Statins, your experiences please.

Info about Atorvastatin here, Missfoodlove

www.nhs.uk/medicines/atorvastatin/

LauraNorder

Orlin takes warfarin following several DVTs and takes statins as he has an aortic aneurysm.
Since starting on statins his white pillows slips, the sheet on his side of the bed and the white T-shirts he wears for bed have turned yellow.
He showers daily, using the same products as me and I wonder if the medication affects his perspiration.
Has anyone else had this problem?

Lord Lemongrove takes the same meds as Orlin and there is no sign of discolouration Laura has he mentioned this to your GP?

Despite having a cholesterol ratio of just 3 in June I was put on Atorvastatin 40mg by a neurologist as a precaution as both my parents died from heart attacks .

After 3 months my ratio had reduced to 1.9 , however I was constipated for the first time in my life . My GP reduced the dosage to 20mg and the problem was solved.

geekesse

You might want to read this: Most statin problems caused by mysterious 'nocebo effect', study suggests www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54951648

I was prescribed statins many years ago and haven't suffered any of the ill effects I've read about. However I have read around the subject and one thing I read was that the lack of energy could be a result of depletion of co-enzyme Q10 which has a role in increasing energy. This compound decreases in our systems as we age, and I understand that taking statins can cause levels to fall even more. As a result I decided to take a supplement of co-enzyme Q10 as a precaution. You may want to consider that.

Orlin takes warfarin following several DVTs and takes statins as he has an aortic aneurysm.
Since starting on statins his white pillows slips, the sheet on his side of the bed and the white T-shirts he wears for bed have turned yellow.
He showers daily, using the same products as me and I wonder if the medication affects his perspiration.
Has anyone else had this problem?

I was started on them, due to a cholesterol reading of 6. Within a day of taking them, my feet started swelling. Rang Surgery, was advised to stop them. I am Surgeryphobic....haven’t seen anyone since then regarding the cholesterol. That was about 5 years ago. Actually, I should ask for a checkup. This has reminded me.

I've been taking simvastatin for around 15 years. The only effect is that my cholesterol stays at an acceptable level.

Missfoodlove

*Lisagran*I’ve been prescribed Atorvastatin

growstuff I cannot get any appt phone or otherwise for the foreseeable future.
Reception just gave me the basic info,rather reluctantly!,
So I have no idea of the breakdown.

I am very active, obviously not at the gym anymore but hiking at the weekend, daily dog walking and a resistance workout 4 times a week.

You don't need an appointment for the breakdown. A GP needs to check it's OK to give you the result, but you should be able to pick up a paper copy from reception. The information shouldn't be withheld, unless there are very specific reasons.

Another vote for Atorvastatin here.

I was at home one evening when my GP (ringing at 9.30 pm!) advised that I had had a drug review and in view of my various conditions, it had been decided that I should take statins.

I said that I was in their hands and if that was the correct course of action, I would commence them.

After three weeks and away on holiday I began to have pain in my legs. Wondering if it were the statins, I stopped taking them. Once back in the UK I rang the doctor to ask what I should do and she, very sensibly suggested that I start them again. If the leg pains returned it could be assumed that the statins were to blame. I took her advice but had no further problems.

There are many people in our population who would benefit from a cheap as chips drug (but obviously not all - we are all different) which could protect us and keep us fitter and healthy for longer.

LisagranI’ve been prescribed Atorvastatin

growstuff I cannot get any appt phone or otherwise for the foreseeable future.
Reception just gave me the basic info,rather reluctantly!,
So I have no idea of the breakdown.

I am very active, obviously not at the gym anymore but hiking at the weekend, daily dog walking and a resistance workout 4 times a week.

Missfoodlove I'm sure you realise that a total cholesterol level of 8.2 is high. What are your triglyceride, LDL and HDL levels?

If your triglyceride level is higher than 1.8 mmol/L, you maybe need to cut down on the butter and cheese and move around more.

Many cardiologists think that the ratio of HDL and LDL is more important than the total.

