Know your tests: In terms of medical tests for statin adverse effects there are four well known ones:
A blood test for CPK (a.k.a. creatine photokinase or CK). This is an enzyme that your muscles release when they are being damaged. If you run a marathon it will be high. But if you have normal daily activity it should be below 200.
An MRI. I’ve had several and found them not very useful. They may rule out bulging discs. In one case an MRI showed shoulder tendinitis (that I know I had).
An EMG (Electromyography). This is usually combined with a NCS (Nerve Conduction Study). You lie on a table while a Doctor sticks you with needle electrodes. It is like that 8th grade biology lab where you jabbed frog legs with electrodes and the muscles twitched. Except now you are the frog. The EMG test looks for nerve damage. Since I had muscle damage my EMGs were mostly normal. Two of the Doctors said that my muscles were “twitchy.” For some folks statins cause neuropathy so the EMG may be useful. For me it wasn’t very useful.
A Muscle Biopsy. The “gold standard” test for muscle problems is the muscle biopsy. They take a nice deep slice of muscle typically from your thigh. It hurts for a few days. In my case, it finally confirmed statin induced myopathy.
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Beyond those four standard tests there are a few lesser known blood tests specific to statin adverse effects (not known by many physicians).
Myomarker series by RDL in California. This test is for markers of myositis, inflammation of muscles. Here
HMGCR antibody test also by RDL. HMGCR is the chemical process that is inhibited by statins. Some people develop antibodies to that chemical process as it is inhibited. Here
Note that many hospitals can either send blood direct to RDL or they can employ the Mayo network to do so. LabCorp and Quest do not handle these tests (as of my check). You have to ask your hospital lab. Often the labs don’t even know they can do these RDL tests unless you ask whether they do “send outs” to Mayo.
SLCO1B1 gene test. There are studies that point to people with this gene being more susceptible to statins adverse effects. Several labs do it, including Boston Heart Diagnostics.
ahead to Phil’s Biopsy
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