Statins, your experiences please.

Best taken at night I was told, and probably need to avoid grapefruit! Check the patient info leaflet. It’s not the case with all statins.?

I've been taking statins since 2006, no problems.
Someone told me that the rate of buildup of cholesterol in the arteries is partly genetically determined. So statins aren't always 100% successful but do a lot to help.
Smoking is bad for this.

Missfoodlove

Thanks for your stories, I’m feeling less apprehensive.
I’ve just collected the scrip.
It’s 40mg once a day.
Morning or night?
No advice on the label!

Night, as that’s when your body produces most cholesterol.

Missfoodlove

Thanks for your stories, I’m feeling less apprehensive.
I’ve just collected the scrip.
It’s 40mg once a day.
Morning or night?
No advice on the label!

Which statin is it, Missfoodlove?

I was prescribed them a couple of years ago, cholestoral 6.5, came down to 3.9 in a year. Alongside that I developed muscle pain. The cardiologist said there’s no evidence women of my age who haven’t had a stroke/heart attack need statins. If you’ve had an event, yes take them. Otherwise potential side effects outweigh benefits.

MissFL you should be able to have a word with a GP before you start taking them. You could say you would like to try to cut down on your intake of butter and cheese and see if it makes any difference. Ask if you could try this for a couple of months, then repeat blood tests and go from there. A lot of these things are often genetic so your lifestyle is not always to blame.

I think they're prescribed far too often (for anyone over fifty) as a 'just in case' easy, cheap measure, along with blood pressure meds.

A single high reading on a bp or blood test shouldn't prompt a prescription, but be followed up by carefully monitoring the situation for a few months.

I've been on 40 mg Atorvastatin for 15 years with no side effects at all.My levels are good and I'm happy to stay on them.Simvastatin are cheaper to prescribe but are half the strength of Atorvastatin.

Missfoodlove I'm sure you realise that a total cholesterol level of 8.2 is high. What are your triglyceride, LDL and HDL levels?

If your triglyceride level is higher than 1.8 mmol/L, you maybe need to cut down on the butter and cheese and move around more.

Many cardiologists think that the ratio of HDL and LDL is more important than the total.

My total serum cholesterol is 3, but my triglycerides are 2.15, which is too high. My LDL levels are low (which is good), but my HDL levels are also low (which is bad).

I take Atorvastatin. I have pains in my feet and legs, but they are diabetes-related. I came off statins for three months, under medical supervision, but it made no difference to the pains, so I started taking them again.

Pains in your legs could be related to clogged arteries, so stopping statins could make the situation worse.

LisagranI’ve been prescribed Atorvastatin

growstuff I cannot get any appt phone or otherwise for the foreseeable future.
Reception just gave me the basic info,rather reluctantly!,
So I have no idea of the breakdown.

I am very active, obviously not at the gym anymore but hiking at the weekend, daily dog walking and a resistance workout 4 times a week.

Another vote for Atorvastatin here.

I was at home one evening when my GP (ringing at 9.30 pm!) advised that I had had a drug review and in view of my various conditions, it had been decided that I should take statins.

I said that I was in their hands and if that was the correct course of action, I would commence them.

After three weeks and away on holiday I began to have pain in my legs. Wondering if it were the statins, I stopped taking them. Once back in the UK I rang the doctor to ask what I should do and she, very sensibly suggested that I start them again. If the leg pains returned it could be assumed that the statins were to blame. I took her advice but had no further problems.

There are many people in our population who would benefit from a cheap as chips drug (but obviously not all - we are all different) which could protect us and keep us fitter and healthy for longer.

Missfoodlove

*Lisagran*I’ve been prescribed Atorvastatin

growstuff I cannot get any appt phone or otherwise for the foreseeable future.
Reception just gave me the basic info,rather reluctantly!,
So I have no idea of the breakdown.

I am very active, obviously not at the gym anymore but hiking at the weekend, daily dog walking and a resistance workout 4 times a week.

You don't need an appointment for the breakdown. A GP needs to check it's OK to give you the result, but you should be able to pick up a paper copy from reception. The information shouldn't be withheld, unless there are very specific reasons.

I've been taking simvastatin for around 15 years. The only effect is that my cholesterol stays at an acceptable level.

I was started on them, due to a cholesterol reading of 6. Within a day of taking them, my feet started swelling. Rang Surgery, was advised to stop them. I am Surgeryphobic....haven’t seen anyone since then regarding the cholesterol. That was about 5 years ago. Actually, I should ask for a checkup. This has reminded me.

Orlin takes warfarin following several DVTs and takes statins as he has an aortic aneurysm.
Since starting on statins his white pillows slips, the sheet on his side of the bed and the white T-shirts he wears for bed have turned yellow.
He showers daily, using the same products as me and I wonder if the medication affects his perspiration.
Has anyone else had this problem?

geekesse

You might want to read this: Most statin problems caused by mysterious 'nocebo effect', study suggests www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54951648

I was prescribed statins many years ago and haven't suffered any of the ill effects I've read about. However I have read around the subject and one thing I read was that the lack of energy could be a result of depletion of co-enzyme Q10 which has a role in increasing energy. This compound decreases in our systems as we age, and I understand that taking statins can cause levels to fall even more. As a result I decided to take a supplement of co-enzyme Q10 as a precaution. You may want to consider that.

Despite having a cholesterol ratio of just 3 in June I was put on Atorvastatin 40mg by a neurologist as a precaution as both my parents died from heart attacks .

After 3 months my ratio had reduced to 1.9 , however I was constipated for the first time in my life . My GP reduced the dosage to 20mg and the problem was solved.

LauraNorder

Orlin takes warfarin following several DVTs and takes statins as he has an aortic aneurysm.
Since starting on statins his white pillows slips, the sheet on his side of the bed and the white T-shirts he wears for bed have turned yellow.
He showers daily, using the same products as me and I wonder if the medication affects his perspiration.
Has anyone else had this problem?

Lord Lemongrove takes the same meds as Orlin and there is no sign of discolouration Laura has he mentioned this to your GP?

Info about Atorvastatin here, Missfoodlove

www.nhs.uk/medicines/atorvastatin/

NotAGran how strange that you were put on statins when your cholesterol was already a low reading. I thought that while lowering is advisable, it shouldn’t be too low, same as blood pressure really. Obviously I’m not an expert.

Thanks Lemon, I have been asking him to mention it to his GP, he says he forgets when he’s there. However nurse only for INR checks since March.

My husband has been on statins about a year. His pillow cases are yellow and have to be thrown out it's like dye will not wash out. He does seem to moan about aches and pains more than he ever has before. I told him to have a word with the nurse but he just refuses unlike me he is not one to complain.

I was told my cholesterol was 5.8 last year and I refused the medication saying I will adjust my diet. I don't eat a lot of dairy or meat I eat more fish and lots I mean lots of citrus fruits. It reduced to 4.9 in six months so it can be done. I think the tablets are given out like sweeties and too many people just accept them.

That’s interesting Redhead, I’ve just shown your reply to Orlin and now that he sees it might be ‘a thing’ he has promised to mention it to the doc in a phone consultation next month.

Glad to hear that response. I sometimes think men have to be pushed into asserting themselves when talking to medical professionals.

have been taking statins for 14 years without problems. I believe the optimum time is to take them at the end of the day when you are finished eating and drinking.