Statins - Your experiences please :)

[Robinredbreast]

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

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

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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

Hi @Mike D how are you feeling now ? You seem to have now got really good results for what I have read, but if you really don't want to take or feel the medical need is no longer there for statins, then it's your choice.
We know our bodies better than anyone and if the positives outweight the negatives by not taking statins, then I know what my choice would be. btw I don't take statins myself.
Take care RRB

 

[forge]

Aspirin sounds tame because we are familiar with the name but it can have nasty side affects that are not obvious. There was a warning about taking asprin daily on the news here yesterday.

 

[Mike d]

Hi @Mike D how are you feeling now ? You seem to have now got really good results for what I have read, but if you really don't want to take or feel the medical need is no longer there for statins, then it's your choice.
We know our bodies better than anyone and if the positives outweight the negatives by not taking statins, then I know what my choice would be. btw I don't take statins myself.
Take care RRB

Hi RRB

Much better ... MUCH better ..... joint pain trembles down to a bare minimum and only when I get up from bed and last a minute or two. During the day, absolutely fine. Now that might be a coincidence but I doubt it. Reading this morning another great 5.2

Mike

 

[aylalake]

I stopped taking Simvastatin on 2 January after weeks of buzzing in my ears, blurred vision, constant tingling in my legs and feet, a dull headache across my forehead, and a continual spaced-out feeling. Oh, and frequent chest pains and nausea.

I was gradually putting back on all the weight I had lost, despite increased exercise but no increase in calories.

My morning test was as much as 16 on one day and generally seldom lower than 10. Average for the day was usually around 12.

The crunch came at 3am on the 2nd of January when I honestly thought I was going to have to get medical assistance, I felt so bad. My heart felt as if it was going to jump out of my chest, my head was excruciating and I was nauseous. I ended up running on the spot and shadow boxing for almost 20 minutes until things settled down. My BG was 17.2!!!!

Next day I googled and found this forum and one post in a thread which I can't recall had a link to the NHS site with statin symptoms. I had them all!

Within 48 hours of stopping them, I had no headache, my morning BG was 8.5 and I felt so much better.

I was on statins for 3 months.

 

[Mike d]

I stopped taking Simvastatin on 2 January after weeks of buzzing in my ears, blurred vision, constant tingling in my legs and feet, a dull headache across my forehead, and a continual spaced-out feeling. Oh, and frequent chest pains and nausea.

I was gradually putting back on all the weight I had lost, despite increased exercise but no increase in calories.

My morning test was as much as 16 on one day and generally seldom lower than 10. Average for the day was usually around 12.

The crunch came at 3am on the 2nd of January when I honestly thought I was going to have to get medical assistance, I felt so bad. My heart felt as if it was going to jump out of my chest, my head was excruciating and I was nauseous. I ended up running on the spot and shadow boxing for almost 20 minutes until things settled down. My BG was 17.2!!!!

Next day I googled and found this forum and one post in a thread which I can't recall had a link to the NHS site with statin symptoms. I had them all!

Within 48 hours of stopping them, I had no headache, my morning BG was 8.5 and I felt so much better.

I was on statins for 3 months.

There you go Might not be conclusive evidence but you appear convinced and so am I

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hi RRB

Much better ... MUCH better ..... joint pain trembles down to a bare minimum and only when I get up from bed and last a minute or two. During the day, absolutely fine. Now that might be a coincidence but I doubt it. Reading this morning another great 5.2

Mike

Way to go Mike, fantastic

 

[tim2000s]

Having read some of the symptoms on this topic, and having come to the end of my atorvastatin box, I've decided not to open the next one. Whilst I've not noticed any physical side effect, I think it's had an effect on my memory. Given this, I'm giving it a month without and seeing if I get an improvement.

 

[Mike d]

Having read some of the symptoms on this topic, and having come to the end of my atorvastatin box, I've decided not to open the next one. Whilst I've not noticed any physical side effect, I think it's had an effect on my memory. Given this, I'm giving it a month without and seeing if I get an improvement.

I concur it could be a side effect. I couldn't remember simple things and would get hopelessly confused for no good reason. I've been off them for 2 weeks and my ST memory has improved immensely. The stress has also come down a LOT

Mike

 

[goose64]

I'm on the highest possible dose of pravastatin & I'm due for monitoring blood test in the next few weeks as it may not be strong enough for myhigh cholesterol I was on atorvastatin (?) but I was in so much pain I couldn't walk. ,

 

[aylalake]

Now that you mention it, I realise my stress levels and ST memory have improved as well!

 

[donnellysdogs]

I concur it could be a side effect. I couldn't remember simple things and would get hopelessly confused for no good reason. I've been off them for 2 weeks and my ST memory has improved immensely. The stress has also come down a LOT

Mike

My memory was shot to pieces... It has improved hugely.

There's only one time that it still fails me. At night in bed I have to ask hubby to remind me in morning of x,y,z etc... He can remember but I can't. This only started when I went on to statins-and tried every single one and that memory function has never returned.

Everything else has returned to good now except that.

 

[Mike d]

My memory was shot to pieces... It has improved hugely.

There's only one time that it still fails me. At night in bed I have to ask hubby to remind me in morning of x,y,z etc... He can remember but I can't. This only started when I went on to statins-and tried every single one and that memory function has never returned.

Everything else has returned to good now except that.

All seems to add up doesn't it ?

Mike

 

[Clivethedrive]

Having read some of the symptoms on this topic, and having come to the end of my atorvastatin box, I've decided not to open the next one. Whilst I've not noticed any physical side effect, I think it's had an effect on my memory. Given this, I'm giving it a month without and seeing if I get an improvement.

