Statins can cause the peripheral nerves to malfunction

This paper was published in Revista de Neurologia 2006 Dec 1-15;43(11):659-61

Study title and authors:
Multiple mononeuropathy associated to treatment with pravastatin.
Abellán-Miralles I, Sánchez-Pérez RM, Pérez-Carmona N, Díaz-Marín C, Mallada-Frechín J.
Unidad de Neurología, Hospital de la Marina Baixa, Partina Galandú s/n, E-03570 Villajoyosa, Alicante, Spain. iabellanm@jmalladaf.jazztel.es

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17133326

This paper reports of a woman who was diagnosed with multiple mononeuropathy after beginning pravastatin therapy. Multiple mononeuropathy (mononeuritis multiplex) is the simultaneous malfunction of two or more peripheral nerves in separate areas of the body. It causes abnormal sensations and weakness. Multiple mononeuropathy typically affects only a few nerves, often in different areas of the body. In contrast, polyneuropathy affects many nerves, usually in about the same areas on both sides of the body.

(i) A 51-year-old female patient who, after beginning therapy with pravastatin, suffered with abnormal sensations in the limbs and developed an unstable gait.
(ii) Multiple mononeuropathy was diagnosed.
(iii) Her condition improved on withdrawing from the statin treatment and it became worse again when statins were restarted.
(iv) When pravastatin therapy was stopped for good, the patient's condition progressively improved until she was practically free of symptoms.

This case shows that statins can cause the peripheral nerves to malfunction.