PEOPLE’S PHARMACY MYOSITIS LISTED AS SIDE EFFECT OF SOME STATINS

Q: My wife had a bad reaction to statin drugs that started in her arms and shoulders. She could not get up the stairs or even off of a chair unaided. This all happened in a space of around four weeks. Eventually, I rushed her to the hospital. She could not raise her arm. Since she could not even swallow without choking, she almost died.

In some ways, she was lucky. She was seen by a doctor who specializes in myositis. If he hadn’t been at the hospital that evening, she might not have survived.

It has taken around 18 months to get back to where she was before the statins. The doctor gave her steroids and methotrexate. She finished the steroids in March, but she’ll remain on the methotrexate until Christmas. She still has nightmares about this experience.

A: Myositis (inflammation of the muscles) can be a devastating autoimmune condition that leads to disability and sometimes death. Symptoms may include difficulty getting up from a chair or walking up stairs. Treatment often involves immunosuppressive drugs.

Although myositis is listed as a potential side effect of some statins, it is considered rare. That said, we have received a surprising number of reports of statin-induced myositis. Most have not resolved as successfully as your wife.

Q: I have had chronic pain in my left shoulder after receiving the influenza vaccination approximately two months ago. The injection site felt high on my shoulder the day I received it, and I have had chronic pain from the site radiating to my neck and upper back as well as pain during left arm movements ever since.

I contacted the pharmacy manager at the hospital where I work, and he said that there have been no other complaints. I am a fairly healthy middleaged woman. I work out regularly and teach a group exercise class every week. The pain from this injection has set me back and has inhibited my energy, mood and movement.

A: We have heard from other readers who have experienced long-lasting pain following a flu shot. We are not sure whether this is a reaction to the immunization itself or whether it is due to suboptimal injection technique. We encourage you to report this reaction to the joint Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vaccine Adverse Events database.