statins

I have tried two different ones and felt poisoned both times. I haven't told my GP yet that I have stopped taking the second one.

many many people take statins without any side effects. Sadly, it is quite possible that all the bad press may worry so many people that they develop the symptoms mentioned by bad press. Some people do seem to react badly to them.

Why not relax, take them- try not to over analyse and think/read- but go back to your doctor if you truly think it does not suit you?

Giving statins to anyone over 50 or 60 is just plain wrong- but for someone with high cholesterol combined with other risk factors, they are true life savers. What is best, a stroke or a heart attack?

We've had a ong discussion about this before- and very entrenched views- for umpteen reasons. My OH does have significant risk factors re stroke and heart attack. He is a doctor with 45+ years experience- and PUT HIMSLEF on statins for above reasons and has never looked back. For me, this is convincing enough.

Remember all the health scares around MMR- Andrew Wakefield? It caused the death of many children and angst and so much worry to 100000s of parents.

The Big Pharma lobby is very strong - and so is 't'other side' ...

I have been taking statins for years with no side effects (I have inherited high cholesterol and there is a history of heart disease and stroke in my family). I would say, try them and see.

Forgot to say, you should ask for a liver function test after a year- and then yearly or every two years after that.

If you do develop muscle pain (in your legs for instance) ask your doctor for a muscle enzyme test. If that is OK, then it is just coincidental, and nothing to do with the statins.

I am on Simvastatin for a couple of years with no side effects. I have gone from 7.9 to 4.3 in the first 6 weeks - excellent.

I agree with Sunseeker give them a go.

My DH is the same No side effects.

One tip don't read up the side effects or you will think you have them all. Just listen to your body.

Best of luck.

DH takes 40g Simvastatin at night and has done so for more years than I can remember. When he started his cholesterol was 13.5! Its now about 5. No side effects. We wouldn't dream of flouting medical advice for so serious a condition. Properly prescribed medication is not a poison. Proof - he is not yet dead.

Drugs are always a double-edged sword, but if the GP says your cholesterol is at a level where statins are needed then I think you should take his advice.

I take one drug that gives me side effects, but I know the alternative is worse.

Lots of people take statins with no side effects at all. If the one you are given does not suit you then you can always go back and discuss it with GP. In fact you may do well to go back and discuss the whole thing with him anyway as you are concerned.

PS Stay off blooming google!!!

I had my first cholesterol test more than ten years ago and when the doctor received the results I had a letter asking me to go and see her. She then explained that although my overall reading was high it was caused by the good cholesterol (HDL) I think being much higher than normal and the LDL being within normal range. She said I should never have a test which only gave the combined result. I had my last one here in France as part of a big test about a month ago and when I received the results I could see the same result still - when I saw the GP he said exactly the same - no statins. The last surgery in UK only ever gave the combined result and when I asked to know the separate readings they refused to tell me - saying it made no difference so I then refused to take the statins.

Liz;It's really important that, if you're not taking a tablet it needs to be on your medical record that you're not taking it so that if, God forbid anything happened to you the medics would know what medication you're on [not nagging; honest!]. And also, when you have your annual [or 6 monthly blood test] the doctor will view the result assuming that all drugs on repeat are being taken.

Thanks Tegan. I took Simvastatin the first time and it took me a long time to realise that they were causing the dreadful pains in my legs. I was having trouble with both my achilles tendons at the time and to start with I just connected the pain in my legs with that. It wasn't until I went to the physio and he was shocked at how weak my legs had become that it dawned on me.
The second one was Atorvastatin. I didn't read the side effects properly and after about six weeks I was trying to sleep with my mouth open to cool it down as it was burning. I had awful headaches and nightmares. I had not googled until this point (honest) but it took a good couple of weeks for the side effects to reduce.
My good cholesterol is high so the GP is not too worried and did tell me to stop taking the Atorvastatin if it disagreed with me. I would take them if it was not for the side effects. They just feel wrong for me.
granjura says that giving statins to people over 50 or 60 is wrong. Why is that please?

I think granjura meant that giving statins to everyone over 50 or 60 just for the sake of it is wrong, Liz.

I would never take them. I have known too many people who have suffered really bad side effects and the headlines change from Wonder Drug to Really Bad Drug from week to week...

Thanks Ana. I misunderstood.

Remember when they first came out and chemists were selling them over the counter so anyone could buy them [probably still do]. They were selling them for £'s when in fact they hardly cost anything and most people who needed them would get them on prescription anyway.

Thanks for all your comments. I shall take my first tablet tonight and see how I go.Fingers crossed I'll be one of those who have no ill effects

Yes, fingers crossed for you geordiejoy.

DH has been on simvastatin for 8 years following two heart attacks with no side effects at all. Don't believe everything you read-we're all different!

Like Sunseeker I seem to have inherited a tendency to high cholesterol. I take 2 different statins, have done for the last ? years, no side effects.

Why two different ones, Tricia? Does one type give another sort of protection? I had thought they were all pretty similar in their action but am no expert!

Yes Ana, thanks, this is what I meant.

But I am curious- you say you would never take them. But if a doctor your trust said to you 'your cholesterol is sky high and your family history makes you a prime candidate for a stroke or heart attack' - would you really not give them a go? Would you really, on hearsay, choose a high risk of stroke or heart attack- rather than try and see?

A friend of mine did that - sadly he died and his wife wanted to sue the GP for not forcing him to take them!

I have btw developed really bad pains in my legs this last year- when I stopped taking statins (as my cholesterol was really low anyhow)- it would have been so easy to use that coincidence to say that stopping statins gave me pains in the legs (or vice-versa) - as we get older we do get more aches and pains (mine is due to my totally cream crackered knee to terrible accident when I was young + leg being shorter)... it is 'easy' to put 2 and 2 together and add to 5 and 3/4.

An example, a friend has stopped taking his (he has already had by-passes and 2 heart attacks and a terrible family history) because he thought it might be causing his hair to go a bit thinner. What a choice...

granjura I have read what you've said about statins on previous threads and I know you are very much for them (partly because your DH is, I believe, a doctor who endorses them?) but my mind is still made up.

I won't say any more on the subject .

It's nothing to do with being 'for' or 'agin' them- it is about common sense.

Have you got friends who have had severe strokes?

One of my best friend had one aged 49- was in rehab in hospital for a whole year, and has never truly recovered. It really does make you think, I can tell you.

It is important to be properly followed up - as said, check liver function and muscle enzymes if one develops muscle pains to eliminate that it is the cause.

It's a free country- and you can of course choose whatever you want. But I find it hard to believe anyone can 'make up their mind' and never change it, whatever the extremely high risks or evidence.

My OH does not 'endorse' them- as such, and he certainly is not in the pocket of big pharmas... but he has studied all the evidence very carefully with his knowledge and experience, and decided that on balance they are a life saver for thos with certain conditions and family history risks, and high cholesterol. But yes, I trust his medical judgement totally and implicitely- and I know he his not stupid and would not voluntarily put himself on a drug, with his doctor, that would harm him. That is good enough for me.

By 'endorses' I meant 'approves of' - nothing more!

Ana - you question made me check up on the 2 I take. Crestor is rosuvastatin, but the other one Ezetrol is evidently not a statin, but works against cholesterol in a different way, not through the production of chol. in the liver as statins do. Ezetrol inhibits the absorption of cholesterol.
For a while I became forgetful about taking the statin and my cholesterol level shot up, my Dr. was not pleased when I told him I'd missed some tablets.