Q. After my husband had a heart attack he was prescribed simvastatin. It wasn’t long before I noticed a change in his cognitive function.
He loves to cook but suddenly had trouble following recipes and buying items he needed for meals. My husband was always the main cook for large family dinners such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, but he forgot how to properly time the main course and side dishes.
Eventually the dose was lowered, but he still suffered memory lapses and also developed diabetes. His doctor finally agreed to a hiatus from the statin. After three weeks off simvastatin, he is much, much better cognitively. How else can he keep his heart healthy?
A. Some people cannot tolerate statins because of muscle damage, serious blood sugar elevations or other complications. Although the question of drug-induced forgetfulness remains controversial, the FDA warns that memory loss and cognitive impairment may be possible statin-related side effects (FDA, Jan. 2014).
Many health professionals reject this warning and point out that forgetfulness, memory problems and cognitive difficulties did not show up as side effects in randomized controlled trials of statins. We have heard from cardiologists who maintain that such complaints are psychosomatic. That is to say, people imagine their cognitive difficulties are related to drugs like atorvastatin or simvastatin when in reality they are due to an aging brain.
Here are the FDA’s own words on this matter:
Reports of Memory Loss
“FDA has been investigating reports of cognitive impairment from statin use for several years. The agency has reviewed databases that record reports of bad reactions to drugs and statin clinical trials that included assessments of cognitive function.
“The reports about memory loss, forgetfulness and confusion span all statin products and all age groups. Egan [deputy director for safety in FDA’s Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products] says these experiences are rare but that those affected often report feeling “fuzzy” or unfocused in their thinking.
“In general, the symptoms were not serious and were reversible within a few weeks after the patient stopped using the statin. Some people affected in this way had been taking the medicine for a day; others had been taking it for years.
“What should patients do if they fear that statin use could be clouding their thinking? “Talk to your health care professional,” Egan says. “Don’t stop taking the medication; the consequences to your heart could be far greater.”
We have heard from many other people about their own brain fog related to statins. We are not convinced these reports are psychosomatic. Here are just a few examples from the many we have received:
“Last Christmas season, I attended multiple holiday functions and I met many acquaintances and friends. I had difficulties remembering names and although I chatted with many of them, I still didn’t know their names!
“One morning when my wife and I were going to a Sam’s Club, I had to ask her for directions to a place that I have been to many times and is less than four miles from my house! I just thought that my memory was beginning to fade as it does in most seniors.
“I have been on atorvastatin (Lipitor) for several years and it has really helped my cholesterol. After reading your newspaper column I went to my cardiologist the next day. While I was in the office waiting room, I was chatting with the former Mayor of Glendora but I couldn’t remember his name! My Doctor read your article and he told me to stop taking the atorvastatin for three months.
“I can now remember names. I’m driving to familiar places without instructions and really doing much better.” John
“You once mentioned the memory problems with atorvastatin. Wow! What a godsend for me. I thought I was losing my mind. I got off that drug and within two weeks my memory was restored! And it had gotten very scary bad!” Beverly
“My husband has been taking atorvastatin (now at 80 mg daily) for a year and a half and has been frustrated by memory problems and saying the wrong words in daily conversations. We cannot find any literature claiming these to be side effects of atorvastatin but I really think I saw something to that effect in one or your columns. (He just had an MRI to rule out any kind of brain tumor and that was normal.)” Stan’s wife
“I am a dentist, and am on simvastatin. I lost short term memory for a 12 hour period and was taken to the emergency room. Subsequently, all kinds of tests and scans were done, and they all proved negative. We do not know why the transient amnesia occurred.” Jim
A physician offers a rebuttal to such anecdotes:
“A review of the medical literature (well done studies, not just reports from patients) shows that actually the truth is the opposite. Statins prevent deterioration of memory. If a patient slips on a banana peel, while taking a medication, this is not necessarily a side effect of the medication. This might get reported as a side effect, but this is nothing more than coincidence. Many of the people who are candidates for statins have brain disease, with associated memory problems. And we should not forget that memory problems come with age too.” L.M., M.D.
We would welcome your thoughts and experiences. Are statin side effects mostly psychosomatic or do these drugs actually cause cognitive dysfunction, muscle aches and pains, peripheral neuropathy and other complications. Share your thoughts below.
When people cannot tolerate statins they often come up with other strategies to control cholesterol and reduce inflammation. Your husband should ask his doctor about other cholesterol-lowering drugs. He could also discuss non-drug approaches such as nuts, cinnamon, psyllium and magnesium. To prepare him for this conversation, we suggest downloading our Guide to Cholesterol Control & Heart Health ($2).
We go into great length about other risk factors besides cholesterol in our book, Best Choices from The People’s Pharmacy. In it you will learn how one woman, Laura Effel, lowered her LDL cholesterol 44 points in 5 weeks without drugs.
