I’m better without statins ... but why do I still ache?

QI HAVE stopped taking statins after three years due to the side effects: a lack of energy and muscle pain. I now feel much better, but the pain is still there, with joint stiffness. It will go away, won’t it?

A IT is estimated that more than 100 million prescriptions a year are written for the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins. Your muscle symptoms – known as myalgia – are believed to affect between five and ten per cent of patients taking them. Pain, weakness, tiredness, stiffness, cramping and a much rarer, more serious breakdown of muscles known as rhabdomyolysis are all reported.

It can take up to a year of taking the medicines before noticing any symptoms at all. Certain people are more prone to these side effects, including women, the elderly and those with diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney and liver disease.

Coming off a statin must involve a careful consideration of the risks and benefits in terms of one’s quality of life with these symptoms, versus the benefits of cardiovascular-disease prevention. The side effects can sometimes be reduced with a lesser dose or a change of tablet.

A GP or cardiologist should advise whether statins can be safely stopped or substituted given the individual’s personal risk of a stroke or cardiac event. When patients stop statins, the muscle pains tend to subside within a few months. If muscle pains continue, it is wise to look for other causes of myalgia including thyroid and rheumatological conditions.

It is often suggested that people should take a supplement known as CoQ10 to help with statin-induced myalgia. The research is still inconclusive; however, since we know it is well tolerated, it is worth a try.

QI HAVE rosacea and have been prescribed Metrogel, which I apply morning and night as instructed. I’ve also been advised to use sun-tan lotion on top, but the combination has left my skin dry and feeling tight. Can you advise?

A ROSACEA is a common condition affecting roughly ten per cent of the population, and most commonly women above the age of 30. The condition is a collection of symptoms including spots, flushing and redness that looks like sunburn.

Sufferers also get broken spider veins on the skin, a burning sensation in the face and, in severe cases, thickening of the skin, particularly on the nose.

Sun damage seems to play a part in the severity of the condition and sufferers should avoid the sun. This means wearing a high-factor sun cream (more than 30) on the face that protects against UVA and UVB.

However, it is important to use one designed for sensitive skin, as the sun block itself may contain ingredients that irritate the skin. A non-irritant medical moisturiser such as Diprobase should be available over the counter without prescription.

This prevents the drying out of the skin often seen in rosacea, and especially with antibiotic creams like Metrogel.

I urge patients with skin conditions to engage with other sufferers for advice. Patients can do this through the online forums at the British Skin Foundation.

I OFTEN meet teachers who are ill from stress. So I was interested to read that a council spent £3,600 snooping on teacher Kim Shaw, who was signed off sick for stress-related conditions. Suspicions of malingering were seemingly raised on account of the kitten-heels she was wearing. I never realised there were requisite clothes for specific diagnoses…

USUALLY glamorous Strictly dancer Ola Jordan left hospital this week with a suspected broken leg; not really surprising given her participation in TV show The Jump. I do have to ask why she (or any right-minded person) would opt into one of the riskiest reality shows in television history, especially given that a fully functioning body is very much her livelihood.