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Damaged by statin

JeanBBell

Member
Messages
12
Location
Black Isle, Ross-shire, Scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
junk texts and phone calls
Despite having side effects, painful cramp in legs, with a first statin. I was persuaded by my GP to try a second statin last year because she said my T2 put me a increased risk of stroke. After a few months I noticed feeling weak in upper arm and thigh muscles and this increased. I stopped the statin at Xmas and have deteriorated since to the extent that I can hardly make it upstairs, can't lift my arms above shoulders and find everyday things a huge effort and very slow. After extensive investigations for myositis it turns out all the damage has been caused by the statin. Because myositis was a strong contender I was put on high does steroid and this has sent BG levels haywire! I am not yet recovering, in fact it is still getting worse nearly 3 months after stopping the statin and because of the steroid, which is to be reduced slowly over the next 6 or 7 weeks I am struggling to control BG and feeling bad effects of that too.
Has this happened to anyone else? What was the outcome?
 
Hello Jean

I was prescribed a statin late least year after attending the A&E dept for my heart and being kept in overnight. My bloods were tested and no sign or trace of diabetes existed.

Between then and being diagnosed T2 a month or so ago only 2 things 'changed' in my life

1: Taking statins 2: giving up cigarettes

Reading the online information, whilst I have a genealogoical family history od T2 diabetes so one could say that I may have been pre-disposed to the condition somehow, there is proof (even on the statin information sheet) that one of the side effects could be the onset of diabetes !!!!!

A good friend has been prescribed statins and it sent his T2 BG haywire and into orbit too

My statins now just sit in their packet
 
I had T2 for a number of years before the statin 'episode'. At the moment I have extensive muscle damage as a result of the statin and probably more damage being accrued because of high BG since being put on the (totally unnecessary) steroid. Feeling a bit annoyed about it all. Having to rethink every aspect of life at the moment to cope with having the muscle power of a piece of seaweed!
I have not heard of statins triggering T2, but am never, ever going to take them again.
 
A very good friend and a keen golfer (plays 4 or 5 times a week) was told to take statins - he said he didn't want them but his Doc told him he had to

He took then for 2 weeks then gave up !! At his next appointment, his Doc asked him how he was doing with them -- he asked his Doc if he'd like to get some lube as he had the perfect idea of where to put the rest of his tablets

Needless to say, its no longer a topic of discussion between him & his doctor
 
Three different kinds my doc tried me on.
To much pain and even two AnE admissions later I threw them away and refused any more.
But you have to take them .... no I don't.
They work fine for some people but not for me.
Hope you start to recover soon.
 
I declined them as I knew they were implicated in type 2 diabetes starting and had a whole host of other side effects I was keen to avoid. My friend who is also type2 took them and his diabetes got much worse largely because he could no longer manage even the walk from his bus stop into work. I already have fibromyalgia so muscle pains ain't high on my list of must have accessories this season. I'm hoping my cholesterol has improved in May but if not, I'll still not be queuing up for them.
 
JeanBBell said:
Thank you everyone. Has anyone heard of any support group or website for people damaged by statins?
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear of your problems.

This group is a useful support group for statin victims. Years ago I was persuaded to take them, & developed muscle pains & gave them up after a few months when I read a letter in the "Balance" diabetes mag. Dr hasn't tried them on me since.

There is a thread poll for statin users & victims. 63% of contributors have suffered side effects & stopped taking them.

My wife has taken them for over 10 years, following a heart attack, has serious muscle pains, mainly in her legs. She stopped taking simvastatin for a few months, but that made no difference so she is taking them again.
 


My experience is similar to that of your wife. I have had a heart attack[ almost 26 years ago] and bypass surgery almost 13 years ago. So that my experience with Statins is long. Had leg pains for years and cessation of the Statins made no change, so I resumed their usage. Later I had very bad hip pains and could almost not walk anymore. In desperation I tried walking on a treadmill at a very low speed and over a few day sensed that the situation was improving. I can now do 6Km a day @ 5.6 Km per hour. I am not pain free but can handle the far reduced pain.

I think that your wife is right in taking the Statins, after all the correlation between LDL and CVD still remains, at least my cardio says so and I give him due credit.
 
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I've been on Statins for about 20 years after advice from the docs due to higher risks of heart problems with type 1 and don't appear to have had any problems, I do get the odd ache and pain in my joints which they say is a side effect but could just be an age thing, I think you just have way up the pros and cons.
 
Thanks for the warning, I was advised to take statins but didn't. Will take a lot of convincing in the future. I think they are prescribe to readily.
 
Since is happened I have been reading the academic literature on statins and found much that suggests that statins are inappropriate for many people. I fall into 4 possible reasons for not taking this. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/10717431/Why-Ive-ditched-statins-for-good.html?fb_ref=Default this article written by a doctor about his own experience mentions some of the research I have read and reasons for not taking statins. I am not against statins per se, but feel that they are being given too widely and freely without considering the more complex picture. In any case the correlation between cholesterol levels and heart disease and stroke is not proven to be causative. Like Dr Gajraj I won't be taking a statin ever again. I do acknowledge that the reaction I am currently experiencing seems to be extreme and unusual since 3 months after stopping I am still very weak and having difficulty with everyday life.
 