Hi tim2000s, i stopped my pravastatin back in oct14, and my joint pain disappeared after a week, haven't told me doc though, and when i had my hba1c blood test , when the results came back he said " i don't know what your doing but keep on doing it you have very good results" , that was about 5 weeks after i dropped the statins :)

 

[jeanie99]

I can only speak from personnel experience.
I had a routine blood test carried out by my GP the results of which was I was pre diabetic and had high cholesterol.
My GP recommended Statins for the cholesterol and a look at my diet for the pre diabetes.
Within a few weeks of taking the medication I started suffering from memory loss which distressed me so much as I thought I was in the early stages of Dementia.
I never associated this with Statins but my DIL sent me a link to some research done on the use of Statins which said that in some patients memory loss could be a side effect.
I immediately made an appointment to see the doctor who informed me that unfortunately this was a well known side effect but he had not bothered to inform me of this when he recommended the drug. He said we could look at another Statin but I said I would never ever take the drug again and thankfully I have managed to reduce my cholesterol and blood sugar by diet.

 

[Mike d]

I can only speak from personnel experience.
I had a routine blood test carried out by my GP the results of which was I was pre diabetic and had high cholesterol.
My GP recommended Statins for the cholesterol and a look at my diet for the pre diabetes.
Within a few weeks of taking the medication I started suffering from memory loss which distressed me so much as I thought I was in the early stages of Dementia.
I never associated this with Statins but my DIL sent me a link to some research done on the use of Statins which said that in some patients memory loss could be a side effect.
I immediately made an appointment to see the doctor who informed me that unfortunately this was a well known side effect but he had not bothered to inform me of this when he recommended the drug. He said we could look at another Statin but I said I would never ever take the drug again and thankfully I have managed to reduce my cholesterol and blood sugar by diet.

Honestly, that is ridiculous conduct ..... goon on you

 

[Geoff-O]

I found this today...

"Do not take Simvastatin
If you have a history of... diabetes...

The common known Simvastatin side effects are:

• muscles problems; unexplained muscle pain, lack of energy, weakness, myalgia.
• memory problems; memory loss, confusion, depression.
• fever, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, dryness, chills, stuffy nose, sore throat.
• anuria or oliguria, dark colored urine, pain or burning during urination.
• face, sensory organs, throat or ankles edema, flushing, hoarseness.
• hair loss, weight loss, loss of appetite, anxiousness, drowsiness, numbness, tingling, involuntary quivering, itching, dry mouth and skin, blurred vision, neuropathy of the extremities.
• jaundice (yellowing of skin), sun sensitive skin, large purple or brown blotches, skin rash, eczema, hives, toxic epidermal necrolysis, LED, blisters.
• constipation, stomach cramps, burning stomach, flu, indigestion, cough, allergic reaction, flatulence.
• difficult breathing (dyspnea), bronchitis or other lung problems.
• liver failure, arthritis, pancreatitis, heart throbbing, cataracts, hepatitis.
• headache, joint pain, sleeping problems."

- http://www.simvastatin-side-effects.co.uk/

Perhaps I'll give them a miss for a while!

 

[Sukayalid]

I was on statins for two years, had chronic muscle pain during this time, put on a lot of weight and suffered memory loss. When I was diagnosed prediabetic a year ago, I did some research and found out that they can also cause diabetes. In short, they made me feel 100 years old....
Stopped taking them, went on LCHF diet, lost 14 kg in weight, muscle pain gone, cholesterol down, memory slowly improving. Unfortunately now borderline diabetic as damage already done.

 

[Mike d]

I just wonder why SO many people without diabetes take them (including doctors) and if there's a connection between statins and those who are diabetic.

 

[stuffedolive]

My experience..
I was put on simvastatin in 2008 with a TOTCHOL of 6.8%. I exercise a lot.

Gradually I noticed that I was not recovering from exercise, I just thought it was DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) from the exercise but my performances were dropping off a cliff. When I realised what was happening (nearly a year after going on them without being called in for tests to see if they suited me) I asked the doc for tests of my muscle degradation. Before the test I had been unable to exercise for 2 weeks, but the test showed a level muscle degradation expected in someone who had just complete a marathon (doctors own words).

I came off them immediately and started to feel better. Well less painful anyway. But of course my cholesterol shot up.

Once my doctor realised that I was serious about not going back on statins, two different doctors recommended eating raw garlic and taking a benecol drink. The garlic is finely chopped and washed down with the benecol - just don't chew it!

I now take these daily and although they don't lower my cholesterol as much as statins they did get me down by 2% points to 4.9% and now the doc has stopped worrying.

 

[sugarfree_tracy]

Wow, so glad Ive come across this!
Hi all, Ive been going out of my mind with worry for the past 2 weeks or so. I last went to doc for a review in April (can't remember the numbers, maybe thats the statins ) but everything was in the green. I decided to stop taking the statins because of what I heard about them on a programe, and the fact I was now eating low fat and healthy anyway. My next review iscoming up (Monday) so I thought I'd better start taking statins again so my doc wont moan or tell me off plus Ive started low carbing and high fatting. Started taking them 2 months ago and also for the past 2 weeks Ive been testing my sugars. Early morning reading 14.3!! 2 hours after food 12.5 that meal was homemade coleslaw and mackeral. Even when Ive walked to work and back, 30 mins each way and took dog a walk for an hour, my bloods are never lower than 10. Im begining to think its the statins. Im only on a low dose though, altervastatin 10mg.