How To Stop Taking Statins?

[BrianTheElder]

I have been on 40mg Atorvastatin for over 5 years, originally because of high total cholesterol and a poor family history of heart disease.
However, now I am on a LCHF diet and having read an awful lot on cholesterol, I am not convinced that I should be on statins at all.
Unfortunately, I can find no advice on coming off high levels of statins, I presume the conventional wisdom is that you are on them for life.
I am reluctant to ask my GP until after my next set of lipid results and I have done more research.
Any advice?

 

[Totto]

Conventional wisdom my a***, it's to keep Big Pharma happy.

If you feel reluctant to stop them completely, why don't you just take half the dose for a while?

 

[noblehead]

Any advice?

Discuss with your Dr before deciding to stop them completely, not sure if suddenly stopping them might cause an adverse reaction, with some drugs you do have to reduce the dose gradually so better to check.

 

[Brunneria]

I have been on 40mg Atorvastatin for over 5 years, originally because of high total cholesterol and a poor family history of heart disease.
However, now I am on a LCHF diet and having read an awful lot on cholesterol, I am not convinced that I should be on statins at all.
Unfortunately, I can find no advice on coming off high levels of statins, I presume the conventional wisdom is that you are on them for life.
I am reluctant to ask my GP until after my next set of lipid results and I have done more research.
Any advice?

I would do some research on the statin you take. The doses are often much higher than they need to be.
More is not always better.
Statins also persist in the body, so a daily tablet may be unnecessary (that piece of advice came from the consultant of a friend of mine, who cut her dose to one tablet every 3 days on advice from her consultant). Obviously, I am not suggesting you do that. But it may be very interesting for you research exactly how your statin works, how long it works for, and why doctors seem to think that bigger doses are automatically more effective.

 

[Enclave]

I was taking Statins for about 9 years .. I talked over my wish to stop taking them with my heart failure nurse. She was reluctant to agree with me, but she did in the end. I was put on a reduced amount decreasing every three months after blood tests, taken at three monthly intervals. It took about a year to rid myself of them safely .. but my cholesterol is still in the safe range.. been off them for about three years now. I would strongly advise that you discuss wanting to stop taking them with your heart failure nurse or your cardiac doctor.

 

[ExD]

My OH's statins were stopped - just like that - cold turkey, because of headaches. They were simvastatin 40mgs, I don't know whether this was a high or low dose.

 

[Enclave]

My OH's statins were stopped - just like that - cold turkey, because of headaches. They were simvastatin 40mgs, I don't know whether this was a high or low dose.

how long had he been on them ?

 

[carina62]

I have been on statins for years (11 years I think). I take Atorvastatin, 40 mg I too would love to come off them and I am eating low carb and it's working for my weight loss and BS levels. I think it's probably too soon for me to come off them but if I keep going with my weight loss then maybe this time next year after a couple more diabetic reviews I might be able to, hoping anyway. Let us know how you get on when you chat to your GP

 

[13lizanne]

Discuss with your Dr before deciding to stop them completely, not sure if suddenly stopping them might cause an adverse reaction, with some drugs you do have to reduce the dose gradually so better to check.

I stopped cold after taking them for over 9 yrs so I went from 40mg Simvastin to zero and my lipids are still fine 9 months later but I suppose everyone's different. There was no history of heart disease in my family and my cholesterol was very low at my second HbA1c and thereafter. Good luck whatever you decide