Washington, DCJoe and Terry Graedon, both doctors, are also authors and maintain a popular syndicated column known as The People’s Pharmacy. Readers write in with their ailments with the Graedons offering some sage advice. Recently, a patient on one popular statin for several years followed by Crestor for the last year had some questions about side effects and wondered if they were, indeed, Crestor issues.
Specifically, the patient had taken atorvastatin for six years, followed by rosuvastatin (Crestor) for a year. “I developed severe pain in my leg muscles, primarily my calves, which led me to discontinue the drug,” writes the contributor to The People’s Pharmacy, “but the pain has remained.
“I have been diagnosed with probable nerve damage. The neurologist acknowledged that they are seeing side effects after years of statin use by patients.” The author of the submission further noted that pain management in this case involves strong opioids such as fentanyl, administered with the help of a pain specialist.
In other words, pretty serious stuff.
In her reply, Terry Graedon noted a widespread belief by doctors that statin use is critical for heart health in many patients, and especially those with pre-existing cardiovascular issues, with clear signs of heart disease or having already suffered a heart attack.
But here’s a pearl of interest to anyone who has experienced Crestor side effects or adverse reactions following the use of any statin: “Clinical studies designed to get [US Food and Drug Administration] drug approval for statins did not reveal signs of nerve damage, so such symptoms are often discounted as not drug-related.” According to Graedon, the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2005 noted in a wide-ranging report that “statin-associated peripheral neuropathy may persist for months or years after withdrawal of the statin.”
Sure enough, there it is, in the WHO Drug Information report, Volume 19, No. 2, 2005. Scrolling down to the end of Page 115 presents a revealing headline originating from Australia: ‘Statins and peripheral neuropathy.’
“The Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee (ADRAC) has received 281 reports of peripheral neuropathy or symptoms consistent with this diagnosis attributed to statins…and first highlighted this association in 1993. Thirteen of the 281 cases were confirmed by nerve conduction studies. Both sensory and mixed sensorimotor peripheral neuropathies were reported. The time to onset ranged from one dose to 4.5 years.”
The report noted that peripheral neuropathy is indeed rare, and also noted that many patients with neuropathy have other medical conditions that predispose them to the malady, including diabetes (Crestor diabetes is one side effect of rosuvastatin and other statins that has little to do with neuropathy), together with chronic renal failure.
The most unsettling aspect of the report, as noted above, is that about half of the cases identified in the WHO 2005 report recovered from their neuropathy when the statin was stopped. “Statin-associated peripheral neuropathy may persist for months or years after withdrawal of the statin.”
It’s important to note that none of the 281 cases identified in the ADRAC report involved rosuvastatin (Crestor) specifically. Statins involved were identified as simvastatin, atorvastatin, pravastatin and fluvastatin. Thus, Crestor is not implicated in any way, in this study.
The report does, however, serve to caution anyone about to go on or currently taking a statin for cholesterol. Specifically, Crestor side effects include, in rare cases, Crestor rhabdomylosis - a condition where muscle tissue is broken down and absorbed by the bloodstream with often grievous results.
Statins have long been prescribed to patients with a history of heart disease, heart attack or other cardiovascular issues - or at high risk. However, in recent years doctors have been prescribing statins as preventative therapy for Americans over 50 when no risk factors are present.
It's all fodder for a Crestor lawsuit, should a patient be experiencing pain while either on Crestor or post-Crestor.
If you or a loved one have suffered losses in this case, please click the link below and your complaint will be sent to a drugs & medical lawyer who may evaluate your Crestor claim at no cost or obligation.