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Statin Drugs and LEMS, Be Cautious
Last week a LEMS friend sent me information on a topic we have discussed previously: statins.
Statins are a class of drugs very popular to treat high cholesterol and triglycerides (hyperlipidemia). It is also known to have heart attack and stroke protective effects.That’s all good, right! Not so fast. There are some known unwanted side effects from taking statin drugs that can affect the neuromuscular junction and muscles, our problem area with LEMS.
Here’s a very brief abstract on “Neuromuscular Complications of Statin Therapy,” here.
If you’d like a more simple overview of statin drugs and their possible side effects, read this from the Mayo Clinic, “Statin Side Effects: Weigh the benefits and risks,” here.
The reason I bring all this up is one, statins are effective and commonly prescribed, and two, it was statin drugs that exacerbated my LEMS symptoms, putting me in the hospital once, and causing significant worsening muscle weakness related to LEMS two other times. Statin drug induced muscle weakness ultimately led to my diagnosis of Lambert-Eaton.
As the title of this topic says, ‘be cautious’ around statin drugs. Be aware of the possible side effects for those of us with neuromuscular junction disorders. If your medical team suggests a statin drug, have a discussion to determine if it’s right for you. And if you do take it, be alert for any unwanted side effects.
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0 Replies
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Hi Price, my cardiologist wants me to go on statins, how long were you on the drug before your LEMS symptoms were exacerbated? Are you currently on one now? See below the options she is posing. Also has anyone had trouble with medically induced stress testing drugs? see below
Cholesterol medications
- –Atorvastatin or rosuvastatin; though any statin OK
- –PCSK9 inhibitors like Repatha or Praluent
Meds for stress test
- –Regadenonson; or
- –Dobutamine
thanks to all. Deborah Carpenter
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