A special health alert has gone out to people taking cholesterol-lowering statins.
Health regulators have finally admitted the drugs cause muscle weakness, and can trigger a condition known as myasthenia gravis, a chronic problem that can be life-threatening in the most severe cases.
People taking the medication have been told to look out for symptoms such as droopy eyelids, double vision, and difficulties in swallowing.
Seven of the top-selling statins have been included in the warning, with Lipitor (atorvastatin), Lipostat (pravastatin) and Mevacor (lovastatin) being the ones most likely to cause the problem. People taking other statins, such as Lescol (fluvastatin), Zocor (simvastatin), Crestor (rosuvastatin) and Livalo (pitivastatin), have also suffered from myasthenia gravis, says the UK’s drug regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulator Agency (MHRA).
The agency says the problem is extremely rare and it has received reports of just 10 cases in the past 30 years. In all the cases, symptoms started between a few days and three months of beginning treatment.
The alert follows a ruling made by the European Medicines Agency last January that manufacturers include myasthenia gravis among possible side effects in leaflets sent out with the drugs.
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