DEAR DR. GOTT: I have been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy. I am a 73-year-old female in generally good health. I’ve had gall-bladder surgery, a hysterectomy, cataract repair, and knee and shoulder replacements.
I noticed a tingling feeling in my left middle finger, left foot and then my right foot. I went to a podiatrist, who prescribed gabapentin. I am now taking 300 milligrams three times a day, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. It is a disturbing feeling that keeps me awake at night until I finally fall asleep from exhaustion. During the night, the tingling seems to go away, but as soon as I start walking, it starts up again.
I read an article that mentioned a person taking a statin drug for more than five years can develop peripheral neuropathy. I was on 40 milligrams of Zocor that was increased to 80 milligrams five years ago. I’ve been cutting the pill in half for a year following a cholesterol reading of 163 and now take L-thyroxine, furosemide, aspirin, folic acid, fish oil, vitamin C, potassium, calcium with vitamin D, iron with calcium, and vitamins B6 and B12. The neuropathy began six months to a year ago. Muscle and nerve biopsy tests showed no damage, nor do I have diabetes according to the blood work ordered.
If peripheral neuropathy results from statin drugs, why aren’t patients told this when they are given them? If I stop taking the statin, would or could the neuropathy go away?
DEAR READER: I am surprised your physician did not advise you of the possible side effects of the Zocor he prescribed. A year or more ago, there was a great deal of media coverage regarding debilitating calf-muscle cramping and tingling that resulted from the use of statin drugs. In the defense of drug companies, not everyone will experience similar side effects. Some people can successfully be prescribed almost any medication without side effects. However, others can’t tolerate them and must find alternative control for their medical issues. There is no need to alarm patients needlessly; however, they do have a right to know what they might expect.
This brings me to a related issue. When a physician prescribes any medication, it is his or her obligation to verbalize any possible side effects. Should that not happen, the patient should ask what to expect when taking something new. When this is accomplished, the patient and physician can make an educated decision as to whether a drug is appropriate or simply not worth the risk.
You list the surgical procedures you underwent but don’t indicate whether you have any cardiac issues that your physician is attempting to micromanage. I occasionally get criticized by my colleagues when I indicate a reading is normal, only to find there are extenuating unknown circumstances for wanting levels substantially lower. That said, I don’t know what your cholesterol readings were prior to the Zocor, but you certainly might be managed on a lower dose than the 80 milligrams. That decision is best left to your physician, who knows your complete medical history.
Give your doctor credit for testing you for diabetes, which carries the symptom of peripheral neuropathy, and kudos to you for supplementing B6 and B12 for possible deficiencies.
To provide related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Understanding Cholesterol.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website at www.AskDrGottMD.com.
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