Peripheral Neuropathy Caused by Statins

To:  Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America and companies listed

Peripheral Neuropathy Caused by Statins

We users of statin drugs have experienced some of the symptoms listed below [1] that characterize peripheral neuropathy (damage to nerves outside the brain). Medical research published in peer-reviewed journals has shown that statins are able to cause peripheral neuropathy or a syndrome that is very similar to it.

We petition the pharmaceutical manufacturers of statins [2] to:
1. Notify patients (past, current, and prospective users of statins) and healthcare professionals (physicians, pharmacists, nurses, physicians' assistants) of the risk associated with statin use and what to do once the first signs and symptoms of neuropathy have appeared.
2. Sponsor and perform research on how statins cause neuropathy.
3. Sponsor and perform clinical research on how to cure and reverse the neuropathy caused by statins.
4. Perform clinical research and recommend the best drug treatments to mitigate the pain and make other symptoms of statin-induced neuropathy more tolerable.
5. Proactively offer reparation to statin users who have suffered neuropathy.

Knowing our rights to patient confidentiality and privacy, we users of statins agree that our medical condition and other information we furnish here may be divulged sufficiently to represent our need for treatment and restitution. The information we supply may be used by the petition organizers to achieve these five objectives.

Further information and updates on the petition: http://www.drugintel.com/drugs/statins/petition_statin_neuropathy.htm

[1] Symptoms of peripheral nerve damage (neuropathy):

Weakness, usually in the arms and hands or legs and feet
Facial weakness
Difficulty walking
Difficulty using the arms and hands or legs and feet
Sensation changes (usually of the arms and hands or legs and feet)
Pain, burning, tingling, or other abnormal sensations
Numbness or decreased sensation

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

Swallowing difficulty
Speech impairment
Loss of function or feeling in the muscles
Muscle contractions
Muscle atrophy
Uncoordinated movement
Dysfunctional movement
Joint pain
Hoarseness or changing voice
Fatigue
Facial paralysis
Eyelid drooping
Bowel or bladder dysfunction
Breathing difficulty

From the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Library of Medicine (NLM) MEDLINEplus Medical Encyclopedia.


[2] Statins and their manufacturers:

Pravachol (prevastatin): Bristol-Myers Squibb
Mevacor (lovastatin): Merck
Zocor (simvastatin): Merck
Lescol (fluvastatin): Novartis
Lipitor (atorvastatin): Parke-Davis
Baycol (cerivastatin): Bayer
Crestor (rosuvastatin): Astra-Zeneca
Advicor (lovastatin + niacin): Kos Pharmaceutical


The petition will be presented to the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufactuers Association and to the Medical Affairs Departments of the companies listed, as well as any additional companies that may be identified as relevant over time.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Peripheral Neuropathy Caused by Statins Petition to Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America and companies listed was created by DrugIntel Statin Users with Neuropathy and written by John Lehmann PhD.  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no express or implied endorsement of this petition by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. The petition scripts are created by Mike Wheeler at Artifice, Inc.  For Technical Support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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