My Mother was diagnosed with high cholesterol approximately 1 year ago. She was not overweight, exercised regularly, and had a healthy diet compared to most North Americans. She elected to try to improve her diet and exercise further before using cholesterol lowering drugs. This Fall, her cholesterol was even higher, and with reluctance, she started on Crestor. Within the last 3 weeks, she is suffering from short term memory loss. She doesn't know what day it is, she puts her keys in my Father's coat pocket and then is upset because she can't find them. To talk with her in a short visit, no one would know, but a longer visit makes it obvious. She knows she cannot remember things, and it frustrates her. Initially, she thought is was the Crestor, so after consulting some contacts we had in the health care profession, we have taken her off of this, and maintained her on Aspirin, until we can go to her doctor. My Father took her to emergency, and they did a CT scan the following day which showed no abnormalities. We will follow up with her attending doctor on Monday. In searching the internet, I noticed postings of other behavioural changes as well as changes in taste being associated with statin drugs. My mother experienced both of these, and at first I thought that this increased the likelihood that perhaps this was a drug reaction BUT then I realized she was NOT on the drug when she started having those problems. I am thinking now that there is a higher possibility that she is having transient ischemic attacks ("mini strokes"), and so we need to rule that out. We are so fortunate in Canada that we can do the required tests without an added financial burden weighing in to that decision.
My question is: In the reports of memory loss, how long were the patients off the statins before their memory returned?
Hello and thanks for your post. I am the moderator for the site and though not medically trained I can try and help find answers to your questions.
I searched our site and was able to find some information regadring Crestor. It is described as:
Rosuvastatin is an enzyme blocker (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor), also known as a "statin." It is used along with a proper diet to help lower fats (triglycerides) and cholesterol in the blood. This drug is usually prescribed after non-drug treatment options have not been fully successful at lowering cholesterol (e.g., diet change, increase in exercise, weight loss if overweight). Reducing cholesterol and triglycerides help prevent strokes and heart attacks.
Although I was not able to find details on memory loss with Crestar specifically, I was able to find something on Lipitor and memory loss. And as Lipitor and Crestor are members of the same group of statins, I thought this might be of interest to you.
If anyone has any experience with this - please join the discussion. This is a great way for you to help others and get involved in our community.
Hope this helps - look forward to hearing from you soon.
All the best, sue
Thanks Sue,
A few things I have found out since; There was a review article published that I think I originally found on your site entitled Statin-associated memroy loss: an analysis of 60 case reports and review of the literature. I only have an abstract, so I am asking my husband to locate the full text. Since my posting, my mother has had another CT scan, bloodwork, seen her doctor, been referred to and examined by a neurologist (so I can't at all say that the probelm is being ignored!) All of the testing has not revealed any abnormalities. The neurologist is 99% certain this is not a stroke. He thinks that she is so worried about side effects of the Crestor that she cannot concentrate on anything else. This, according to my father. My father said that after a 10 minute conversation about cholesterol that she is back to normal and the nerologist convinced her to go back on the Crestor. I find this very hard to believe. When I saw her yesterday, she forgot that I was there for supper the day before, she didn't know what day it was, and she kept saying that she couldn't remember anything. anyhow, I will keep you "posted".
Thanks again.
I was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago with high cholesterol and my doctor prescribed Crestor. I read everything I could about it and let the doctor know that I was opposed to taking this drug because of the side effects one being memory loss. I had a small stroke about 3 years ago and the neurologist prescribed a medication that honestly I can't remember the name (memory loss) but I explained my hesitancy against that drug also because of the side effects. I asked him could I take aspirin and he agreed to this. I took a low dose of aspirin off and on for a year or so and finally gave that up. I have been taking Crestor for a week now, against my better wishes, and I noticed today a loss of memory that was embarrasing. I had a call from a person I know, but for the life of me could not remember who she was. When I finally realized something I told her in our conversation, I called her back and apologized and let her know that I couldn't remember who she was until our call was complete. I think at this point I am going to call the Dr. and let him know I am not willing to risk my memory to a drug this scary. Hope your Mom is OK. Joan
My husband started taking Crestor about a month ago and his "quick thought" memory seems to be affected. For example, tonight he was trying to say something about the broccoli we were having for dinner and he couldn't think of the name. He kept calling it brussel sprouts and knew it was the wrong name. He's been doing that sort of thing int he last few days, and I've been wondering if it could be from the Crestor. I'll keep an eye on things and mention it to his doctor if it continues. But after reading messages on the internet, I'm pretty well convinced that there is a connection.
I was taking Zocor, which is a statin relative of Crestor, and I developed the same memory loss side effect. There is a hiostory of dementia in my family, so I was terrified that I was losing my mental faculties at 53 years of age. I expressed these fears to my MD, and she said that she had experienced the same problems...her cardiologist took her off the Zocor immediately. I now use cholestyramine and it works well.
My Mom and Aunt just went through this. My Aunt took Lipitor and my Mom took Crestor. Both experienced extreme muscle pain in thier knees, memory loss (losing days and conversations), depression, and the feeling of no energy. They both went to thier Doctors repeatedly to question symptoms with no luck - but a lot of tests. My mom was attributing her symptoms as feelings due to the recent passing of my Dad. My Aunt went to a homeopath that said it was probably the Lipitor. She got off it and started feeling better within a few weeks. She called my Mom this weekend to tell us about this. My mom has been taken off the meds at this time due to raised enzyme levels. Memory loss is listed in the Crestor lit as being reported post clinical trials. If you can remember - "call your doctor right away, as these symptoms could be a sign of a rare but serious side effect." Hopefully your Doctor will connect your symptoms to the meds should you have them. I've told a few people about this and it seems like this is not so rare of an occurance.