Statins please share your experience/knowledge

I too received a letter from my doctor (who I have never met), saying that now I was in my 60s (I am 63), I should start to take Statins to reduce risk of heart disease.

When I rang the reception to ask for tests first to see if I really do need to take them, was told I should just do as I was told!!!

After insisting on tests, have found that the results have thankfully confirmed that I do not need to take them.

I too find it sad that my doctor is prescibing drugs to people he does not know.

I took simvastatin for 3 years which were the worst of my life. After 6 weeks my cholesterol was very low and I developed obsessive anxiety regarding health issues. I would suddenly think I might have a brain tumour and have to obsessively research it until the anxiety went away, then a day or so later another would surface. I have never been an anxious person, but didn't associate it with the statin. After 3 years I was.barely functioning. I also had developed chronic restless legs. The assistant at the GP surgery suggested it might be the statins and sure enough the anxiety had gone within 6 weeks if stopping them, as had the restless legs. I tried pravastatin with the same instant result.
I have resisted taking them for 13 years now because I was do afraid of what might happen. I couldn't live like that, it was horrendous. Finally a pharmacist has admitted to me that she has heard this before.
I am now trying atorvastatin but am very cautious. So far after a month no problems, but it hasn't been 6 weeks yet. There are some things that are not worth the trade off.

My cholesterol is quite high up to 7.8 but when broken down into the two components LDL and HDL the ratio between them is good. I was being told I should take statins until I challenged my GP who then admitted I had one of healthiest levels in his practice. I suspect another battle ahead as that was over 15 yrs ago and I see the ratio is less good now.... and I am older! Back then I used book "Cholesterol Myths" by Uffe Ravnskov.

Just check out Dr Aseem Malhotra, on YouTube and other alternative media sites before you take the pills
'Medical evidence' comes from research sponsored by drug companies

I took them for 6 weeks and then doctor advised me to stop, because of the devastating effect on my mental well being. I've been free of depressive episodes for decades. The statins reminded me of just how awful they were. A rare side effect, but it was there on the screen when doctor looked. Also affected my liver function. I'm hoping my latest blood test will show it as being back to pre statin.

I know people who have taken them for years without any problems. Guess I was just unlucky.

My husband recently saw his Dr at loros , who looked at his meds and told him to stop the statins . "They don't do any good "

I wasn't over the threshold but was offered statins optionally to mitigate other risk factors I had. I tried them for a year and gradually started getting some wrist pain. As I didn't have high cholesterol in the first place I experimented with stopping the statins and my wrists gradually returned to normal. I can't prove it was the statins of course. Having had a think about it I decided I'd rather spare my liver any meds that are not clearly needed.

I've taken them for years without any side effects, they do the job

undines

Just check out Dr Aseem Malhotra, on YouTube and other alternative media sites before you take the pills
'Medical evidence' comes from research sponsored by drug companies

Take a massive pinch of salt when listening to anything Malhotra says.

I've been on them for around 3 years after a blood test suggested I might benefit from taking them.
My legs ache no more than they did before I started on them and I'm no more tired than before.

There's an article about a former NASA astronaut ,Duane Graveline, and what happened to him after taking statins, it's worth a read..

I’m not on statins but I do know of a book called The Cholesterol Myth which I’m told gives another perspective on the whole issue.

LJP1

See:
www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(24)00040-8/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_aip_email

summarised as the slight increase in risk of being tipped into diabetes diagnosis (if you are near to upper the glycaemic boundary), but the larger reduction in risk of cardiovascular problems means that most people could benefit from taking statins.

So balancing your basic body metabolism with you lifestyle choices is your decision.

Thanks for posting that LJP1. It confirms what I'd already worked out. I'm a T2 diabetic who takes statins, so of course I've taken the trouble to inform myself of reliable information.

I'm not sure whether people know that heart disease is the biggest danger for diabetics. Most T2 diabetics have metabolic syndrome, which means that their body's "balancing" mechanisms aren't working properly, si it is really important that any risk factors for heart disease are minimised.

