Advice on taking Statins

I am a diabetic and have been on statins for over 45 years. I started to have a lot of muscle stiffness and cramps but almost everything that I have could be attributed to something else if they try. However my family doctor wondered if the statins could be causing some of my symptoms and took me off it for a month. At the end of that period I had no more muscle spasms in my feet and the other issues were gone but my cholesterol is high again. I am in the position where there seems to be no good alternative. If I stop it my bad cholesterol goes back up and I eat very healthy or "clean" as my daughter calls it nowadays mostly due to being a diabetic as I doubt otherwise I would be so strict! We need a new drug.

My husband was prescribed Atorvastin because his cholesterol was a bit high and it made him very bad tempered, so he came off them. A few years later, he suffered a minor stroke and was put back on them, but was quickly changed to Rosavastatin and he has been okay on that one. The consultant explained that, after a stroke, they like to keep the cholesterol extra low. He also suffers from Type 2 Diabetes, but the statins do not seem to have had any adverse effect on his blood sugar levels. My brother also had bad side effects from statins, but eventually went back onto a different, more gentle one and he seems okay on that, so it may pay to be persistent and try different kinds until you do find one you can tolerate if you really need them

I'm not on statins, been threatened with them. I have cramp in my feet mostly, very painful. Wish I knew what causes it. Wonder if its a certain brand of my blood pressure tablet?

Tried 3 different stations, each had side effects. From severe muscle ache, nausea, vomiting, and worst sending my heart into atrial fibrillation. Doctors advised me to just watch my diet now, they acknowledged that the symptoms I had were due to the statins.

I resisted them for years, despite a cholesterol level of 6.5. Then it rose slowly: 7.5, 7.8. At 8.6 I became frightened and gave in. It's now 4.5, so they worked. Whether my aches and pains are due to them or to old age, I don't know.

Bear in mind that there is no research that shows a benefit in women. There are benefits in men at high risk of a cardiac even. Women’s and men’s physiology is different in many ways. I wouldn’t take such a powerful drug until/unless they are shown to have a significant benefit to women.

I had muscle cramps when I first started taking statins many years ago as my cholesterol was so high. It took the 3rd attempt to find the right one and I’ve been fine ever since. There is a family history of strokes and I’d rather take them than risk the consequence of not taking them.

It took two rounds to find a statin that did not give me any horrendous muscle ache & pains.

The first time the muscle pain started I thought that I had developed arthritis in my hips, except that I could easily touch my toes, walk for miles with no problems.

Tell your GP that halving the dose has not helped you.

When I spoke to my GP, she told me to stop taking the tablets that day & then we worked on a plan to find another statin product.

Entirely normal practice to take a few goes to find a formula that the patient can tolerate & gain the benefits. Same process as find the right meds & dose of anti-depressants, blood pressure meds etc.

I now take a statin on a graduated incremental dose plan It took me many weeks to get to full dose & I have now been taking it without any side effects for over six months. In the future, if any side effects occur that I cannot tolerate, I will not hesitate to speak with my GP about a change of dose &/or product.

Speak to your GP soon.

I've been taking statins for about 15 years and the only effect has been that my cholesterol has come down. My biochemist daughter gave me a paper on cholesterol to read when I started on them but I never got past the first page and just took her word for it.

I reluctantly agreed to take Atorvastatin, for a month 10mg and now 20mg and they did what they were supposed to do in about 6 months. I have type 1 diabetes and my consultant said that even though I am in no way overweight, I needed to keep my cholesterol lower than ‘normal’ folks. I was expecting side effects but have had none and have nicely reduced cholesterol so it worked for me.

Also statins can make your memory much worse. A dr has written a book "lipitor (statins) the memory thief". Played havoc when my husbands memory, he was put on the highest dose and had a very slight heart attack. Speaking to othets who had much more serious heart attacks and they were on lower doses. Also believe the drs get more for prescribing the high dose. He stopped taking them years ago without telling the dr.

As m0nica, taking them 17% chance of something happening and 22% chance if not taking them, so I didn't.

I have never been prescribed statins. My doctor says that my lifestyle is so good that I don’t need them. I don’t smoke or drink and I’m a vegetarian. However, my daughter says that though I may not live to be 100... it will certainly seem like it . ?

I appreciate statins reduce cholesterol, but the purpose of that is to reduce the chance of strokes and heart attacks, but if reducing cholesterol doesn't actually reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks, other than marginally, which is the case in some circumstances, why bother to reduce it?

I asked my Doctor if he took them and he said yes. So I decided To go ahead. Have had no problems at all.

I suffered with leg cramps for years. When I started using orthopaedic insoles the cramp improved 90%.

Seabreeze are you a genetic clone of your doctor with an identical life style? If not the fact that he takes them is absolutely no guide as to whether they are right for you.

As I have said, I am not anti statin, DH takes them and needs them, but their purpose is to reduce the chances of strokes and heart attacks, and for some people taking statins makes little or no difference to those chances, which means there is little purpose in taking them.

I just think anyone being prescribed any medication should be checking that the medication they are prescribed will actually be of advantage to them, and for some people, with statins, that just isn't so and people should check this as it is so easy to do.

I was stated on atorvastatin a year ago because my cholesterol was at 5.8. I soon started getting swollen itchy ankles, and was subsequently moved onto simvastatin. My cholesterol is now down to 4. However, I feel that painful arthritis in my fingers started about the same time and am now thinking about stopping statins altogether. This has been a very interesting and worthwhile thread.

When I was around 70 my GP decided that I should be prescribed statins. I enquired why, as I had no medical conditions and my cholesterol levels were satisfactory. He replied that he thought it was a good idea, once people reached my age, to help stave off heart problems.
I didn’t consider that a good reason to start taking medication. Each time I have a check-up we discuss it again, but I am now 82, still statin-free, not on any other medication and in good health. When my tome comes I am quite happy to drop in my tracks from a heart attack, rather than linger into dreary old age.

Many years ago my GP wanted to prescribe me Statins. She said that due to my family history I had an 18% chance of having a heart attack in the next 10 years. I replied, “Which means I have an 82% chance of not having a heart attack” I declined the Statins and she wasn’t happy. I watched my Mum and my In Laws suffer from side effects from Statins. I will not be taking them.

MayBee70

Is it worth trying magnesium for leg cramps?

Yes it is. I suffered with horrible leg cramps and restless legs and have been taking Magnesium for about 3 months and it has helped my legs greatly. I woukd definitely recommend trying them. I take Dr Vegan's....very reasonabky priced too.

Google Dr Aseem Malhotra, he is a cardiologist who says ‘Most People Taking Statins Get No Benefit’. I know I have no intention of ever taking them.

Also follow Dr Zoe Harcombe.

www.zoeharcombe.com/2015/03/worried-about-cholesterol-andor-statins/

Dad stopped taking statins after years of being on them, with side effects. He saw a naturopath who advised him to take niacin (vit D), at a certain dose, instead of statins. Success!

Needless to say, my hubby has swapped to Niacin instead of statins and his GP has been monitoring him. His cholesterol has gone down and remains stable. You can get the non flushing version of niacin too.

Good luck!

I’ve had open heart surgery and survived a heart dissection. I take beta blockers and something for inflammation because I have ulcerative colitis. I’m thin tall and underweight. My diet does not include fatty food and cakes. Apparently my reading is 5. Now my new doctor is talking about putting me on statins.
I said I already had aches and pains in my joints so I did not want any more. She basically disagreed with me, After reading all these comments I won’t take them . However I feel this will be a black mark against me and that worries me that she won’t listen to my opinion about anything and I will get a label of being difficult,