Statins and Arthritis

ClaireHakin
ClaireHakin Member Posts: 2
edited 18. Nov 2021, 11:33 in Living with arthritis

Hi everyone

Does anyone think there's a link.?

I started taking them around a year ago - now the knee pain is really bad.

Claire

Comments

  • Hi @ClaireHakin, welcome to the Online Community! It's lovely to have you here.

    I see that you started taking statins a year ago, are having knee pain and are wondering whether there is a link between statins and arthritis.

    This is an interesting question, I found a few studies on whether there's a correlation between statins and rheumatoid arthritis and the results are mixed. Some say there is none, some found a small relationship which might or might not be causal, and one found that the first year of taking statins is associated with an increased chance of the onset of RA in people already susceptible to it (de Jong et al, 2018).

    The NHS website says that muscle pain, tendon pain, and fatigue are some of the possible side effects of statins - I wonder if it's possible that this explains some of your knee pain? It also advises "If you find certain side effects particularly troublesome, talk to the doctor in charge of your care. Your dose may need to be adjusted or you may need a different type of statin."

    I wonder if you have been to the doctor about your knee pain, do you have an existing diagnosis of arthritis?

    Here are some resources you might find helpful:


    Do keep us updated and I hope you enjoy your time on the Online Community.

    Best wishes, Sarah (moderator)

  • RogerBill
    RogerBill Member Posts: 223

    Hi @ClaireHakin I've osteoarthritis of the hip and am having a hip replacement operation in a few weeks time. Like you I wondered if my daily dose of 20mg of Atorvastatin was aggravating my arthritis. I had a telephone consultation with my GP who suggested stopping the statins for a month which I did. It made no noticeable difference so I started taking the statins again as I believe the benefits outweigh the risks and any side effects. I started taking statins a few years ago and after a year my cholesterol had reduced significantly. Previously it was at a level such that the calculation used by the NHS indicated I had a greater than 10% risk of a heart attack in the next five years. Not a risk I wanted to take as my father had a heart attack when he was a few years older than I am now.

    You should not stop taking statins without first consulting your doctor. But perhaps you should discuss your symptoms with your GP and see if they suggest an experiment like mine. There are alternative types of statin which can be prescribed if one doesn't suit you. But I understand if statins cause someone side effects, the side effects will become apparent fairly soon after starting to take them.

  • Mike1
    Mike1 Member Posts: 1,992

    I have had widespread OA for getting on for 15 years and for about half of that time I have also been on Statins, it has never been suggested to me that there is a link between them and OA nor has it been suggested that I "experiment" with doses.

  • rondetto
    rondetto Member Posts: 2,526

    I have been taking statins 40mg for many years and suffer from RA. I take Brufen retard for my arthritis and

    painkillers too. I have never had any bad reactions though that clould be because I have used them both so long now.

  • airwave
    airwave Member Posts: 579

    I have widespread OA since I was young and high cholesterol, which am I more likely to die from? To be blunt, statins have made no difference to arther. It may do for others but nothing proven.

    its a grin, honest!