i tried red yeast rice on my own and within ten weeks i developed problems with the muscles in my thighs. i am a very active bicycle rider (one to three hours a day).

under a cardiologist  i tried pravachol. after 8 weeks i developed problems in my thighs again.

i believe that it was appropriate for me to be on a statin. it just had an unfortunate side effect. i also believe that these side effects are more common than the literature reveals.

my brother was on statins for four years and he has had permanent effects on his muscles.  he is a four hour a week swimmer (for thirty years) who has had to cut the distance he swims in each session.

my mother-in-law had to be hospitalized for the effects of statins on her heart muscle. the emergency room doctor knew immediately the problem was due to the side effects of statins.

this is just for your consideration when analyzing the effects of statins on your patients.

i wish i was a candidate for the use of statins as it was effective in reducing the level of ldls which is high due to my family history. 

I truly will never understand why this class of drugs has become so maligned. The sheer number of web pages devoted to describing the "horrors" and "dangers" of statins is mind-boggling. Anti-hypertensives, monoclonals, anti-depressants; none have been the recipient of so much vitriol. Even genetically engineered food is not deemed as evil as statins are.

While not minimizing the side effects that these other commentators have reported, they clearly only happen extremely rarely. 40-50million people are on statins, but the 1 million people who have had side effects (<2% of the total number of people on the drug) appear to have all authored books or web pages. 

This class of medicines has probably saved more lives than all other medications combined in the 25years of its use.

 They need a better PR campaign.  

I wish that I could say yes that I have found something to help stop the short term memory loss, but it is about 2 years now since I took the Statins (Lipitor) and my memory is getting worse not better.   I also have problems with cognitive probems, I put things down, and then 5 mins later I have no idea where to find it.  When I do find whatever it is that I misplaced, it is usually virtually right under my nose, and I didn't see it.  I have to write myself notes to remind myself about things, I even have to leave messages on my cell phone, and set the alarm to remind me to do stuff as well.  The muscle pain caused by statins has been helped by me taking regular doses of over the counter supplements, I found that Carnitine used by body builders has helped rebuild my damaged muscles.  I am currently taking 10 different supplements every day now for the rest of my life.  At least I am walking again, when I thought I would end up in a wheelchair.  I can also dress myself again without incurring pain. And I am able to lift my arms up above my head which was impossible within a few weeks of taking Lipitor! 

Ira there are email and web based groups where the VICTIMS of Statins are sharing their experiences.   There are even doctors getting on board about the dangers of Statins.    I recommend a book written by Dr. Barbara H. Roberts, "The Truth About Statins."   Dr. Roberts is a cardiac doctor.  She is just one of many doctors who are waking up to the damage caused by Statin.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Truth-About-Statins-ebook/dp/B005GG0MWY

Thank you for your response.  I am sorry that nothing has helped your memory problem.  My husband is the same way, I have to remind him many times and write notes.  I am glad that you have regained muscle function.  I am a nurse and this is so frustrating for me to not be able to find something to help my husband.  I had done so much research in the past relatied to statin side effects and my husband's family physician and cardiologist pretty much told me I was crazy and of course my husband listened to them and continued taking Lipitor, then Crestor. Again, thank you for your response I will continue to search for answers.   MH

"This class of medicines has probably saved more lives than all other medications combined" .. Well, here are the facts:

1: Lovastatin's 2 big studies ended with more dead on statin [EXCEL, TexCAPS]. 

2. 4S ended with 3 more dead female heart patients on the statin and NO statin study EVER has shown a mortality benefit in women.

3. PROSPER, showed no mortality benefit in 75.4 +/-5 year olds and, finally, there are

4. ZERO studies ever done with atorva, ceriva, fluva and, as said, lova that has ever ended with a mortality benefit for anybody.

Statin proponents may argue that the statistics by CTT, that blenderized patients, genders and statins, found "statistical" RR benefit but they have never published NNTs for anybody or group and they hide the lack of all-cause mortality benefit for women by avoiding the topic [as found in HPS and CTT 2005]. No amount of statistical gimmickry can alter the lack of mortality benefit cited above.

Finally we have the factoid in the preamble to the Women's Guidelines that state that CHD mortality for women dropped by 2/3rds from 1980 to 2007.  That partially may be smoking but it cannot be statin or any other drug compared with placebo. 

That leaves the known drop in homocysteine in the American population [see CDC&P] and the re-introduction of omega-3 from soybean and canola oils, if not the use of fish oil pills.  Granted, multivitamins and any kind of pills do not CURE / REVERSE the architectural calamity that is atherosclerosis, but there are about 20 pathways linking homocysteine [and the B-vitamins] causally to the dramatic drops in stroke and heart disease mortality.