Severe mood changes and depression with statins

[spacedoc]

There is no doubt about a strong association between statin drug use and affective disorders of all kinds. Although this paper focuses on depression and its most extreme form, suicide, other affective manifestations include hostility, aggressiveness, accident proneness and strong tendency for recidivism in the use of addictive substances.
The mechanism of action in the relationship of these reactions to statin drug use seems to be due to do interference with the biochemistry of dolichols, one of the vital metabolic pathways collaterally affected by the use of statin drugs. Dolichols are absolutely vital for the formation of neuropeptides. These chains of peptides are not only the basis of every thought, emotion and sensation we have ever experienced; they are our every thought, emotion or sensation in a process we are only just beginning to understand.
This entire complex of activity is orchestrated by our dolichols and inevitably compromised by statins. Need it be stated, the effects on human emotionality can be extremely varied. Following are a few of the case reports I receive relevant to this subject:

1) I am an alcoholic. After my 15 years of sobriety my resumption of heavy drinking correlated with Zocor use. Again and again I made this observation. I stopped several times but was unable to make sobriety stick as long as I was on this statin. My personality changes on this drug were profound. I felt as if I were totally going out of my mind. I also became noticeably paranoid and somewhat schizophrenic. I began to think of myself as two people. It was like having a junior employee who constantly had to be instructed to stay alive and function. My symptoms became progressively worse and I began to feel I could easily become suicidal. Later I was started on Zetia only to suffer the same type of problems. It took me many days after washing out of these drugs before I became my usual competent self again. I write to you because you have become a focal point on the side effects of the cholesterol lowering drugs. I hope you will share this information with anyone you feel appropriate. I do not think that any human being should have to repeat the experiences I have had with these drugs.
2) My husband was am attorney who was placed on Zocor purely as a preventive measure. In the few weeks before his death he complained of insomnia and difficulty thinking. The idea that this brilliant man couldn’t think was ludicrous. He was placed on a sleeping pill, Restoril, several days before his death. On the morning of his death he was his fun-loving self, laughing and talking about his day. We had dined out the previous evening – a warm, wonderful evening. Something happened after I left that morning. My husband had some sort of psychotic break and in an incredibly bizarre manner, committed suicide. The pharmaceutical companies may consider suicides as “statistically insignificant” but the victims who fall within this violent numerology and those who love them do not. I am a professor at one of our Universities. I have lost someone very dear to me. Millions of men like my husband are being prescribed a drug purely for preventive reasons, which has been shown to cause as much trouble as it rectifies. The more I read about these drugs the more my horror mounts.
3) My father has been very depressed, withdrawn, argues over a cat of all things, and just really not himself. My father (68 yrs.old) started taking Lipitor in June of this year. Since then, we have seen a very dramatic change in his demeanor or personality. Very angry, moody, doesn’t want to do anything except sleep when comes in from work. We really didn’t know if depression might be a symptom of a overdose of Lipitor. Have you seen or heard of that happening? He’s also a type 2 diabetes patient for the last 5 yrs. Any effects on diabetes drugs? Thanks for all your information on your website.

[trish]

[http://qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/97/4/229]


Talks about rage, hostility and potential danger to life from suicide and threat to others due to homicial tendencies.

Frightening. Fear engendered in family members is very real.

[sbb]

I'm at wits end. My father had 4 stents put in several months ago and was put on several things. I'll have to check with my mother to see exaclty what. He angry, impatient, depressed, and I could go on and on. He goes into a rage over the smallest of things. What is going on????
Steven

[sos_group_owner]

Hi Steven,

Statins can cause mood disorders, including all the things you mention. Please list his meds here so we can give you more input.

Fran

[trish]

M partner when I met him three years ago was angry and odd, there was some weird stuff, turns out he'd been on statin drugs for eight years, his sister was on them too and trained as a psychiatric nurse so very drug-oriented - I recently confronted her about it - I still can't get some of the things he said out of my head - anyway his father died last year and he was on statin drugs 15 years and they ruined his kidneys.......

The worst thing in the world is to see people going under and to know why and to feel powerless to help...

My philosophy is that if its not natural, don't do it!........

[trish]

There is a lot bandied about in the modern world about genetic pre disposition. It's a very big and successful medical scam.
Vaccines is the other one.
I suffered al my life because of the oral Salk-Sabine polio vaccine in 1960.
That is nothing compared to what kids suffer now.

[catspajamas]

I can laugh about it now but when I was on Zocor we had went to disney land...everyone knows how crowded the walkways, lines are...The whole time I had this overwhelming urge to hit someone on the head with my purse...I even commented to my cousin who was walking alongside me...This was not normal thinking for me...I wouldn't step on a ant...My disposition went from bad to worse and I had no patience with anyone or anything...I never contributed my mental thing to the zocor until I had been off of it awhile and realized I didn't have those thoughts anymore...The zocor affected my entire nervous system....

