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.

Keywords

• rhabdomyolysis
• myopathy
• colchicine
• statins
• drug-drug interaction