Side effects of statins.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!!

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..🤷‍♀️

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.

Shinamae

I was prescribed a 10 mg statin about a year ago now, and since then I have suffered with aching legs and pins and needles and general joint pain, as I have had Covid twice with no actual symptoms I was putting it down to maybe long Covid, but on speaking to my doctor, he said to come off the statin, only been off for a week. No change yet, but he did say it could take a couple of months..

Forgot to say, I also get burning feet. All the symptoms are far worse when I am in bed and lying down, particularly early morning..

www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2015/january/statins-and-women#:~:text=Benefits%20of%20statins&text=They%20reduce%20the%20levels%20of,a%20heart%20attack%20or%20stroke.

growstuff

Primrose53

Stella14

Something that is rarely noted is that there is no evidence of benefit for statins in women! All of the research has been done on men and due to hormonal differences etc, you can’t simply extrapolate the results to women.

I am glad you posted that. I had read the same some time ago.

But it's not true!

Of course it’s not true! Do you really believe that any research would only be carried out on one sex? Researchers always try to find as wide a cross section of people as possible.

Primrose53

“if you are a woman, no matter what your level of risk, statins will not increase your life expectancy by one day.”

“If you are a man without heart disease, statins will not increase your life expectancy by one day.”

Dr Malcolm Kendrick, The Great Cholesterol Con.

openheart.bmj.com/content/9/1/e001900

“if you are a woman, no matter what your level of risk, statins will not increase your life expectancy by one day.”

“If you are a man without heart disease, statins will not increase your life expectancy by one day.”

Dr Malcolm Kendrick, The Great Cholesterol Con.

Primrose53

Stella14

Something that is rarely noted is that there is no evidence of benefit for statins in women! All of the research has been done on men and due to hormonal differences etc, you can’t simply extrapolate the results to women.

I am glad you posted that. I had read the same some time ago.

But it's not true!

I have auto immune conditions. Inflammatory arthritis and atrial fib, cholesterol 5.9 which my consultant said ok for ordinary people but not you.
Cholesterol now ‘perfect’. No side effects from the statins so I’ll carry on
If I’d not taken the RA meds because of potentially awful side effects, I’d possibly be wheelchair bound

I was prescribed a 10 mg statin about a year ago now, and since then I have suffered with aching legs and pins and needles and general joint pain, as I have had Covid twice with no actual symptoms I was putting it down to maybe long Covid, but on speaking to my doctor, he said to come off the statin, only been off for a week. No change yet, but he did say it could take a couple of months..

My two great-grandmothers and my two granmas lived to their 100s with higher cholesterol without any medications.. I don't know if you know but the upper range for cholesterol was relatively recently decreased from 6 to 5, and this was from what I've heard, apparently to boost statin sales. I've heard this from a nurse who spent her working life doing blood tests, so it could be her interpretation but at the same time worth considering all aspects..

I’ve only been on statins since January (Atorvastatin) for Familial hypercholesterolemia. I was very worried about side effects but luckily have had none. My blood was checked recently and cholesterol has gone down from 8 to 4. I can see no reason to stop taking them as they are doing a great job!

Statins are awful drugs. I do not need them but would refuse them if my GP suggested prescribing them. I am ticking along nicely on a low carb/ketogenic way of eating, now in my mid 70’s with no medications. Why did your doc prescribe statins? If it was for high cholesterol, then there are huge changes of opinions on this, not the danger it was thought to be, in fact the body needs it.

As the OP I should say my GPwhen telling me to leave them off for 2 months said that time would have no detrimental effect for this short time.
My cholesterol level was 4.3.

undines

Please, please, PLEASE - statins do a vanishingly small amount of possible good to a very few people, for the rest they are often harmful and a great big pharmaceutical con. Listen to cadiologist Aseem Malhotra on the subject, he's available on Youtube

I’ve stated on here many times that I believe it’s the biggest con ever perpetrated by big pharma on the world population.

Some 15-20 years ago I was told by my GP that I needed to go on statins. I had read about side effects and wasn't keen to take them, and as I worked at the local hospital at the time I managed to get a short consultation with a specialist. He told me he wasn't convinced that I needed them, and that if I started them I would have to be on them for life, so that was it, I refused them, and so far I have been fine.

The doctor suggested leaving the statins off for a while to see if the side effects subside ?!?!?! This isn’t good advice. As I understand it, you shouldn’t just stop taking them.