Poll - side effects from statins?

[Hilow]

I have been taking Simvastatins for ages with no side effects, other than a shocking memory, but I always had that

 

[kesun]

Hi ellie,
I've also been told that there's CoQ10 and there's CoQ10. Some types are better than others.

The kind that come in a soft capsule (I think the rest of the capsule contains oil) works better than the ones that come as pills. Sainsburys is a good source, especially when they have a three for two offer on the 100mg (one a day) capsules. I take them to make good a genetic Q10 deficiency, and 100mg a day works for me - which means it's cheaper to buy them than to get them on prescription.

Kate

 

[donnellysdogs]

Don't just consider it do it. The necessity of coq10 and the dewtion of it thru statins has been around for a long time, and then coq10 is at its highest peak in 20's and reduces...
I wld recommend the highest mg that u can afford.


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[Indy51]

Bit like Merck considering adding CoQ10 to statins to counteract the suppression of CoQ10 caused by, er, statins.

Except that CoQ10 is a natural substance - there's absolutely nothing "natural" about glyburide - it's one of the sulfonylureas with documented bad side effects:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glibenclamide
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/25311847.php

 

[sanguine]

Good point Indy

 

[Jess33marsh]

Will cast my vote when I use my pc as iPad not showing poll??? But I would say yes. I have taken two types of statins and both gave me side effects. One was bad digestion issues the other was constant headaches that developed into migraines. My cholesterol did lower however but GP advised I stop them due to the frequency of migraines interfering in my functioning in life.


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[IanD]

Will cast my vote when I use my pc as iPad not showing poll??? But I would say yes. I have taken two types of statins and both gave me side effects. One was bad digestion issues the other was constant headaches that developed into migraines. My cholesterol did lower however but GP advised I stop them due to the frequency of migraines interfering in my functioning in life.


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The supposed danger of high cholesterol is small, whereas the side effects are serious & spoil our everyday life.

I would rather be at the supposed risk of raised cholesterol, that suffer the definite side effects I had.

 

[graj0]

- which means it's cheaper to buy them than to get them on prescription.
Kate

Hi Kate,
when I asked my GP if she could recommend how much CoQ10 to take, apart from not having a clue (I don't blame her for that), she could not prescribe it because it wasn't in her BNF (the pill book).

 

[kesun]

when I asked my GP if she could recommend how much CoQ10 to take, apart from not having a clue (I don't blame her for that), she could not prescribe it because it wasn't in her BNF (the pill book).

I thought the consultant said my GP could prescribe them, but I admit I didn't even ask him to, just worked out that I could buy them for less than the prescription charge. But it's depressing to know that even when I get free prescriptions I'll still have to pay for the Q10

 

[graj0]

I thought the consultant said my GP could prescribe them, but I admit I didn't even ask him to, just worked out that I could buy them for less than the prescription charge. But it's depressing to know that even when I get free prescriptions I'll still have to pay for the Q10

It could be worth asking, my GP doesn't prescribe test strips, I know that some do. With my GP it was a recent decision as well.

 

[Terrytiddy]

Hi all, I've just voted no to side effects because I don't think I had any. I'm type 2 and I was on 40g Simvastatin a day for a few years and when my cholesterol came down to 4 I stopped taking them. I recently went for my mot with the nurse and was informed that my cholesterol was up at 6.2 and that I should start taking the statins again which I have done for the past 3 weeks with no side effects. I didnt look after my diabetes as I should have, but since joining this group a few weeks ago I have changed. I have started the LCHF diet and getting great results, I have only been on it for 2 weeks but what a difference!!!!! I bought a BG meter and test every day with some very interesting results. I have another blood test in a couple of weeks so will be interesting to see what my cholesterol levels are. I'm going to suggest to the doctor that if my levels are down could I stop taking the statins and see If I can control my levels with my new diet. I will keep you informed of results

 

[jerryatric]

I have been on Simvastatin for 10 years and have had no side effects

 

[jonm8]

I was taking Simvastatin which gave muscle pain and asked to change to Atorvastatin almost unnoticeable now

 

[ConradJ]

So here's my story:

I was prescribed Simvastatin in 2003. I encountered various side effects as described in the packaging, including tiredness and limb aches. I booked to see my GP and explained the symptoms; he prescribed me Pravastatin, which I have dutifully swallowed ever since (without any apparent side effects).

My LDL hasn't really dropped significantly in all that time, and my HDL levels have stayed low. When I enquired with the last consultant, he told me I could raise my HDL with more exercise.

My retinopathy steadily worsened and despite the temporary loss of vision, loss of job and subsequent vitrectomy to my right eye, I have been unable to reduce the extreme - Himalayan Mountain - swings in BG and I've seen my HbA1c rise again in the two years since June 2012, despite many, many attempts at "control".

I then discovered this forum and have greatly benefitted from the experiences and insights of others - both T1 and T2 (and T1.5, etc). I have also passed on my own experiences and posed questions, etc., to help others discover what's causing their problems. Sometimes my experiences, insights and questions have helped others and, yet I have often continued to blindly stumble along ignoring the facts of my own life that have been staring me in the face.

So, late last year I decided to start taking action that would reorientate my life away from 'couch potato' and 'high carb' foods in a way that I would not miss the 'occasional' treat (that was really a daily occurence) and that the exercise was normal. It hasn't been easy - I realised I was addicted to fast carbs, such as biscuits and cakes and pain au chocolat, etc., etc., etc. - and I have frequently reverted to past bad habits that have merely produced the same old erratic BG results.

Then the other evening, I was involved in a thread about giving up smoking, where I reiterated my experience of giving up and the stance of others: which is 'YOU have to WANT to stop". And I realised that whilst I had done this with smoking, I hadn't really engaged the same approach with the bad habits that have caused me (and my family) so many problems in recent years.

