A Common Medication With a Rare Side Effect: A Case Report of Statin-Induced Necrotizing Autoimmune Myopathy

Statins are commonly used for their cholesterol-lowering properties and are prescribed for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Although they are generally well tolerated, some individuals may experience a rare and serious side effect in which autoantibodies develop and lead to a necrotizing myopathy. Here we present a case of a middle-aged woman chronically on atorvastatin for her hyperlipidemia who acutely developed myalgias, muscle weakness, and persistently elevated creatine kinase, who was eventually diagnosed with statin-induced necrotizing autoimmune myopathy.