiropractic Lane
290 Ferry Street
Suite A1
Newark, NJ 07105
973-344-5656U
via Blogger http://chiropractic-lane.blogspot.com/2013/08/update-statin-drugs-cause-you-muscle.html
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