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High Cholesterol Treatment: How To Manage The Side Effects Of Statin Drugs

by — 2019-10-13 in Cardiovascular Disorders and Diseases
Whatever statin side effects you may be experiencing, the first thing you have to do is to consult with your doctor.

Statins are a class of drugs prescribed to people who have high cholesterol and are at a risk of a heart attack. Giving a person a statin-based prescription requires very careful assessment of their health and cholesterol levels, because statins also come with a number of side effects. Some of them mild, others more severe.

How statins work

There is an enzyme inside your liver that produces cholesterol. Normally, cholesterol is something that your body needs, provided that you have regular levels of it. When there is too much cholesterol in the bloodstream, it gets attached to the walls of your arteries, forming plaques. In time, these plaques can become damaged, which leads to the formation of blood clots. The consequences of plaque rupture can be as severe as a heart attack.

Statins will block the enzyme responsible for cholesterol production, meaning that it can reduce the total cholesterol and LDL levels (LDL is most commonly known as bad cholesterol). Statins are also efficient in slightly raising good cholesterol levels, and reducing triglycerides inside the body.

Statin side effects

Just like every other type of medication, statins can also lead to a series of side effects. Before getting into the details, know that there are certain groups of people who are more likely to experience the side effects caused by this type of medication, particularly:

  • People who drink large quantities of alcohol.
  • Women and people over 80 years of age.
  • People who suffer from liver or kidney disease.
  • Those who are simultaneously taking other meds to lower cholesterol.
  • Pregnant women (who should avoid statins altogether as they may have severe consequences for the developing fetus).
Some of the side effects induced by statins drugs are rare, but they are still to be taken into consideration. Always discuss them with your doctor if they appear. Managing side effects caused by statins is not easy, because there is no treatment that can actually do that. Some studies have suggested that vitamin D therapy might work to reduce some of these effects, but on a general note, most statin-induced side effects usually go away on their own as the body gets adjusted to the drug.

1. Rhabdomyolysis and muscle pain

One of the side effects most reported by people taking statins is muscle pain. The intensity of this pain is different from one situation to another: it can sometimes be mild and easy to cope with, while other times it can be intense and prevents people from performing their daily tasks.

Rhabdomyolysis is a condition that’s characterized by intense muscle damage induced by inflammation. It is a very rare condition, expressed by muscle pain throughout the entire body. When this occurs, certain proteins are released into the blood, which eventually end up in the kidneys.

As a consequence, the kidneys start working intensely towards trying to fix muscle damage, which can eventually lead to kidney failure. However, this particular condition only affects about one in ten thousand patients who are taking a statin-based treatment.

As the topic of statin-induced muscle pain was researched, it was discovered that many patients experience what it known as the “nocebo” effect, which is basically the opposite of placebo. People who have a specific treatment — whether a new medicine or surgery — are more vulnerable to side effects if they believe they'll suffer them in advance.

In other words, people who read about muscle pain as a side effect of statins are also more likely to actually experience it. That doesn’t mean that people should avoid educating themselves about side effects, but they should also be aware of the low risk that they'll actually happen.

Alternatively, you can consider alleviating your muscle pain and cramps by performing some stretching exercises.

2. Liver problems

Liver problems are also rather rare among patients who take statins to reduce their cholesterol levels. In some cases, people experience a mild increase in the level of enzymes signaling liver inflammation. In a very small number of cases, the increase is severe, in which case you should talk to your doctor by switching to a different statin.

The best way to manage such a situation is to take an enzyme test before or shortly after you begin your statin treatment. If, after having taken the test, you notice any symptoms that may signal this potential side effect, you can talk to your doctor about it.

Symptoms include fatigue, upper abdomen pain, yellow eyes and skin, urine that is of a darker color, loss of appetite, or weakness in the body.

3. Blood sugar increase

The odds of your blood sugar levels rising are pretty low, but the FDA has indeed issued a warning for potential risk of developing type 2 diabetes for those who take statins. It’s important to note that this normally happens in patients that already have high levels of sugar in their blood.

These people are already at risk of developing diabetes even before they start taking statins. Interestingly enough, statins can help reduce the risk of a heart attack in people who have diabetes, making a slight elevation in blood sugar levels a bit irrelevant, compared to the major benefits of heart attack protection.

Additional tips for managing statin side effects

Whatever statin side effects you may be experiencing, the first thing you have to do is to consult with your doctor. That’s because everybody reacts differently to medication, so you never have to rule out the possibility of being part of that small percentage of patients that have to experience these side effects:

  • Talk to your doctor about changing your dosage. Never take this decision alone, because less statins also means less efficiency in treating high cholesterol.
  • You can also consider switching to another statin drug.
  • If you are somehow at risk of developing serious pain or another medical condition, doctors may choose to stop your statin treatment altogether, at least until they can figure out what the best way to work around the problem is.

Conclusion

It’s true that statins do have their fair share of side effects, but if you stop taking your medication or decide to lower the dosage, it’s really important that you do so by consulting with your doctor first.

Sources & Links

  • Photo courtesy of SteadyHealth

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