My total serum cholesterol is 3, but my triglycerides are 2.15, which is too high. My LDL levels are low (which is good), but my HDL levels are also low (which is bad).

I take Atorvastatin. I have pains in my feet and legs, but they are diabetes-related. I came off statins for three months, under medical supervision, but it made no difference to the pains, so I started taking them again.

Pains in your legs could be related to clogged arteries, so stopping statins could make the situation worse.

I've been on 40 mg Atorvastatin for 15 years with no side effects at all.My levels are good and I'm happy to stay on them.Simvastatin are cheaper to prescribe but are half the strength of Atorvastatin.

I think they're prescribed far too often (for anyone over fifty) as a 'just in case' easy, cheap measure, along with blood pressure meds.

A single high reading on a bp or blood test shouldn't prompt a prescription, but be followed up by carefully monitoring the situation for a few months.

MissFL you should be able to have a word with a GP before you start taking them. You could say you would like to try to cut down on your intake of butter and cheese and see if it makes any difference. Ask if you could try this for a couple of months, then repeat blood tests and go from there. A lot of these things are often genetic so your lifestyle is not always to blame.

I was prescribed them a couple of years ago, cholestoral 6.5, came down to 3.9 in a year. Alongside that I developed muscle pain. The cardiologist said there’s no evidence women of my age who haven’t had a stroke/heart attack need statins. If you’ve had an event, yes take them. Otherwise potential side effects outweigh benefits.

Missfoodlove

Thanks for your stories, I’m feeling less apprehensive.
I’ve just collected the scrip.
It’s 40mg once a day.
Morning or night?
No advice on the label!

Which statin is it, Missfoodlove?

Missfoodlove

Thanks for your stories, I’m feeling less apprehensive.
I’ve just collected the scrip.
It’s 40mg once a day.
Morning or night?
No advice on the label!

Night, as that’s when your body produces most cholesterol.

I've been taking statins since 2006, no problems.
Someone told me that the rate of buildup of cholesterol in the arteries is partly genetically determined. So statins aren't always 100% successful but do a lot to help.
Smoking is bad for this.

Best taken at night I was told, and probably need to avoid grapefruit! Check the patient info leaflet. It’s not the case with all statins.?

DH has been on them for years, diet was fine but cholesterol reading was very high, but he has no problems.
His brother was prescribed the same tablets and after taking them for 10 days or so had a job to get up the stairs, the Dr took him off of them and his legs were fine.

My cholesterol levels are naturally very high and the ‘right’ diet makes no difference at all so it’s thought to be familial. Consultant prescribed simvastin at first which cause terrible muscle pain so changed it to a very low dose rosuvastatin which I’ve been on years now with no side effects whatsoever. My cholesterol level is now below 6, still a bit too high but as everything else is ok they are happy with that. Be guided by your GP. ?

Thanks for your stories, I’m feeling less apprehensive.
I’ve just collected the scrip.
It’s 40mg once a day.
Morning or night?
No advice on the label!

My aunt was prescribed statins a few years ago. She experienced a lot of joint pain and stopped taking them. In the summer when I was staying with her, the doctor said she needed to start taking them again and prescribed a different kind that he said wouldn't have side effects. She took one and her ankle swelled up immediately. We thought it couldn't be the statin (partly because it happened so fast!) She left it a few days and took another and again her ankle swelled up within half an hour.

I would say that statins saved me from a fate worse than death when I had a mini-stroke. Those and the warfarin of course.
My initial reading before I started taking them 13 years ago wasn't even as high as Missfoodlove's but I was given 25mg of Atorvastatin and never looked back.

I take both the statin and warfarin at night religiously.
I would even go as far as to say that they've also kept my eyesight from deteriorating too as I only need glasses for reading and the computer ( same ones ) with no sign of ageing that you get around the iris.

I have been taking Pravastatin for nearly 20 years. I don’t think I have had any side effects, but I am on so many meds it would be difficult to know.