Statin Memory Loss misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's - People's Pharmacy

[Sharon Hope]

Excerpts from the People's Pharmacy column, see the full column at:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/editorial/are_cholesterol_drugs_linked_to_memory_loss.asp

Are Cholesterol Drugs Linked to Memory Loss?
February 13, 2006

"Recently we heard of another disturbing experience. Michael Kirk-Duggan was
a retired professor of business law and computer science. He was diagnosed
with probable Alzheimer's disease that was progressing very rapidly. He went
to his 50th college reunion with a sign around his neck that said, "I'm
Mike. I have Alzheimer's disease." At his youngest daughter's wedding, he
did not recognize people he had known more than 20 years.
His decline made it clear that he would need long-term nursing care. But
then he read our column about statins and memory problems. With his doctor's
awareness, he discontinued the Zocor he had been taking. Although it took
many months, he gradually regained his memory and cognitive ability. He is
back to reading three newspapers a day and is sharp as a tack. A complete
neurological workup showed no signs of Alzheimer's disease."



Part of the introductory text:



"Can cholesterol-lowering drugs affect memory? That is a question we have
wrestled with for nearly six years.

It started when we received a letter from a woman who complained that
several months after starting on Lipitor she was "having trouble remembering
names and coming up with the right word. At dinner once I said, 'Please pass
the elephant' though I wanted the bread."

We didn't know what to make of this concern because we could find nothing in
the medical literature connecting statin-type medicines like Lipitor to
memory loss. Before long, however, letters started pouring in."

<read more at the link provided>

 We became alarmed when we received this story:

"I am a retired family doctor and former astronaut. Two years ago at my
annual astronaut physical at Johnson Space Center (JSC) I was started on
Lipitor. Six weeks later I experienced my first episode of total global
amnesia lasting six hours. They couldn't find anything wrong with me so I
suspected Lipitor and discontinued it.

"Other doctors and pharmacists were unaware of similar problems. Believing
it must have been a coincidence, I restarted Lipitor a year later. After six
weeks I landed in the ER with a twelve-hour episode of total global amnesia.
I am more convinced than ever of a Lipitor relationship."

The astronaut-physician is Duane Graveline, M.D. In response to his
experience, we heard from other readers who had suffered episodes of total
global amnesia while taking Lipitor, Zocor or similar drugs.

Total global amnesia is a temporary but frightening loss of memory. Dr.
Graveline forgot that he was a physician or an astronaut and didn't even
recognize his wife. He has summarized his experiences in a new book called
"Statin Drugs: Side Effects and the Misguided War on Cholesterol" (available
on the Web at: www.spacedoc.net).

<read more at the link provided>



=========

Other People's Pharmacy columns on the topic can be viewed at:

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/CMS/search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=statin+memory&Search=Search

Are Cholesterol Drugs Linked to Memory Loss?
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/editorial/are_cholesterol_drugs_linked_to_memory_loss.asp
Newspaper Columns, Editorial February 13, 2006
Can cholesterol-lowering drugs affect memory? That is a question we have
wrestled with for nearly six years. It started when we received a letter
from a woman who complained that several months after starting on Lipitor
she was "having trouble...


Lipitor Linked to Memory Loss Episodes
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/pharmacy_qa/lipitor_linked_to_memory_loss_episodes.asp
Newspaper Columns, Pharmacy Q&A November 22, 2005
Q. In 1999 shortly after I began taking Lipitor I was working at the church
with other volunteers. I went off to use the restroom and after half an hour
someone came to look for me. I was walking around...



Did Cholesterol Drug Cause Amnesia?
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/pharmacy_qa/did_cholesterol_drug_cause_amnesia.asp
Newspaper Columns, Pharmacy Q&A July 18, 2005
Q. My cholesterol has always been around 200 but I have a bad family history
and a past angioplasty. In addition to a good diet and regular exercise, my
doctor has prescribed various statin drugs to lower my cholesterol. Three...



Patients Find Statins Can Have Side Effects
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/editorial/patients_find_statins_can_have_side_effects.asp
Newspaper Columns, Editorial April 18, 2005
Guidelines for cholesterol control have become much more stringent. For
millions of Americans, achieving the new targets requires strong medicine.
Over the last decade, prescriptions for statin-type cholesterol-lowering
drugs have soared. Such medications are extremely effective at getting the
numbers...

Low Cholesterol Affects Concentration
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/pharmacy_qa/low_cholesterol_affects_concentration.asp
Newspaper Columns, Pharmacy Q&A February 28, 2005
Q. I took Lipitor for about eight months. One morning I awoke to pain in my
neck, upper back, shoulders and arms. In addition, my arms are much weaker
than before. The pain has been diagnosed as peripheral neuropathy. The...


#523 The Dark Side of Statins
http://secure.peoplespharmacy.com/PPcart.asp?pg=products&specific=jnroorg0
Radio Shows December 11, 2004
Cholesterol lowering drugs like Lipitor, Zocor and Crestor are the most
successful drugs in the world. They bring down bad LDL cholesterol almost
like magic and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Some physicians
believe these statin drugs...




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