I knew about the blood sugar risk with statins, although I can't say I've noticed any huge increase in my own levels. My blood sugar levels are much lower now than they were before I took statins. That's probably a result of being really strict with what I eat and forcing myself to do exercise. My triglyceride level is too high, but that's fairly normal for a diabetic, but my total cholesterol and ratio are good. I'm happy with that!

Take 10 mg Atorvastatin daily. Didn’t want to take them but being pre-diabetic and with family history of heart and stroke issues (although I have normal blood pressure), I decided to take them. Cholesterol scores are down. Sometimes I take a break from them. Husband takes a higher dosage but he has high blood pressure and heart issues in his family. Not sure what the best choice is.

The current cholesterol obsession is completely misguided. Statins are the most profitable drug in the history of medicine and big pharma has a vested interest in skewing the research to persuade the medical profession to dish them out like smarties. The protection provided by statins is so small as to be not worth bothering about for most men and certainly all women. Fundamentally, the body needs cholesterol and the amount circulating is controlled by the liver. What many people including doctors don’t realise is that elevated cholesterol is a symptom of an under active thyroid. And in fact the NICE guidelines say that this possibility should be excluded before prescribing statins.

Oh dear - so, statins raise the risk of Type 2 Diabetes! Sadly then so does Bisoprolol ( beta blocker) another frequently prescribed drug for atrial fibrillation
Im on both so no wonder I can’t bring my blood sugar into normal range!
Grrrrrrrrr!

I've been taking Atorvastation for at least 10 years with no side effects at all. I'm 69 with a family history of stroke.

I was called in after my blood tests as a matter of urgency. Scared the heck out off me. The doctor wanted to know why I wasn’t on statins. Did I have high cholesterol? No… but most people of my age are on them . I asked our friendly pharmacist about this and he explained that GPs are PAID by drug companies to get patients on them whether they need them or not. I don’t take them. I don’t need them.

I took a low dose statin (Atorvastatin) for a few years. I have arthritis in my hands and knees so was not surprised to have pain in both, but I also realised that I had muscle aches all over my body and on some days I was more or less exhausted with aches. DH then read the leaflet that comes with the medication and pointed out that this is listed as a side effect in 10% of people. I stopped taking them after talking to my doctor and the muscles aches stopped. After a blood test I was advised to go back on them again, trying a different type, but I decided not to, having discussed it with one of the GPs. At the moment I am eating very healthily, due to another health matter, and am losing weight at about a pound a week. (not a diet, just cutting down and avoiding sugar) so I am hoping that the next blood test will show that my cholesterol is ok again.

'What many people including doctors don’t realise is that elevated cholesterol is a symptom of an under active thyroid.'

This is quite important. DH had raised cholesterol and also other symptoms of underactive thyroid, but due to the fact that apparently it's normally women who have this problem, the diagnosis wasn't made for a couple of years. Eventually, after a blood test for something else, someone in the lab suggested testing for underactive thyroid and that was what it was. His health changed beyond recognition when prescribed Thyroxin and actually, even though he was only in his 40's, he was immediately on free prescriptions.

Statins keep cropping up here. I was reluctant to take them but then assessed my risk of not doing so - high number of sudden deaths in one line of my family. In three months cholesterol fell from over 8 to 4. No side effects at all. 20mg of Avorstatin daily. Only downside - not having my daily grapefruit for breakfast! And I watch my intake of saturated fats.

I also have familial high cholesterol levels. Have been on 20mg daily statins for several years with no side effects and my cholesterol leading has come down to normal levels. Both my brother and sister are also on statins with no side effects.

cholesterol level

tictacnana

I was called in after my blood tests as a matter of urgency. Scared the heck out off me. The doctor wanted to know why I wasn’t on statins. Did I have high cholesterol? No… but most people of my age are on them . I asked our friendly pharmacist about this and he explained that GPs are PAID by drug companies to get patients on them whether they need them or not. I don’t take them. I don’t need them.

The pharmacist is a sh*t-stirring liar!

Never noticed any side effects