Query about statins

After my op they (hosp) had me on amlodipine and then the atorvastatin i told one my gp's at doctors surgery and he took me off them(i'd been on a whole cocktail of various pills at first) when i said i had awful muscle pains in arms,and pains in joints at top of arms.And weakness..After coming off them it stopped.He said i can try plant sterols and try control it by diet but thats personally to me- you are best seeing your own gp and/consultant to decide between you whats best for you.

4allweknow

Never taken statins, never been suggested by any Dr.

Same here.

I have taken rosuvastatin for around 4years, my problem is that they contain a form of calcium, I also take calcium for osteoporosis and have been suffering with indegestion. A couple of days off both and the problem has improved already. I think I will speak to a Dr when I can. Will carry on taking everything for now but now sure it is good for my throat.

Sheian57

Statins very bad for you. I recommend checking FB Statins, the silent killer. Diet and exercise keeps us fit, not something tgat reduces cholesterol, a natural healrhy cell builder needed by the liver and brain. Hmmm why do some many people have dementia. Heart disease is not caused by cholesterol,inflammation and arteriosclerosis does that

Are you a qualified medical practitioner?

I have been offered the alternative (newer and more expensive) meds that you speak of Granmarderby10.
I'm taking a break for now but talking to your GP and clinical pharmacist about your medication can't be a bad thing.

I stopped taking Avorastatin about 8 weeks after starting because of digestive problems which cleared up after, currently colesterol is being monitored and under review.

DrWatson

"Rude" Pably???? EVERYthing I put in that was accurate, and justified. Do YOU believe everything on FaceBook?! Do YOU have medical qualifications?

The danger with that sort of post is that if someone reads it - without checking the many other "Statins are fine" contra-comments -- they mught just take themselves off their prescribed Meds and promptly get a nasty build-up in their arteries, and keel over. The likes of 'Sheian' will never know that their dangerous guff has killed someone. . . and you apparently wouldn't care, or don't have sufficient logic?

I'm not on facebook, and never have, you must believe everything that you read ,and you obviously think that everything you say is right. no one has to have an opinion ,,only you,,and you think saying that someone is "ONE OF THE GORMLESS SUBSET" is not rude?? I stopped statins for my own reasons, others take them because they're fine with them, everyone has a choice.Do YOU have medical qualifications? and what makes YOU think that I wouldn't care, surely people can think for themselves, I stopped statins because I did care, what was happening to me. you and I might have had this conversation before,,,,only under another name??

My DH has mobility issues and had been taking Atorvastatin for about 15 years. After consulting his GP he agreed to a six week break to see if this helped his muscles and mobility. Three weeks in he does think he's slightly more flexible but we'll do the whole six weeks, contact the GP and if DH thinks it has made a difference we'll ask for a different cholesterol lowering drug.

My 20 year old very active granddaughter has high cholesterol. She is stick thin, size 6 ,and eats lots of fruit and veg, very few sweet things . She has inherited it from our side of the family I would say. None of us are overweight. She doesn’t take statins being so young but I guess she will have to one day.

For Grandmama, excellent comment. Some folk just produce too much dodgy cholesterol, and though diet can help, Statins will do the job quicker.

My cholesterol score was incredibly high, and I had a heart scare over 20 years ago. Like a big chunk of the population (at least those of a certain age), I'm now on a Statin (the variety has been changed 3 times), a mini-aspirin, and one of the several acid-reflux meds.

My cholesterol rating quickly dropped thx to Statins, yes I have some oat-based products to help, (quite famous for its properties), but they can only do so much. I've known a couple of stick-thin people, healthy diet, and exercise freaks, who were astounded when a blood test revealed an exceptionally high score for cholesterol. It's just the way some folk are -- and, oddly, I'm sure there are some chubbies, on burger and chips most nights of the week, fry-up breakfast and the occasional greasy kebab, whose cholesterol is well undr the danger level.

So if you're not on an annual check-up, best get yourself tested, to be sure.

"Rude" Pably???? EVERYthing I put in that was accurate, and justified. Do YOU believe everything on FaceBook?! Do YOU have medical qualifications?

The danger with that sort of post is that if someone reads it - without checking the many other "Statins are fine" contra-comments -- they mught just take themselves off their prescribed Meds and promptly get a nasty build-up in their arteries, and keel over. The likes of 'Sheian' will never know that their dangerous guff has killed someone. . . and you apparently wouldn't care, or don't have sufficient logic?

Been taking Pravastatin for over 20 years, no problems. My daily exercises include routines to ‘drain’ my legs and feet, maybe that makes a difference.

DrWatson

For Sheian, and anyone tempted to believe that medically illiterate twaddle, kindly list YOUR medical qualifications?

YOU may be one of the gormless subset who believes everything they see on FaceBook, and if so, jolly good luck, you'll need it!

Cholesterol causes blockages to your blood flow, which over time become so severe that a hert attack is the likely result.

A big chunk of the older population takes Statins (quite a few types) mostly without much in the way of side effects, though looking at the leaflet, quite a few may be possible. Maybe check an aspirin packet, check the possible side effects on THAT leaflet?

Overall, Statins are a major benefit, so your unhinged nonsense is not just ill-informed, it's possibly dangerous (if some gullible sorts believe you). I've heard several doctors (they're the ones who studied for years, and passed exams, give it a try?!) say there is good and bad cholesterol, and tests these days can measure both. Only if someone's 'bad' measure is at a naughty level will doctors get concerned, and Statins can MOST CERTAINLY help to reduce it.

