Statins - Your experiences please :)

[Mike d]

Morning all

I know there are threads about this (polling / comments etc etc) but I'm really interested in personal experiences about this drug. What i read online suggests this is a very divisive debate with many suggesting they do more harm than good. I'm getting the feeling they are no good for me at all. The background is that my cholesterol was always good / excellent until recently in the last year. After T2 diagnosis in June of this year, the readings were not good as below

I then embarked on weight loss / diet control / exercise and in 3 months this was the result

This was no surprise to me at all given my figures have generally been good throughout the years and the fact I turned it around might have shocked the doc, but not me. Just call it one of those things as I just knew it would happen

I don't really want to raise a debate about why you go on them (yep, some people are dependent on them) but IMHO, I cannot fathom why I should still be taking them if my BS and my weight are WELL under control. I put my aches, my odd pains, my trembling fingers in the morning TOTALLY down to this drug and as far as I'm concerned, that is it. No more. Don't need them, don't want them and I REALLY believe they do way more damage than the supposed value they're delivering.

Could I ask you share your views and whether the experiences are similar? Thanks Mike

 

[jack412]

I would still take a low dose statin
I hate you those bloods are perfect enough for me, and in only 3 mths...look at my signature
nitpicking would have your trigs a bit lower
cholesterol
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BFRi-nH1v8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2zoDsVimyw

low dose statin and it's benefit

http://cpr.sagepub.com/content/21/4/464.full.pdf

Results: Among 14 primary prevention trials (46,262 participants),

statin therapy increased diabetes by absolute risk of 0.5% (95% CI 0.1–1%, p¼0.012),

meanwhile reducing death by a similar extent: 0.5% (0.9 to 0.2%, p¼0.003).

In the 15 secondary prevention RCTs (37,618 participants), statins decreased death by 1.4% (2.1 to 0.7%, p<0.001).

There were no other statin-attributable symptoms,

although asymptomatic liver transaminase elevation was 0.4% more frequent with statins across all trials. Serious adverse events and withdrawals were similar in both arms.



Conclusions:

Only a small minority of symptoms reported on statins are genuinely due to the statins:



almost all would occur just as frequently on placebo.



Only development of new-onset diabetes mellitus was significantly higher on statins than placebo; nevertheless only 1 in 5 of new cases were actually caused by statins. Higher statin doses produce a detectable effect, but even still the proportion attributable to statins is variable: for asymptomatic liver enzyme elevation, the majority are attributable to the higher dose; in contrast for muscle aches, the majority are not.



this study looked at the history of 60,000 Diabetics after av. 2.7

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(14)70173-1/abstract

retinopathy HR=0.6 [decrease of risk]

neuropathy HR=0.66

gangrene of the foot HR=0.88

diabetic nephropathy HR=0.97
[neutral..........HR=1.0 ]

diabetes HR=1·17 [increase of risk]

the way I look at it ..if nothing else take statin for neuropathy, retinopathy and gangrene of the foot

 

[Mike d]

I would still take a low dose statin
I hate you those bloods are perfect enough for me, and in only 3 mths...look at my signature
nitpicking would have your trigs a bit lower
cholesterol
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BFRi-nH1v8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2zoDsVimyw

low dose statin and it's benefit

Thanks Jack.

I know you've spoken of the benefits of statins (be they low dose or otherwise as is evidenced by the links) but I am REALLY convinced they are NO good at all. I would just love to know from the faithful here who attend the T2 church (not just on Sundays) whether they have tried them, dumped them, the reasons and the outcome.

Lucky I don't hate you As Brunn says, we're all different

 

[jack412]

ask dr if you........don't take them then and see how your bloods go

 

[Mike d]

Obliged He might not like it but that's my call.

One source ... and yes, I know it's the internet but this ain't the first damning report I've read today ... maybe the fiftieth.

The study found "The prevalence of peripheral neuropathy was significantly higher among those who used statins compared to those who did not (23.5% vs. 13.5%; p < 0.01)," which is a 75% increase in relative risk.


Case reports of statin-induced peripheral neuropathy have existed in the medical literature for over 15 years. Now, larger human studies are confirming that statin drugs do damage to the peripheral nerves. Moreover, much of the damage is occurring below the threshold of clinical surveillance, silently causing harm in unsuspecting patients.

My mind is made up

Mike

 

[Squire Fulwood]

I was put on them automatically when diagnosed. I was told that they thought it was no good treating diabetes without also treating blood pressure and cholesterol. This is advice from NICE as the recent statins war reveals.

First statin brand: Took them as directed and had severe leg pain. Could not walk for a month.

Stopped taking them for a recovery period.

Second statin brand: took them as directed and had severe leg pain. Cound not walk for a month again.

Stopped taking them for a recovery period

Third statin brand: Took them as directed and slowly went rigid. My shoulders felt hot and I could not move my head and I walked stiffly.

Stopped taking them and was sent to the physiotherapist. Got better after two weeks off the pills.

Fourth statin brand: Took them as directed and began dry retching if I looked at food.

Stopped taking them and got gloop from doctor and got better.

I am now registered as intolerant of statins. I assure the reader that if they did me good without adverse side effects then I would probably still be taking them. Discussions on this board sometimes take the attitude that if you can't take them then you are somehow anti-statin and it usually brings out a few people stating how they take them with no trouble.

If you benefit then fine. They make me ill which I regard as counterproductive.

