Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005 Dec;25(12):2560-6. Epub 2005 Oct 13.

Changes in ubiquitin proteasome pathway gene expression in skeletal
muscle with exercise and statins.

Urso ML, Clarkson PM, Hittel D, Hoffman EP, Thompson PD.

Department of Exercise Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
01003, USA.

OBJECTIVE: Statins are safe medications but have side effects including
myalgia and rhabdomyolysis. How statins provoke muscle damage is not
known,
but this effect is exacerbated by exercise. METHODS AND RESULTS: Healthy
subjects took Atorvastatin (80 mg/daily) or placebo for 4 weeks.
Biopsies of
both vastus lateralis muscles were performed 8 hours after eccentric
exercise (known to result in muscle soreness and damage) of the left leg
at
baseline and the right leg after statin/placebo treatment. Gene
expression
was determined using Affymetrix GeneChips, and selected genes confirmed
by
polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Atorvastatin had little effect on
gene
expression at rest. When combined with exercise, 56 genes were
differentially expressed with 18% involved in the ubiquitin proteasome
pathway (UPP) and 20% involved in protein folding and catabolism, and
apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first investigation to our knowledge
to
implicate involvement of the UPP in skeletal muscle in response to
combined
exercise and statin treatment, possibly explaining the onset of myalgia
with
exertion. Statins may alter the response of muscle to exercise stress by
altering the action of the UPP, protein folding, and catabolism,
disrupting
the balance between protein degradation and repair.

PMID: 16224050 [PubMed - in process]

Hi,
 Anyone taking Prednisone have shaky hands when you eat or even type
sometimes..This stuff is killing me. Still can't climb stairs, get up when
seated very well. I'm suppose to have Polymyalgia, but am beginning to
wonder. I'm still on 15mgs and not improving..
 I have 5 friend that  got off Cholesterol Statin pills because it made them
weak. I have the same problem..I called my Cardiologist yesterday, and he
claimed that Statin will not make you weak..
 Who knows, does anyone out there have any answers? please write if you
do.....Thanks...Nel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nel,
I am not a doctor. You may want to get a second opinion related to your
Prednisone problems. In relation to statins, I suggest that you read this
book:

WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT STATIN DRUGS AND THEIR NATURAL ALTERNATIVES
by Jay S. Cohen, M.D.

One of the known side effects of statins are muscle problems. When a
person's muscles hurt, that makes them weak. According to page 82, "Health
journalist Jane Brody wrote of an 82 year old Kansas woman who died from a
long-standing but undetected muscle disease caused by a statin she'd taken
for years."
Jason

Whoa.

You need a new cardiologist, seriously, NOW.

Susan