Statins

[Bobsbeer]

Is there anyone on here who use statins had any side effects?  For those who don't know, statins are being increasingly prescribed to lower cholesterol.  I have been taking first Simvastatin and for about the last 18 months Atorvastatin.  All because my GP says my cholesterol was a bit high and my chances of a heart attack or stoke were increased about 10%.  So hey nobody wants a heart attack, and especially after my late dad had 5 and the last one killed him aged 80.

Up till now I have not had any side effects of the medication, or at least not recognised any.  My cholesterol has been normal to low and all has been fine and dandy till about 7 weeks ago when I started to get pins and needle type feelings in both feet.  Went to my GP who ordered just about every blood test known to medical science including Lyme's disease as I had recently been bitten by ticks while in the Scottish highlands.  Anyway all the tests came back negative.  So some were repeated, again  all negative or normal.  So the GP having no idea what was causing my problem has referred me onto a neurologist.  

Then I happened to read about statins today and especially Atorvastatin.  Apparently is is a rare but well documented side effect of Atorvastatin after long term use.  While I have no proof that this is the cause I am not taking any chances and have now stopped my statins and will speak to my GP tomorrow.  

Has anyone else has issues with statins?

[kreed]

I've been on statins for a number of years............. and stopped for a while too when I got constant shoulder pain.

Doc switched 'brands' for me and I've had zero problems since.

I am now on Simvastatin

[Bob]

Started on Simvastatin about 11 years ago, but had it changed to 40mg Atorvastatin for about 9 years, and 80mg for the last year or so, so far no problems - but everyone is different

[Deleted]

Yes i know about the muscle pain from the bloody things.
As i'm type one diabetic i was put on them (forget the name) within two weeks i could hardly walk due to the
muscle pain, told my doc who then put me on the atorvastatin 10mg.
I still was no better so stopped taking them at my next check up / blood test he then proceeded to tell me how much
better my cholesterol was since taking the statins.
After telling him i had not taken them for 6 months he then gave me a lecture on why i should be taking them.
I refuse to take them and have not for 18 months but my legs are still buggerd and i find it very painful to walk.
Never again will i ever take them.

[Bobsbeer]

I have been taking them for about 11 years in total, first on simvastatin then atorvastatin. I was getting quite bad oedema in my ankles especially in hot weather, and that has got better since changing to atorvastatin. I'm surprised my GP didn't mention the neuro problems with statins when I went to see her about the problem. It was seeing a similar thread on the Caravan forum that my wife read that made me research further. It seems though quite rare it is an established and known side effect especially with atorvastatin. I don't normally read the leaflet in tablets, but today I read it. Lo and behold it mentions peripheral nerve damage issues. Hope fully I have caught the problem soon enough and the symptoms will reverse. If it is that I will be pissed off at my GP for not considering it. I should not be getting a diagnosis from a caravan forum.

[Jules]

I was prescribed them by one doctor at my practice for no other reason but turning 50 😠 few weeks down the line I started getting pains in my hands and arms so did reading online and stopped taking them there and then. Saw another doctor and mentioned my pains and told him I had stopped taking the statins and he asked me why I took them and he was flabagasted when I said dr had put me on them for being 50. I am now 57 and have not taken Statins again.

[ringading]

Been taking atorvastatin 80mg for a little over a year due to a number of mini strokes. Side effects I have is wind. Could supply a small town with gas. Also found that if I take it first thing within a few hours I would become lightheaded so changed to last thing.
My last blood test gave me an overall of 2.9

[taz96]

I've just stopped taking Simvastatin in the last few weeks because I suspected with reading online it was causing my leg pains which the doc couldn't find a cause for. I can now walk a lot better and will be telling Doc so tomorrow.

[Spiritdancer]

My doctor put me on Antorvastatin when my cholesterol result was rather too high. If I remember rightly it was 7.2 instead of 5 or under as it's meant to be. The first few weeks on the statins were a nightmare, disturbed sleep, all sorts of aches and pains but the worst thing was they killed my appetite. I had to force myself to eat, really didn't enjoy the food at all and could only eat small amounts. I also had horrible stomach problems. My appetite gradually improved somewhat but the stomach problems stayed and over the next year I lost about 3 stone. Admittedly I was slightly overweight to begin with, but I ended up a stone underweight. I mentioned the problems to my doctor who didn't seem unduly concerned. Her attitude was, the side effects are a bit of a pain but won't kill you, whereas a stroke or heart attack could.
After a year my cholesterol was down to 4 something but as soon as I stopped the statins it started to creep back up and my doctor wanted me to go back on them again. I said I'm sorry but no way am I going back to all those problems again. It took several months of being statin free to get my old enjoyment of meals back, most of the aches and pains gone and the stomach problems much better.
No-one wants to have a stroke or heart attack but for side effects outweighed the benefits and experts are not even certain that they prevent strokes and heart attacks anyway.
I prefer to eat smaller portions, cut out or reduce things that are bad and hope for the best. Not everyone is the same, some people seem to have no bad side effects at all but in my case I was just wasting away and I wasn't willing to continue like that. I feel and look so much better without the statins.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Deleted]

Was at the doctors last week complaining about severe muscle cramps
First thing she asked me was i taking any statins
I recently stopped taking them after being on them for about 3 years.

[car147]

Also been on Simvastatin for 11yrs, i did notice the muscle pains etc about three year's in but did not link them to statin's until the press started reporting folk getting muscle pain etc.

I don't bother about them too much now, the other stuff i am on i think is far worse imo (Anti inflammatories, Pain killers, and the nerve pain meds)

[Deleted]

Fair play to those who are still using them and getting little to no pain from them.
But for me it is unbearable i used to walk 5-10 miles a day with my dog and think nothing of it,
but now if i can get 1/2 a mile i have done well even though i have stopped taking them i have never got the
muscle pain to stop. It seems according to my doc that i have permeant nerve damage from the things.
Also after a chat with said doc it turns out i never really had high cholesterol its just they decided to change the
level at which they prescribed them at so more people fell in to the catchment levels.

[Bobsbeer]

Wow. I am shocked by some of the responses. Not the people but the level of incidence being reported, and thanks for sharing your experience. The odds of nerve pain are supposed to be 1-10 in 1000 according to the leaflet that came with my medication, yet there seems to be a higher incidence by what is being reported on here and my wife's caravan forum. Clearly statins are a dirty medicine. For me I'll take the risk of a heart attack than end up being unable to walk, until they can come up with a better option.

[Deleted]

The reason i stopped taking them was my own doctor
telling me that they were more problems than benefits.

[jevans]

Been taking Simvastatin for years, found it causing cramp.
Quinine sorts the cramps.

Jim