 

[Mike d]

Thanks squire Both for your time and your comments

Mike

 

[forge]

I took lipitor and ended up on a stick with crook knees.

It took age for me to come good after I got off it. There is plenty of complaints on the net but there are also millions of daily doses going down.

It seems that it can work for years before it decides it does not like you.

 

[Mike d]

Yep, well I'm sure it doesn't like me Thanks for the input

 

[noblehead]

Mike, why don't you stop taking them if you feel you can manage your cholesterol levels without them and see how you get on, my eldest brother (not diabetic) went on statins after blood check found his TC was 9, he started on a high dose of Simvastatin then reduced it to a low-dose and has stopped them altogether, his current TC is below 4 and he maintains this through diet & exercise.

 

[Mike d]

Mike, why don't you stop taking them if you feel you can manage your cholesterol levels without them and see how you get on, my eldest brother (not diabetic) went on statins after blood check found his TC was 9, he started on a high dose of Simvastatin then reduced it to a low-dose and has stopped them altogether, his current TC is below 4 and he maintains this through diet & exercise.

Hi noblehead

That is precisely what I intend to do and no statins tonight for moi Might take a week or two to work it out if that's behind my issues but I'm sure it is. I've done everything else so by process of elimination, that's next.

I got my slap on wrist for dropping BP tablets (I'm reformed Aunty / Anne ) so back on them.

Thanks mate

 

[forge]

It took me months to get rid of the Lipitor bad knees. And my GP predicted it would take a long time and he was right.

 

[noblehead]

Hi noblehead

That is precisely what I intend to do and no statins tonight for moi Might take a week or two to work it out if that's behind my issues but I'm sure it is. I've done everything else so by process of elimination, that's next.

I got my slap on wrist for dropping BP tablets (I'm reformed Aunty / Anne ) so back on them.

Thanks mate

No problem Mike, you should still mention to your gp that you've stopped the statins, if you do find your cholesterol goes up without them ask to change to a different one, I believe the drug Artovastatin is said to have the fewest side-effects and it works the same at a lower dose than Simvastatin does at a higher dose. Good luck.

 

[Mike d]

No problem Mike, you should still mention to your gp that you've stopped the statins, if you do find your cholesterol goes up without them ask to change to a different one, I believe the drug Artovastatin is said to have the fewest side-effects and it works the same at a lower dose than Simvastatin does at a higher dose. Good luck.

Thank you NH. By the time I see him (January mid) I'll have had enough time to work it out. I know it's the issue as i'm sure night is day, but that's the analytical me as usual

 

[Scandichic]

I refuse to take them as my memory became even worse and I am already blonde as it is
I am at 7 but my HDL is 1.4 and my trigs are 0.51. My LDL is 5 but that in itself breaks down but the breakdown is not shown in the standard cholestrol test. Some of the LDL is harmless is my understanding but I am a linguist not a scientist so if anyone can explain I'd be grateful as have read something about it but can't remember what and where.

 

[leeemerick]

I refuse to take them as my memory became even worse and I am already blonde as it is
I am at 7 but my HDL is 1.4 and my trigs are 0.51. My LDL is 5 but that in itself breaks down but the breakdown is not shown in the standard cholestrol test. Some of the LDL is harmless is my understanding but I am a linguist not a scientist so if anyone can explain I'd be grateful as have read something about it but can't remember what and where.

I've been on them a few years now. No noticeable side effects apart from memory as you mention.
Also as you mention I noticed it affects my memory.
Apart from that the only other side affect that I noticed was the affect on my memory...

Seriously though my short term memory does lapse quite regularly. Something I didn't suffer before starting them.

 

[Mike d]

I get short (VERY) term memory loss but it's the trembling fingers in the morning and the very occasional foot pains I can't tolerate. I know it's this rubbish .... deep down I KNOW it

Thanks guys. NYD in about four hours so good time to drop them and then test. Take care guys

 

[Scandichic]

I've been on them a few years now. No noticeable side effects apart from memory as you mention.
Also as you mention I noticed it affects my memory.
Apart from that the only other side affect that I noticed was the affect on my memory...

Seriously though my short term memory does lapse quite regularly. Something I didn't suffer before starting them.

So how's your memory?
Sorry what were we talking about again?
I would get half way through a sentence and forget the rest of it! I couldn't remember close friend's names. Was getting quite worried, thinking dementia then read about the side effects and stopped. Memory back to normal now. Or as normal as I will ever be!

 

[Silver Hammer]

I have been on Atorvastatin 20mg for about 6 months with no noticeable side effects. It has dropped my total cholesterol by about 1. Often people will post where they have noticeable side effects but not if they do not which may lead to the impression that they mostly do cause side effects rather than sometimes. Realistically your approach of stopping them to see if you feel better without them and what rise if any in your cholesterol results is the obvious approach for you; but do let your doctor know what you are doing and why.

Maxwell

 

[Squire Fulwood]

I don't know if I should trot Steph out again but just for the sake of completeness. She says ..........

"People on long-term statin therapy start to notice that their hair is receding faster, they're developing cataracts, they can't hear as well as they used to, they keep forgetting things, they can't open the pickle jar any more, and perhaps they'll need rotator cuff surgery soon, as their shoulders are so sore. They think it's just because they're growing old, but these are all side effects that my research, together with my students at MIT, has uncovered, by comparing statin drug side effects with side effects associated with other drugs in age-matched reviews. "

This is where I stole it from.

http://www.spacedoc.com/why_statins_do_more_harm_than_good

Happy New Year