Muscle Disorders when Taking Statin Drugs Might have Another Cause

There are several mechanisms for muscle pain, weakness and neuropathies when patients take statin drugs to control their cholesterol levels, some minor and others life-threatening if the drug is continued. Sometimes the cause might be niacin or other drugs given with the statin. But perhaps the most common underlying cause is hypothyroidism. Low thyroid function is perhaps the most common missed diagnosis in middle-aged and older adults, and it can be unmasked by the initiation of a statin. See Myopathy at Statin Start May Have Another Cause at familypracticenews.com, August, 2012, p. 39. www.healthcelebration.com