Poll - side effects from statins?

BBC news have mentioned the ongoing statin war again. I don't wan't to have the debate again but I shall give the link to the BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-28352290

graj0 said:

No worries, I stopped eating bread/pasta/rice/potato a year ago, against all the advice that I had received up to that point, although to be fair to my present GPs, they never said much, just exceptionally pleased with the result. No more Gliclazide/Januvia/Atorvastatin, I'm saving the NHS a fortune LOL. My experience with the dieting world is that there is so much advice to choose from, a lot of it conflicting. With a resting BMR of 1900 cals most dieticians will advise against going lower than 1400, the traditional 3500 cals less per week. The nutritionists at the Bariatric Surgery unit in High Wycombe wouldn't want me to eat as much as 1200 (not going to have surgery anyway) and the endocrinologist I saw suggested going as low as 800, so my 1000 cals isn't too far off the minimum suggested but certainly lower than most of the advice, which had never worked anyway. I'll get there eventually although this plateau is getting tedious.

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According to Zoe Harcombe, the 3500 calories to lose a pound is made up nonsense and nobody can point to the research that proves it:
http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2014/06/the-calorie-theory-prove-it-or-lose-it/

And another post about it:
http://healthinsightuk.org/2014/06/17/calories-in-calories-out-the-zombie-theory-that-wont-die/

Less ethical than wonga, I liked that.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...ins-could-do-more-harm-than-good-9524294.html

Indy51 said:

According to Zoe Harcombe, the 3500 calories to lose a pound is made up nonsense and nobody can point to the research that proves it:
http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2014/06/the-calorie-theory-prove-it-or-lose-it/

And another post about it:
http://healthinsightuk.org/2014/06/17/calories-in-calories-out-the-zombie-theory-that-wont-die/

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A bit like water consumption, essential obviously, but how much? We are the only species with an instruction manual. 3500 cals = one pound? No, that's the traditional thinking, and calories in doesn't equal calories out.
I'm pleased to say that I know people who have done very well following things like Weight Watchers, but I always feel that it's to the organisation's advantage that we don't successfully lose weight.

paulins said:

Keep going Schandichic! I began to lose weight on January 26th this year and as of this morning have gone from 17 st 7 lbs to 11st 11 lbs. No carbs and about 700 calories a day. I am just about to go today to give bloods so will let you know. Day 3 on new statins as cholesterol without them last time went from 4 to 5.3. No side effects yet but last time it took a week or two for them to do their worst. I am not hopeful.


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I am! I still want to get into the fat face dress! Christmas?! Lol!

Ha ha! I meant not hopeful about the statins - I have every faith that you will get into the Fat Face dress by Christmas!


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I have had no problems with Statins.

In 2004 though my total cholesterol was 5.3 I was put on Statins because my homocysteine was elevated. However, I was also running low on B12. Turns out that the B12 was low because of medication I was taking for my refulx, so I received B12 injections and everything has been fine since.

I went down to 20mg of Stations in January 2012 but increased it up to 40mg about 6 months ago due to bad eating habits.

Now that I am eating better I am going to have the dosage lowered again because my cholesterol is well controlled and on a low carb diet will be even more so.

Whether Station are increasing my blood sugar - well I doubt it.

In 2004 my fasting sugar as 5.2. In 2012 5.8 and 5.5 and in 2014 5 & 5.6.

So I'm inclined to think that Statins have little if virtually no impact on my fasting blood glucose levels.

I have the same issues I am now on rosuvastatin the pain is a little better but I still find it hard to walk any great distance. Imam booked in to see the podiatrist to make sure all is ok in that area then it's a trip to the doctor to see where to go next. I need to sort stuff out and exercise as I am getting well overweight.

Started Simvastin in Feb, Only after talking to a friend did I realise the problems they were causing. I had put them down to My newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes.

Leg pains and loss of control. Panic attacks, Sleep loss. Weakness.Numbness in fingers.

Stop taking them about 2 months ago and now just starting to feel normal.

Hi I was diagnosed with non Arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy last August. Basically a stroke of the optic nerve in my right eye which has left me with 50% vision loss. They do not know the actual cause but it can be related to high bp ( I was all ready on meds for that), high cholesterol or diabetes. Or you could be pre disposed to have this due to lack of space at the back of the eye. I had lots of tests and at the time my cholesterol was the higher range of normal so I was put on statins to try and prevent having the same problem with my left eye. I am on 20 mg of Simvastatin which I take at night and the only side affect I seem to have is a dry mouth.


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@nicki257 this sounds awful! Is there any possibility that your sight in your right eye will improve over time?

I was on Simvastatin, and my cholesterol came down to 4 after 2 months. However, I was taken off them as I had excruciating pains in my hips and legs at night. Two months later and my cholesterol was 5.4, despite significant weight loss and an incredibly restricted and healthy diet. I was then put on Atorvastatin a month ago - and this seems OK for me. No pain at all, and I can do my 5k every day. The GP told me there were different kinds of statins, and we can have adverse reactions to some and not others - Lipitor, Lescol, Lipostat, Crestor, Zocor . And that we can also be fine for some time then find we are having adverse symptoms.

I can't say I really understand why my cholesterol is high as it is nothing to do with food intake - so I suppose for me it must be genetic. But, she wants my level to be 4, and I think on balance that since I am not having side effects at the moment I'll continue with the Atorvaststin for the time being. I was somewhat alarmed to read that one of the side effects was to raise the BS levels though - isn't that somewhat defeating the purpose? But I SO hate taking drugs, and seem to take quite a lot at the moment (though none for my diabetes!)

So far, I haven't had any problems and I am one medicine for cholesterol and one strictly for high triglycerides:
Crestor for cholesterol
Tricor for trig's

paulins said:

Keep going Schandichic! I began to lose weight on January 26th this year and as of this morning have gone from 17 st 7 lbs to 11st 11 lbs. No carbs and about 700 calories a day. I am just about to go today to give bloods so will let you know. Day 3 on new statins as cholesterol without them last time went from 4 to 5.3. No side effects yet but last time it took a week or two for them to do their worst. I am not hopeful.


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What food do you eat? How do you go zero carb?



Loving life

i have only been on simastatin and metformin for 2.5 months and the aches/pains i am getting are terrible. i told the gp as the leaflet with the drugs advised me to, she told me to persevere......r the aches/pains permanent? sorry if ive repeated a question but the thread was so long. i was onky diagnosed in june, metformin gives me bad diarrhoea and the statin makes me ache all over...perhaps i'm just unlucky :-( whinge over. i have had problrms at work, i have to go back soon and i really feel like rubbish. thank u for reading x

i forgot to mention, on a positivr note i have lost over a stone in weight!

I came off all the statins one by one in a short space of time ... lchf seems to have done the job .....

My cholesterol was 2.7 at the last blood test, but I still take low dose statins for vein health
https://www.google.com.au/#q=microvascular+inflammation+statins