Statins and muscle weakness must be monitored and the measurement of a muscle enzyme CK helps diagnose muscle damage. Generally with mild aches creatine kinase (CK) will be 2-7 times the upper limit of normal, but in rhadomylosis CK can be as much as over a hundred times the upper limit of normal. Before commencing statins therapy it is a good idea to have your muscle enzymes such as CK measured for a baseline reading. Your CK level should be monitored on a 6 monthly basis for any signs of damage.

Perhaps before commencing statins therapy you should consider using natural ways to lower your cholesterol without the risk of statins side effects.

Grapefruits and statins therapy can be deadly

How does grapefruit interact with statins?

Grapefruits and grapefruit juice contain a component called bergamottin which inhibits protein enzymes such as cytochrome P450 and P glycoprotein involved in the metabolism and breakdown of many drugs including statins such as simvastatin and atrovastatin. The effect of grapefruit on statins therapy is not as pronounced with a few statins such as fluvastatin. By inhibiting the metabolism and breakdown of the statin drug, the drug is present is a much higher concentration than normal in the bloodstream, with the consequence being liver damage, muscle weakness and kidney damage.

Wheres the evidence?

There are many scientific and pharmaceutical studies which illustrate the fact that consumption of grapefruits increase the plasma concentration and half life of many statins.

If you are on statins therapy and you wish to consume grapefruits, or drink grapefruit juice please consult your clinician first, perhaps you can reduce the dose of your statin. However it is best if you refrain from eating grapefruits, to avoid the harsh statins effects.

Statins therapy and statins memory loss

Doctors reported that some of their female patients, especially those on Lipitor reported a loss of memory and thinking. In one particular patient, a woman in her forties, experienced an inability to concentrate or remember words. When the women stopped taking Lipitor the symptoms disappeared but when she commenced the drug again the symptoms returned. A 69 year old woman also complained of an affect of statins on memory loss after she tried three different statins. They all caused her to experience memory loss, which convinced her she was developing Alzheimers disease. Eight days after she stopped taking the statin her memory returned.

The problem with researching whether statins therapy causes memory loss or not lies in the fact that the majority of people who take statins therapy are at least middle aged and older. This population already have an increased risk of memory loss due to decrease in the number of neurons.

The jury is still out about statins memory loss and more long term research on statins therapy will hopefully provide the answer soon and uncover once and for all is statins memory loss is indeed true.