I think the drug companies and NICE work on the assumption that if you don't report side effects you don't have them, so non-reporting by satisfied patients doesn't affect the statistics.
My doctor didn't tell me about side effects, and I wasn't aware of the bad publicity, so both he and I can be sure I genuinely had severe and frightening side effects with Simvastatin. However, in my notes he says only that I suffered from muscle pain, as apparently loss of cognitive acuity isn't a recognised side effect. And of course if everyone takes this approach then it will never be recognised ...
Kate
I think that you should read the NHS summary, it seems to me very fair and objective showing what it found and what it didn't.
" the researchers were more cautious in their conclusion.
It has not comprehensively looked at all side effects, and it gives no indication of the severity or frequency of side effects experienced.
The media also did not report how small the benefits of statins were found to be in this study. This is an important consideration for people who want to make an informed choice when weighing up the risks and benefits of statin treatment"
And bid EDIT, calf pain can be related to other causes so it's really important to discuss it with your GP
The side panel about the nocebo effect is also relevant.
the nocebo effect is its evil twin.(ie the opposite of the placebo effect)
People can develop what they believe are side effects, even though they have been given a dummy treatment.
Ben Goldacre, one of the authors of the study in question, says that if you want to see the nocebo effect in action, when sitting on a sofa with friends suddenly ask: “does this things have fleas in it?”.
There really aren't simple answers to seemingly simple questions.
AND big EDIT, probably the most important thing.
Calf pain can be caused by other things, it is really important that you speak with your GP about it.