Brief Answer:
a rheumatalogist deals with muscle and joint pain
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Statins such as
lipitor can cause muscle aches and pain. They are commonly associated with an increase in
creatine kinase, this level should be assessed.
STatins are discontinued when the levels of creatine kinase are greater than 10* the upper limit of normal in a person with symptoms.
If a person has symptoms but the levels are below this point then they are monitored weekly till either they decrease to a level that is not concerning or they are increase to the point where the statins need to be discontinued.
The statins can be discontinued as long as the 5 week period indicated by the doctor, in some cases longer if the pain still persists and it is thought to be definitely related to the statin.
In some cases the pain can last as long as 2 months. If it has already started to resolve since the statin has been stopped , it is likely to continue to improve.
It is important to rule out other causes of
myopathy (muscle aches and pain) such as
hypothyroidism (low levels of thyroid hormone) , excess activity ,vitamin d deficiency.
After the pain has resolved there are different options such as : (1) start the same medication at a lower dose
(2)use a different statin or
(3) use a non statin medication
At the moment there is some interest in whether the use of Co enzyme Q or chinese red yeast may be helpful in persons with statin caused myopathy.
The red yeast is thought to lower
cholesterol with reduced symptoms.
Muscle related pain or
injury may be best managed by a
rheumatologist so you can consider consulting one of these specialists.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
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