Could diet and exercise help? Sure, as they can with most things, but not always to the level needed.

Couldn’t have put it better myself, DrWatson- this sort of dangerous misleading information really worries me!

I obviously didn’t read the heading properly as I saw ‘Query About Stains’😊. I don’t have any experience with statins so unfortunately I can’t help with this query.

Statins! Where to start. I was put on statins after my first heart attack aged 44 (later described as mild to moderate) …nothing mild about it though. I had called the ambulance myself one Sunday morning and a paramedic arrived quickly.
In A&E after what seemed like too long writhing around in agony on the trolley and pointing at my chest and after they had ascertained that I was not (a) an alcoholic and (b) didn’t take any drugs prescribed or illegal then I was given a clot busting injection and morphine- I think and within minutes the whole pain had subsided - a blood test taken which detected enzymes present when a Myocardial infarction has occurred. Then further tests identified a very high cholesterol.
So I am well aware over the twenty one years and angioplasty and two more MIs followed by another stent and the final episode 2017 resulting in a bypass surgery, of the significance of cholesterol and how very quickly statins can and indeed did bring down my cholesterol (later years at the endocrinology clinic) the diagnosis of Familial Hypercholesterol was given which is hereditary naturally higher level unaffected by diet/lifestyle etc etc.
BUT heart attacks aside..I was at 44 and still am - at soon to be 65 otherwise healthy physically, mobile and with no other conditions.
So when I started feeling like s#!t with massive cramps up my legs and arms, and those symptoms start almost immediately with each new attempt at a different statin and end just as quickly when I stop taking them; well then I knew it was statins.
Obviously I would love to just take a pill and carry on but I’m in my own body no one else. The good or better news is there are newer medicines to reduce cholesterol( statins are just one and they are; like aspirin, cheap!) these newer ones require evidence of need before they are offered as they cost the NHS more.
What irks me is this “nocebo” ie it’s all in yer head/you’ve been reading the leaflet that comes in the pill pack…🤔erm well yes!
and it has occurred to me that many (usually older) people are being urged to take these meds who have certain aches and pains already, or other concurrent conditions who won’t recognise the difference and just assume the often really debilitating side effects are them getting older.
I at 44 knew what healthy me felt like without any meds and the difference was stark and depressing but the reaction from doctors was in a nut shell we have got this “wonder pill”- and it “is”, so you should take it and put up.
Ps also I have never had high blood pressure readings either before, even during or after the heart attacks. It does not seem to be an issue with me oddly.
The experts only know what they know for now and future research will reveal yet more but meanwhile I have to live and work and function so I read all the facts (but absolutely not the “quacky” American “experts” that pop up on YouTube and Facebook) - or any article that contains the term “Big Pharma” because it just doesn’t apply to us who live in UK as our meds and treatment is mostly free at the point of delivery or at least subsidised.
I listen to my own body.

I stopped taking statins years ago because they made my feet and ankles swell and caused my muscles to atrophy, I couldn't get up from the sofa or get up the stairs without my husband helping me in the end, I was 55. Since then my cholesterol has remained stable at 4.7 and while, that's not ideal, it's stable and my doctor is ok with it. I can be particularly sensitive to medications and have some weird side effects that do go away when I stop taking certain medications or adjust the dose. It could be that you react in a similar way to medications and it's trial and error to find what suits you. Apples and pears are also beneficial to helping cholesterol levels.

Not with statins but my blood pressure tablets made my ankles swell. Changed from Amlodipine to Candesartan and all ok now!

I was put on Atorvastatin last year after having refused to have them previously. I have no side effects to date, but the excruciating leg cramps I used to suffer from previously have stopped since I started taking them.

As someone earlier said, many Doctors take them. I’d go with that - they’re not going to take things that are not beneficial and / or safe. Doctors study for many, many years -some of our family members are physicians and I know they learn about different drugs and side affects and not from social media rubbish, either.

Every thread about statins there's someone who says that doctor's get paid to prescribe statins. They don't ( as stated above), they get paid to do health checks which may result in a patient being prescribed statins. If the patient decides NOT to take statins it does not affect the doctor financially.

“The stories about statins are everywhere”
“I don’t understand why this hasn’t been investigated”
“Doctors are paid to prescribe them”

This is a very sad post and shows the dangers of social media combined with poor scientific j deranging.

The fact is that statins have been thoroughly investigated and shown to be safe and extreme effective. Why you think doctors are “paid” to prescribe certain drugs is an odd one. They aren’t, like most people they are paid to do their job!

Facts are facts, they can’t be rude. Unless of course you really do have a medical degree and have done the 20 years of extra training it takes to become a cardiologist. Do tell!

Some excellent common sense here. Bravo!

Getting sucked in by conspiracy theories is always dangerous. You should seek help.

I’ve been on statins for over 30 years. I was advised to go on a higher dose but kept with 20 mg because I found the higher dose gave me aches and pains and I was no longer able to garden, which was important to me. I don’t have much in the way of side affects but I do have a kidney problem which may or may not be caused by them. Still, my family has a history of heart attacks so I would rather be safe than sorry. I think it is important to have regular blood tests,though, to make sure everything is ok .