[DEgirl]

Your not alone, add another medication to the mix.... "VYTORIN"!!! My new husband of only three years was once the absolute JOY of my life and my best friend before Vytorin. My husband was put on Vytorin for the last 5 months as a "precaution" to only slightly raised Cholesterol levels. Now 5 months later and I am ready to seek a divorce. I can no longer stand to be in the same room with this unreasonable man. Trying to reason with him during normal issues that arise in a marriage, is like being abused, kicked and punched constantly in the face by someone you love. This once gentle, caring and easy going man of my whole world, has turned into a total A** of a husband because of Vytorin! I have had my own issues with my health and powerful medications back in 1999. I almost died as a result. So bad in fact, those issues then ruined my former marriage of 20 years. I feel it is happening all over again with Vytorin in both of our lives here..... This is TOTALLY NOT the furture life I wanted while trying to regain and recover my life, my sanity and my health. I was just beginning to get my life back together and was happy. Then along came Vytorin!!!!! These problems were NOT here before, we were happy. I don't know how much more I can stand or take here with this aggression and hostility mood swings my husband is constantly having. I cannot reason with him on certain issues that he knows are issues. Normally we could but not now. He blames me for everything coming and going that happens in our lives now. He NEVER did this to me before VYTORIN. I had no choice but to ween him off of the Vytorin and placed him on supplements to protect his health.... Last night we had an arggument that HE STARTED, he accused me of trying to "poison" him because of the supplements. I almost had a heart attck hearing these hurtful and false ludicrous words come out of his mouth!!! This is NOT his normal behavior and I am now at my wits end!!! There has now come a point when I fear for my safety around him.

I'm desperate, PLEASE tell me "what I can do" to help stop these mood issues with him. Now that he is OFF the VYTORIN???

[cjbrooksjc]

DeGirl: Since my education is not in the medical field, I almost didn't respond to your plea, but I can't stop thinking about your last post. I honestly feel you should seek hard, professional advice. This forum of fellow sufferers was a Godsend for me, but it seems you have graduated to another, more serious theater of behavior, and, as a layman, I'm not comfortable giving you any sort of advice. I've had to deal with my own anger, frustration, and confusion with this drug but never paranoia. You may be dealing with something more detrimental than drug reaction.

My very best wishes,

Brooks

[DEgirl]

Brooks: This has been my fear with my husband too. Sometimes he appears so low and out of it. This statin Vytorin appears to have caused there to be a chemical imbalance in him of sort. His behavior is so strange and unlike normal. However, it has been only 3 days now since he finally stopped the statin medication. I am trying to get him to return for follow up with his physician. He refuses to go for blood work even at the moment. I was just wondering if others have gone through anything like this type of behavior.

[DEgirl]

UPDATE:::: After 10 days on supplements given here, husbands mood issues appear to be somewhat evening out. He is NOT 100% better but off Vytorin. My concern is that of his "long-term" or permanent damage from it.

[Ray Holder]

Please see my post today under Statin drugs

Ray

[Nuke]

Just thought I would chime in here. I had a couple of other side effects to statins (tinnitus and a loss of alcoholic euphoria). I posted in another thread.

However, one side effect I noticed was mood-related. While on statins, if I drank alcohol, I become easily-angered, short-fused, mean - without even a good reason. I am not like this normally, and never when drinking. Quite the opposite. So I basically quit drinking when I was on statins (Vytorin then Lipitor).

[adec]

Nuke said, "While on statins, if I drank alcohol, I become easily-angered, short-fused, mean - without even a good reason. I am not like this normally, and never when drinking."

Welcome to the forum. I hope you continue to share your story. And please realize, you're not alone in these sides. My cousin-in-law's father had increasingly aggressive episodes to where his grandchildren became fearful of him. Before statins he was literally a playful pied piper to those children. His family finally convinced him to take CoQ10, but he refuses to stop statins.

Here's another gentleman who actually documented his moodiness, among other disorders, while on statins... very similar to your story. I can't think of a video more sobering, especially one that's statin side effect related. Good luck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KD7omFDAKo

[John Hope]

On Lipitor I had brief anxiety attacks and it got so bad I was afraid to drive anywhere or even cross the street at times. This all went away when I stopped taking Lipitor and I had few fears.

After two days of Crestor 10mg I see the anxiety attacks have returned. Enough.

[harley2ride]

[quote="John Hope"]On Lipitor I had brief anxiety attacks and it got so bad I was afraid to drive anywhere or even cross the street at times. This all went away when I stopped taking Lipitor and I had few fears.

After two days of Crestor 10mg I see the anxiety attacks have returned. Enough.[/quote]

We know your pain and concerns all too well. PLEASE make sure that your doctor(s) know about this, and make it clear to them that you are certain it is the statins.. Too many people just let this go, and then everyone believes it when the big pharmas tell us that only a very small percentage of people are affected by statins. From my findings, over 1/2 the people I have talked to have had bad to severe reactions. In my book, that equates to at least 50%.

[pnisthepits]

I had almost a complete personality change when I was on zocor...My usually mild, meak, self got ornery, hostile and became very outspoken...used to fly off the handle at nothing...my poor husband got most of the blunt of my anger....Most of it went away when I went off zocor but I notice I am more outspoken and forward than before.....brain change??????

[pgrimm]

Spacedoc and friends,
Your article here was very validating for me. Bill, my SO, had frequent fits of rage throughout the five years of being on lovastating. He's been off this poison for four months now, and I have not witnessed one fit nor even a temper tantrum.
Pam