MYOPATHY CAUSED BY THE INTERACTION OF COLCHICINE AND STATINS

Abstract

Myopathy is a life-threatening disease that can be caused, among other things, by the intake of various medications. Despite the fact  that many drug-induced myopathies are well known, however, many  health professionals are not alert to myopathies caused by drug  interactions. Myopathy is a wellknown adverse reaction of statins,  and muscle damage can range from minor muscle pain and  weakness to life-threatening rhabdomyolysis. Colchicine can also  cause myopathy, including rhabdomyolysis. The combination of  colchicine and statins can significantly increase the risk of myopathy  compared with their intake separately. In cases of development of  myopathy in patients receiving colchicine and statins simultaneously, the most common manifestation of drug interaction was muscle  weakness, occurring in almost every case, and in some cases,  muscle weakness was so severe that the patient lost the ability to  move. In a third of cases, the development of muscle weakness was  accompanied by muscular pain, and darkening of urine to tea shade.  One study showed that 40 % of patients received concurrent combinations of drugs that increased the risk of muscle  damage. It is concluded that the simultaneous administration of  colchicine and statins requires an assessment of the “benefit-risk”  ratio, as well as the administration of drugs in minimally effective doses.