I didn't really sleep during the night after that blogging: my brain was filled with too many personal experiences that underlined my stupidity, including a massive bowl of cereal mid-evening (around 60g carbs) that always sent my BG's all over the place.

So, last night I did two things: 1) I didn't gorge on the cereal, 2) I stopped taking the pravastatin.

I went to bed (at midnight) with a BG reading of 8.8mmol/l and woke this morning (06.00) to a reading of 5.3mmol/l. I'm not advocating that stopping the statin produced this remarkable result at all - in fact, when I was taking it and I didn't do the cereal thing at night I would regularly wake with good results.

I suppose what I'm trying to confess here is that I have been a slave to my condition and an overly medicalised approach and that - just as I decided that I couldn't be ***** and a slave to smoking - I have decided really, really to take back control of my body. I think that had I really thought about the prescribing of the statins back in 2003 and had had better knowledge about diabetes that I might have decided to make the lifestyle changes that would have lowered my LDL, raised my HDL and stopped the BG's swings and retinopathy in their tracks. But then again maybe I wouldn't have... as I heard a T2 say earlier this year, "Your mind has to be in the right place."

When I have my next tests, I'll let you all know the outcomes and what changes have occured - whether good or bad.

Best wishes and good luck to you all with managing your diabetes.

 

[gfmoore]

Good, you have the control, here's the flight plan (when someone takes control of the joystick in a plane!)

 

[paulins]

What an incredibly honest account of your struggles @ConradJ. I am impressed with your efforts and wish you the best with taking control. I think if you can stop smoking you can do anything. When my father was dying of lung cancer my sister arrived one sunny day to find many if the terminal patients outside in wheelchairs and oxygen bottles and masks, smoking. A doctor heard her make a comment and said it was harder to stop smoking than it was to come off heroin! I have always remembered that comment. You stopped smoking- you can stop carbing. Good luck.

 

[AmandaAnne]

I've been taking Simvastatin for years now, I do get bad cramp in the back of my legs, feet and toes, the one's that I get in my feet are so painful and when the cramp starts, it pulls my toes down.

Also my muscles hurt a lot, even putting the washing on the line makes my arm muscles hurt.

I get spasms in my hands if I try to grip things, this often happens when I'm washing up or doing general cleaning.

I do have memory problems and I get a lot of "brain fog" and confusion, but, having said that, I'm not sure where that's coming from, because I'm on antidepressants and I also have Pernicious Anemia which often causes these symptoms too.

So, to roundup, I'm not sure what is causing my "head" problems, but I'm pretty sure it's the Simvastatin that's giving me the cramps, muscle spasms and aches.

 

[Totto]

I've been taking Simvastatin for years now, I do get bad cramp in the back of my legs, feet and toes, the one's that I get in my feet are so painful and when the cramp starts, it pulls my toes down.

Also my muscles hurt a lot, even putting the washing on the line makes my arm muscles hurt.

I get spasms in my hands if I try to grip things, this often happens when I'm washing up or doing general cleaning.

I do have memory problems and I get a lot of "brain fog" and confusion, but, having said that, I'm not sure where that's coming from, because I'm on antidepressants and I also have Pernicious Anemia which often causes these symptoms too.

So, to roundup, I'm not sure what is causing my "head" problems, but I'm pretty sure it's the Simvastatin that's giving me the cramps, muscle spasms and aches.

Checked your thyroid lately? It does sound very much like low thyroid function but could very well be statin side effects too, or something else entirely.

 

[AmandaAnne]

Checked your thyroid lately? It does sound very much like low thyroid function but could very well be statin side effects too, or something else entirely.

Hi Totto and thanks for your reply.

I've not long had a thyroid test and my GP tells me that it was fine, although I should say that over the past 5 years I've had lots of thyroid function tests because I have got a few of the symptoms, but the results always come back fine.

 

[graj0]

So, to roundup, I'm not sure what is causing my "head" problems, but I'm pretty sure it's the Simvastatin that's giving me the cramps, muscle spasms and aches.

Sorry I've had to cut and paste, this is from the US FDA website, hopefully a reliable source. The memory thing and brain fog is terribly irritating, especially when so many people patronise you by saying "it's your age", Jackonory it's my age. If you look further into the memory - brain fog thing there is plenty of anecdotal evidence where some people have really big problems with memory and brain fog, not just inconvenient stuff.

Reports of Memory Loss
FDA has been investigating reports of cognitive impairment from statin use for several years. The agency has reviewed databases that record reports of bad reactions to drugs and statin clinical trials that included assessments of cognitive function.

The reports about memory loss, forgetfulness and confusion span all statin products and all age groups. Egan says these experiences are rare but that those affected often report feeling “fuzzy” or unfocused in their thinking.

In general, the symptoms were not serious and were reversible within a few weeks after the patient stopped using the statin. Some people affected in this way had been taking the medicine for a day; others had been taking it for years.

What should patients do if they fear that statin use could be clouding their thinking? “Talk to your health care professional,” Egan says. “Don’t stop taking the medication; the consequences to your heart could be far greater.”

The Risk of Diabetes
Diabetes occurs because of defects in the body’s ability to produce or use insulin—a hormone needed to convert food into energy. If the pancreas doesn't make enough insulin or if cells do not respond appropriately to insulin, blood sugar levels in the blood get too high, which can lead to serious health problems.

A small increased risk of raised blood sugar levels and the development of Type 2 diabetes have been reported with the use of statins.

“Clearly we think that the heart benefit of statins outweighs this small increased risk,” says Egan. But what this means for patients taking statins and the health care professionals prescribing them is that blood-sugar levels may need to be assessed after instituting statin therapy,” she says.