Statins

I had tried hard to lower my cholesterol by diet (no cheese) and exercise. After three months it had gone up. Hence the statins.

That's hard Barrow and statins for people with this problem are lierally a life saver. I've just had a telling off from my doctor as my cholesterol has jumped to 5.9 after being around 4 for years. I know why and she is quite happy for me to lower it by diet and exercise. Statins would be the last resort for me.

I take statins as I have inherited high cholesterol. Basically my Doctor told me I could live on lettuce leaves and water and still have high cholesterol. I would not be in favour of them being handed out to everyone. I need to take them so I do but there must be many people whose cholesterol levels are fine so why give them pills they don't need.

I was just reading how cheap they are costing just £1 per month , I don't think there is an awful lot of profit there.. my cholesterol is borderline at the moment , if it were high I see no reason to not try them if I'm offered them. If I had side effects then I'd think again.

DH has taken statins for years. No side effects but then I dont let him read tthe leaflet!!!

DH's cholestrol level has gone down significantly since taking statins so they are right for him, just not sure we should all be on them.

I have taken statins for years, it is very easy to blame drugs for any health problems we have but sometimes it is just getting older. Muscle pain and weakness is well documented but if you can tolerate statins I think they are quite good. I watched my mother die of heart disease and did not want to go down the same road.

I will never take statins. DH's doctor prescribed them for him because he has high cholesterol levels, always has done, he even has those pale rings around his irises which are indicative of high cholesterol. He has gradually been able to do less and less, gets tired and out of breath very easily and has lost weight, despite eating normally. Yes, he's getting older, but I've noticed a marked decline since he's been on statins, and he actually asked the GP to put him on a lower dose. There are numerous anti-statin US-based websites; they seem more aware of the side-effects there.

jintzy that sounds very unpleasant, I hope they find a diagnosis soon and can make you well again.

whatever they say, I won't resume statins. have been off them for 6 weeks and still feeling exhausted and dreadful aching body - docs are hunting for a diagnosis and looking at lupus, sarcoidosis or polymylegia, but I think its been the statins all along.Think I'd rather pop off with a heart attack! Agree with VQ - and docs get well bribed to prescribe too.

I have excellent cholesterol levels so what's the point of me taking statins. It seems to me that this is just a way of increasing the profits of the drugs companies.

anno I remember the warning about grapefruit in the leaflet when Mr absent was discharged from hospital following a stroke. I started planning a murder by grapefruit story (really fiction, not Mr absent). However, when I mentioned this to his consultant when accompanying him to a check-up, I was disappointed to learn that even with vast quantities – barrels – of grapefruit juice, death was unlikely to ensue.

Yes. Should be left to GPs. But I believe in making informed decisons about my own health as well.

I have taken statins for some years to reduce my cholesterol which was high and is now under control. It does conflict with the antibiotic erythromycin and if that's prescribed, I just stop the statin for a week. It also conflicts with grapefruit juice which I don't like anyway. It does pay to read the leaflet and pay attention to the contra-indications.

It seems to me that most medicines have some sort of side effect, I have to take 2 which can increase cholestrol but have no choice as they are essential. Fortunately although my cholestrol is high, all the other indicators show I am unlikely to have a heart attack so I don't need to take statins. I think we all have to weigh up the pros and cons for any medication and this is a lot easer now we have the Internet. It is difficult as too much bad publicity can result in people not taking a medication they need as in the MMR scare.

IMO it should be left to individual doctors.

I am not going to take statins. The last "well woman" health check I was offered, and took of course, was about thirty years ago, and yes, my cholesterol was high. I now keep to a fairly strict good-fats-only-and-not-too-much-of-those diet and keep up a sensible amount of exercise.

I believe statins can make you depressed. I can manage that quite well on my own thank you.

Thank goodness no one can make you swallow anything.

I am a natural cynic and always 'follow the money'. Who stands to gain if the whole population over 50 are medicated, possibly needlessly and even dangerously. The drug manufacturers, those well-known philanthropists.
In France, we now have to carry our own breath-tests in our cars, even if we are non-drinkers. They have no legal validity as they are not calibrated.
It turns out that the Minister responsible for the act is involved with one of the only two companies that manufactures them.
The sickest joke was to make Ken Clarke Minister for Health - he is a lobbyist for the tobacco industry.
I look forward to Private Eye using the Freedom of Information Act to find out more.