Long term Statin use and PMR

I don't think statins can cause or trigger PMR. I needed atorvastatin after Prednisone was started to treat PMR. I'm off Prednisone now and I'm not taking atorvastatin anymore after 12 years of Prednisone use.

After I tapered off Prednisone, my clinical picture became a complicated mix of things. My cholesterol level decreased steadily until my cholesterol level was "too low." My primary care doctor said cholesterol levels can never be too low. A low cholesterol level coupled with a high CK level suggested "statin induced myopathy." Maybe atorvastatin was "contributing to my muscle pain" so atorvastatin was discontinued.
https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-statin-induced-myopathy-or-muscle-pain
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After atorvastatin was stopped my muscle pain was the same. My rheumatologist said the pain might be caused by "corticosteroid induced myopathy." Since I only recently stopped Prednisone and was able to exercise more ... my rheumatologist said my symptoms "should improve."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557731/
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My endocrinologist gave an opinion that muscle pain (myalgia) was also a symptom of adrenal insufficiency.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3070320/#:~:text=However%2C%20although%20not%20fully%20recognised%2C%20musculoskeletal%20symptoms,been%20described%20in%20the%20literature%20to%20date.&text=Musculoskeletal%20abnormalities%20can%20be%20antecedent%20or%20predominant%20signs%20in%20adrenocortical%20insufficiency.
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With so many opinions it was hard to know what was causing my residual muscle pain I had after I tapered off Prednisone. The only thing I know is the muscle aches and pains improved. More and more I believe that too many medications being used to treat Prednisone side effects were contributing to many of my symptoms.

I have been taking Prednisone for 12 years for PMR. Down to 3 mgs daily for the last couple of years. Still have a lot of lower back, hip and thigh pain but for the most part it’s tolerable. I take a muscle relaxer and Tylenol arthritis at bedtime which seems to help with the interrupted sleep due to pain.
I’m curious as to how you were able to stop Prednisone after 12 years. My rheumatologist has recommended Rx Kevzara

I've been taking statins for over 30 years. When I first was gettng sore from PMR I thought statins might have been responsible but that did not turn out to be the case.

I am 69 years old have been taking statins for over 10 years with no side effects. I had two questions for my rheumatologist on my first visit this past January. 1. Did I do something or change something that cause this condition? And the second which in retrospect goes with the first, could my vaccine booster shot have precipitated this? Her answer to first was “no” that a mentor of her explained that in the book of my life I finally hit the chapter where PMR flared. The answer to second was “not sure, but could have”. Not crazy about either but though corny I chose to buy into answer “1”. Though I will have to say when anniversary date for boosters comes up I will have to think about it.

I was convinced a flu vaccine triggered a flare of PMR. I don't think a vaccine triggered PMR when I was originally diagnosed. When I was reluctant to get another flu vaccine a year later I told my rheumatologist about what I thought triggered the last flare. My doctor was certain a flare "could happen" but if a flare happened again more Prednisone would be prescribed!

I wasn't wild about another flare but I accepted the flu vaccine. I didn't have a flare and didn't need any extra Prednisone that time. My belief is a vaccine can trigger a flare but not always.

As for the statin I was taking for years, my rheumatologist felt that the stain "could be contributing to my pain. " He came to this conclusion when my cholesterol level was too low and my CK level was too high. My statin was stopped but it didn't make any difference. Then my doctor said my long term Prednisone use might have contributed to my pain but "more likely" it was arthritis.

It is hard to get definitive answers from any doctor. Fortunately, my doctor never doubted for a minute that I was having pain.

Same here, I wondered if statins could have caused the PMR, so I reduced then stopped the statin to see if things improved, and they didn't. I haven't restarted the statins after reading research which shows that statins can paradoxically cause artery calcification rather than preventing it.

I just had my annual physical, I convinced my Dr to have a CT heart screen score run. My results were 0 in three arteries and 7 in one. My cholesterol is 250 w/o statin use and 107 taking 40 mg/day of atorvastin. I've lost 15 lbs since last physical and my blood pressure has dropped over 30 points. My weight and blood pressure haven't been this low in over 40 years. I have one last thing I'm dealing with which hyperperithyroidism and low Vitamin D. I started taking a Vitamin D supplement a day ago and already feel much better, so I may get lucky there as well. Our bodies are complicated, I'm not convinced that anybody really understands how all of our systems interact. Also not convinced that medical specialists are all that special. I am convinced that if you eat correctly, stay active, stay postive and keep working on your your medical issues you can make vast improvements in your health and how you feel day to day!

I developed some PMS symptoms after first boost shot. I did not realized that. The second shot pushed me over the cliff five months later. That was in early 2023. I had recovered since then after taking eighteen months of Prednisone.

Usually if you are going to have statin induced arm pain it happens within the first six months of starting the meds.

How were you diagnosed? Bloodwork, MRI?