Re: Statins

I must admit I have a great deal of sympathy for Ted's posts. My wife was put on Simvastatin a couple of years ago but had to be taken off in a hurry due to dreadful side effects. As a result (and, of course, being worried about the implications of her high cholesterol levels) I started to do a bit of reading round the situation. Imagine my surprise when I found that there was no actual serious research linking cholesterol to increased risk of heart attack. On the contrary, both a huge intervention project (MRFIT) in the US in the '80's and several highly controlled randomised trials isolating diet as the only variable showed pretty conclusively that reducing cholesterol levels had NO EFFECT on reducing the likelihood of heart attacks.

The problem is that GPs often don't have time to read up on the latest research and often follow the current treatment fashion without question - and that "fashion" is often informed by the big Pharmalogical companies whose major interest is maximising the profits from their drugs.

Re: Statins

I can honestly say I have only had ONE statin tablet.
I was prescribed them by my Doctor a few years ago because
I was over 55 years old. She said that the latest information
was that was the age we should take them.
I said I didnt really want them as I didnt feel ill and as far
as I knew my bad cholsterol was lower than 5 at 3.5 and my good stuff wasnt bad either.
I said I would try them. She said take it before you go to bed.
Cant remember what the dosage was or even what they were called.
I took one and within half an hour I started feeling not well,
even though I was well before the tablet. I went to bed and
when I laid down my heart started beating fast and my throat
seemed to be closing up. I started to panic then and I knew
it must be the statin. I thought go to sleep and you will either
wake up or you wont laugh. When I woke up I couldnt move
my arm properly and I felt as though I had had a stroke.
I rang the Doctor and she told me to discontinue taking them.
I quite obviously had a serious reaction to them but never again.
I dont take pain killers or anything and will keep my cholesterol
down with a good diet, a glass of wine or gin and a good walk
everyday. So just a warning to ones who might be allergic.

Re: Statins

After taking Atorvastatin for 2 days my calf pains have gone, but on the 4th night I awoke with a feverish sweat, I was ringing wet.
I thought no more of it till it again it happened last night, and it was bad, I had to get out to towel off and dry the bed, chemist said to persevere for the weekend to see if it got easier, if not see my GP.

Re: Statins

I'm half way reading this thread and will read the rest of it later as it is very interesting.

I have just been put on two statins a night, Simvastatin from the hospital as I had a angina attack in the swimming pool last Monday morning and was rushed into A&E. I was in hospital for two days where they did lots of tests on me which all came back negative, but I now have to take two statins at night and a asprin in the morning. My cholestrol is very high.

I went swimming this morning and was fine. I'll see how it goes on the Simvastatin. This thread is very helpful.

Re: Statins

I am not so sure now, I think maybe I should have stayed on Simvastatin rather than change.
I have been ill ever since changing, whether it was the change which has affected me, or just a coincidence.
I had a CT scan on my chest yesterday, and it is very worrying,
Will tell you all what they find on the 23rd of the month.

Re: Statins

I've now got an appointment soon to see the Doctor after I had another blood test to assess my Cholesterol a couple of weeks ago.

I'm on 10mg per day of Atorvastatin and I've been on that for just over three months.

I was on Pravastatin and had dreadful side effects that actually made me quite ill.

I read this at the time: - "
In patients taking pravastatin, or Pravachol, made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, atherosclerosis worsened slowly over 18 months. But the disease was halted in those who took the highest dose of atorvastatin, or Lipitor, the drug made by Pfizer.
''We saw something extraordinary,'' said Dr. Steven Nissen, the cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic who directed the study of 502 patients.
''All statins are not alike,'' Dr. Nissen said, adding that with Pravastatin, heart atherosclerosis will worsen, but with the highest dose of Atorvastatin, that is unlikely".

I'm hoping to come off statins completely because my doctor said that he has other options now if I'm really concerned about statins and I get the impression that I'm not the only one that he's seen these days with the same worries. stevmk2

Re: Statins

I know the last reply on here was in October 2012. Just to let you know if you read this again that today the World Health Organisation have told British Doctors NOT TO PRESCRIBE TREDAPTIVE FOR Cholesterol anymore. So dont know what the Statins you are taking or if anyone is. Check with your Doctor.
I havent looked through the whole of the pages put on here about the Statins but you need to keep checking and dont put up with the side effects. It does say on the paperwork inside the tablet packet to check if you have the side effects you must go back to the Doctor and tell them.
Drugs will continue with side effects if people dont complain. Take care and hope a diet could get your cholesteral down without having to take tablets. Nobody took them when I was a kid and you never heard of people dying from it decades ago.

Re: Statins

Hi I was on Statins 4 years ago, and I had really bad effects, I had bad muscle cramp in my legs, at the end I could hardly walk, and was sent to Hospital, they immediately took me off them. I have now been off them for 2 years and my legs are perfect now. I wouldn't advise any one to go on them, if you got a Cholestral problem, try and control it yourself with healthy food and less sat. fat.

Hi Arthur Simvastatin is the one I was on.

Re: Statins

Hi Susan, I am on Atorvastatin now, but since going on them my lungs seem to have suffered, I am going through intensive tests to see what the cause is.
My cholesterol is 3.6.
Arthur

Re: Statins

Sorry to hear this Arthur, hope all goes well for you and it is just an infection or similar, the waiting is awful so try and keep your mind occupied. Best wishes - Pats