Side effects of statins.

I have great sympathy for others like myself who reacted badly to statins. I won't touch them again after the extreme muscle pain. I tried a couple to pacify the GP but absolutely never again. I had open heart surgery last year for a congenital disorder and my cardiac blood vessels were clean as a whistle, so slightly raised Cholesterol is not causing furring of any critical vessels.
I think statins have become a gravy train, I am very suspicious of the pharmaceutical companies ethics when they push certain therapies. In the past GP s went along with the hype from well funded conferences, I know from being inside the profession. They work under pressure and aren't always as circumspect about drug company hype as perhaps they should be. Only human, like the rest of the population!
If you react to statins then go back to the GP and challenge the balance of need.

Cymres1

I have great sympathy for others like myself who reacted badly to statins. I won't touch them again after the extreme muscle pain. I tried a couple to pacify the GP but absolutely never again. I had open heart surgery last year for a congenital disorder and my cardiac blood vessels were clean as a whistle, so slightly raised Cholesterol is not causing furring of any critical vessels.
I think statins have become a gravy train, I am very suspicious of the pharmaceutical companies ethics when they push certain therapies. In the past GP s went along with the hype from well funded conferences, I know from being inside the profession. They work under pressure and aren't always as circumspect about drug company hype as perhaps they should be. Only human, like the rest of the population!
If you react to statins then go back to the GP and challenge the balance of need.

My doctor actually said to me that a good walk and a bit of exercise every day will do just the same job as my statin..🤷‍♀️

Medication I'm on for ten years following cancer treatment affects my lipids. After resisting statins for quite some time - I agreed to take them on condition I had a blood test in 3 months which they did. However the Atorvastatin prescribed completely wrecked my cognition and memory to the point that medication was stopped and I was sent for a CT Scan. After stopping the statins and attending the CT scan some weeks later - everything was declared normal. But I'm not going back on the statins - I could not go through that again. I thought I was going mad!!

Sympathy for everyone who has suffered.
And still they keep dishing them out 😡

Everybody has the right to make their own choice. I was advised to take statins years ago, but was cynical and refused. I'd been influenced by all the negative stories.

In 2017, I had a heart attack. My cholesterol was high but I had other risk factors, the main one being diabetes. Fortunately, I survived and was told in no uncertain terms by the cardiologists at Papworth Hospital that I should take statins, which I have done for six years.

I prefer to read the results of peer-reviewed research rather than be influenced by sceptics. I have neuropathy, but that hasn't been caused by statins. It was beginning before I started taking them and I even had a three month break, but the feet and leg pains persisted, so I restarted the statins and there's no difference.

Just to update i was called in to see the nurse today as my recent annual blood test showed my cholesterol to be 5.8
She said my overall risk of a heart attack is 12% because of my dad having a heart attack at 56. She left it up to me wether I wanted to try statins, I’ve declined. I’m going to try and loose Some weight and increase my exercise. Surprisingly though she said that wouldn’t help my overall score. Doesn’t seem there much you can do to reduce it.

My cholesterol level is now at an acceptable 5.5 after a rise to 7.7 last year.
* It is familial cholesterol.
A change of statins 4 months ago has bought it down whereas losing weight or changing my diet would not have done. I’ll keep taking them.

I believe a lot of prescribed meds do have non publicised side effects. Post covid I went on anti depressants - Sertraline. Gave me terrible bowel problems, GP changed me to Citalopram. I also feel that statins have affected DH libido but can't bring myself to say anything to him. He is someone who puts his faith in doctors. I have taken plant sterols for several years after being told that my cholesterol levels were normal.

If we were terrified of all possible side effects we wouldn’t take paracetamol never mind the drugs I take yo control rheumatoid arthritis.
I’m not a drug fan or fiend, if we react to drugs, obviously stop taking them
I thank the universe/god/the nhs that I’m largely pain free and still walking

Yes Iam64 I too am thankful to be largely pain free, and not immobilised by depression.
This is why I religiously take all my other “heart related” medication prescribed, just not the statin ( there’ve been many different ones I’ve tried since 2005) that’s when I had the first heart attack then later a stent inserted.

I am very well aware that when my routine blood results are discussed the “cholesterol” will be higher than is generally desirable and that is taking into account I’m also on Ezetimibe (this lowers cholesterol in a different way to a statin)

I’m told by an endocrinologist that my raised cholesterol is definitely familial …
However if there was a way of reducing it further (and statins certainly achieved that for me) but without the weakness, tiredness, and aching muscles that were part of life whilest on them. I would give it a go.