Creatine Monohydrate supplementation may help with statin related muscle injury

In November of 2010 the journal Annals of Internal Medicine published the results of a small but important study entitled Creatine Supplementation Prevents Statin-Induced Muscle Toxicity. The study from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health included twelve patients who developed muscle pain when using several different statin drugs. Statin related muscle inflammation and pain known as myopathy is fairly common.

The level of myopathy was assessed and patients were then placed on a high loading dose of Creatine monohydrate for five days. Creatine monohydrate is a supplement commonly used to improve muscle strength in athletes. This loading dose period of five days was followed by a six-week period where ten patients took a lower daily maintenance dosage of Creatine along with their statin drug. Creatine was then withdrawn, the patients were again followed to see if and when muscle pain would return and at this point Creatine would be reinstituted. Eight out of ten patients had their muscle pain disappear when on Creatine supplementation. When supplementation was stopped and they were on statins only, muscle pain returned. When Creatine was reintroduced muscle pain again decreased.

It seems that muscle-toxicity syndrome may be caused by a decrease of Creatine in the muscle caused by the drug. Histological (cell) studies of patients on statins support this showing that energy creation is inhibited in the muscle by statins. This depletion of energy is in the mitochondria; the cellular power plants where Creatine functions.  The researchers concluded that Coenzyme Q10 coupled with Creatine Monohydrate therapy, might be the most effective way to treat statins side effects.