My father had muscle wastage with statins which didn't lower his cholesterol and gave him nightmares too, so my GP knows my opinion of them.He told me that Best Practice is now to prescribe them for diabetics !
 
Tell you GP to read a large scale and long term study called Hunt2. Carried out in Norway over 10 years on ten thousand people it concluded that diabetics, women and everyone who does not have active heart disease should not take statins. It also concluded that the target levels of cholesterol are too low and that having levels of up to 6 is linked to a lower mortality rate than 4 or below. My GP was dismissive of this, it seems they respect their targets more than good scientific evidence!
I am still experiencing severe muscle weakness more than 6 months after stopping the statin. I struggle to walk upstairs or up slopes, can't raise my arms above my head, can't lift objects (or cats) from the floor ... In addition my chest muscles are so weak I had pneumonia and didn't realise.
 
Ive mentioned this before on here. My mother is in a wheel chair now when we take her out. Statins wasted her already thin legs, she cant stand for any period of time. My partner was also put on them and he suffered a panic attack on his way to work - needless to say he's not on them anymore. Personally I wont take them.
 
I had the same cramps and stopped taking. my gp put me on a different one then after studying the problems. i took up cycling went on a low carb diet ate smaller portions and bingo no more statins
 
I have not had any side effects from taking either simvastatin or atorvastatin. I was a participant in the clinical research that confirmed the positive link between cardiac outcomes and statins. That arm of the ASCOT study was terminated early because of the strong results. For those who do have side effects there are other medications for reducing cholesterol. Never forget that all medications have reported side effects but that those side effects do not affect everyone!

Regards

Doug
 
I had been on statins for years ... Back and forth to the Dr with pains in arms and legs..told it was all in my imagination.. Then I got the diabetes T2 and the wife stepped in .. It's clearly states in my info in the statin that it can caused muscle pain and diabetes. Don't take them now ..my pain is decreasing I am pleased to say. The result of all this is I will never take advice from a dr or medic ever again. I know some are good ..but sadly mine were not
 
I was put on statins about 15 years ago when my son suffered a fatal heart attack and we were all tested and my cholesterol was deemed to be too high. I didn't notice any major side effects except that I have had chronic back pain for about the same length of time but as the MRI diagnosed crushed vertebra I didn't connect it with the statins.

My latest GP diagnosed that my back muscles are not doing their job in supporting my spine and gave me exercises to try and strengthen them. After reading a similar article to that posted above I wondered if they were the cause of my T2 diabetes and also fell into the category of them not being effective (woman over 70 with no previous heart problems) so I stopped taking them about 3 weeks ago as a trial. I can't say I've noticed any significant changes in the back pain and as I didn't seem to have any other symptoms on them I don't know if I've done the right thing. LCHF had already improved my cholesterol levels more than the statins ever did so I'm going to wait for my next blood test and see if there's been any change in cholesterol and then decide if I should go back on them or not. It's all a bit of a lottery isn't it?
 
The following extract is taken from this page
http://www.healthline.com/health/coq10-and-statins#Statins4

Where Statins and CoQ10 Meet
Although muscle pain and discomfort is common when taking statins, some people experience more serious problems, including something known as rhabdomyolysis. This process occurs when muscle cells break down. As muscles collapse, a muscle protein is released into the bloodstream. This in turn can cause severe kidney problems.

In a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology, researchers indicate that coenzyme Q10 seems to decrease muscle breakdown and reduce pain and discomfort on people taking statins.

Keep in Mind
Because CoQ10 is considered a nutritional supplement and not a medication, it’s not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. That means anybody can buy the supplement over the counter, at a local pharmacy, or at a health food store.

Coenzyme Q10 has few side effects. The most common is stomach upset, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. CoQ10 can lower blood sugar, so diabetics need to be careful or avoid it.

CoQ10 can interact with some medications, including beta-blockers, some antidepressants, and chemotherapy drugs. You might need to change the amount of statins you take if you’re also taking CoQ10. Make sure you consult your doctor before beginning CoQ10.

The Last Word
Although CoQ10 seems to show much promise, there aren’t enough studies to confirm its effectiveness. If you are taking statins and are suffering unpleasant side effects, discuss the use of CoQ10 with your doctor. It might be a good option for you, especially if you are in good health.

I have read elsewhere, that when statins were first produced, it was suggested that CoQ10 was combined in the same tablet - because it had already been identified that the Q10 reduced the side effects from statins. However, this was considered too expensive, and the statins went into production without the Q10.

I speculate that supplementing with CoQ10 may help with recovering from statin damage - but that is personal speculation.
 
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