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Poll - side effects from statins?

If you have used statins, did you experience significant side effects from using them?

  • Yes, side effects that made me discontinue or want to discontinue

    Votes: 164 65.1%

  • No, either no side effects or side effects I tolerated easily

    Votes: 88 34.9%
  • Total voters
    252
Indy51 said:
Here's just some of the research I've found on the subject of women and statins:

http://www.whp-apsf.ca/pdf/statinsEvidenceCaution.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3303886/ - from the conclusion: "If our findings are generalizable, clinical and public health recommendations regarding the ‘dangers’ of cholesterol should be revised. This is especially true for women, for whom moderately elevated cholesterol (by current standards) may prove to be not only harmless but even beneficial."

Plus a couple of articles:

http://www.virginiahopkinstestkits.com/statinswomen.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1973295,00.html
Click to expand...


Thank you for those links, Indy.x
 
I see a lot of papers today have articles on GP's not being happy about NICE's guidance on giving iut more statins!! -until undisclosed facts about the research are forthcoming!!!


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
My experience of statins - I was given Simvastatin about 8 years ago and, after around 6 weeks had dreadful pain around my ribcage (there is a word for this but I can't remember it), I really thought I was having a heart attack as I didn't think of the statins at the time. But as this was the only recent drug I'd been given I stopped it and the pain went away. To test if it was the statin, after 2 weeks or so I took them again and within 2 days the pain returned, and I did this test a few time. I told my Dr and he agreed it looked like it was the statin - but still continued to prescribe them on my monthly script! Over the years I have tried different statins with similar results, mainly muscle pain but also nausea. Of course this was before I was diagnosed with T2. On my diagnosis last November my total chol. levels were between 6 and 7 so, along with Metformin I was again given statins, this time Atorvastatin and back came the muscle pains and nausea. I even reduced the dosage to just 5mg a night, but with no change. But trying to convince my GP, not the same one as before, seems like talking to myself. I have also tried taking the Q10 supplement 120mg, and plan on going back on that, minus the 1/2 statin, to see if it helps with muscle pain and weakness. I have always had RA flares but 'statin pain' is something else! I think quality of life holds more than supposed length of life to me. Also, after losing over 3 stones my chol. level should be lower when I go for my 6 mth check soon.

I feel really irritable today so forgive me if I sound er.. irritable! Pain and sleep don't really go together!
 
Beshlie said:
My experience of statins - I was given Simvastatin about 8 years ago and, after around 6 weeks had dreadful pain around my ribcage (there is a word for this but I can't remember it), I really thought I was having a heart attack as I didn't think of the statins at the time. But as this was the only recent drug I'd been given I stopped it and the pain went away. To test if it was the statin, after 2 weeks or so I took them again and within 2 days the pain returned, and I did this test a few time. I told my Dr and he agreed it looked like it was the statin - but still continued to prescribe them on my monthly script! Over the years I have tried different statins with similar results, mainly muscle pain but also nausea. Of course this was before I was diagnosed with T2. On my diagnosis last November my total chol. levels were between 6 and 7 so, along with Metformin I was again given statins, this time Atorvastatin and back came the muscle pains and nausea. I even reduced the dosage to just 5mg a night, but with no change. But trying to convince my GP, not the same one as before, seems like talking to myself. I have also tried taking the Q10 supplement 120mg, and plan on going back on that, minus the 1/2 statin, to see if it helps with muscle pain and weakness. I have always had RA flares but 'statin pain' is something else! I think quality of life holds more than supposed length of life to me. Also, after losing over 3 stones my chol. level should be lower when I go for my 6 mth check soon.

I feel really irritable today so forgive me if I sound er.. irritable! Pain and sleep don't really go together!
Click to expand...
 
I can totally relate to all that you are going through. I have come to an agreement with my gp to stay off statins for 3 months and then have a cholesterol check. While on statins my cholesterol level was 3.8. Off statins has gone up to 5. I have decided to pay particular attention to my diet to see if I can reduce it without taking statins. My life has been so bad this past year that I would rather have raised cholestrol than suffer all the side effects of statins?
 
Statins are the work of the devil.
My GP put me on Simvastatin last year, and slowly over a couple of months I began to feel horrible and gradually all the muscles in my body started to really hurt, so that I was doubled up in pain constantly and could hardly think. I went back to the GP who said that he could not think of the cause. At that I started to become sceptical; did some of my own research and discovered the truth about statins. I took myself off using them, despite being told that I should continue for the sake of my heart. After a year, I still have some muscle pain, but I feel far better than I did. If they caused so much pain to my muscles, what were they doing to my heart, which is a muscle?
Crooked pharmacy companies!
 
What an interesting thread. Now that I've read it something that happened to me makes sense. I started noticing about four months ago that my bg was getting higher. This is what helped kick start me into taking my diabetes seriously. And now that I think about it this was about the time that the doc changed me from simvstatin to atorvastatin. During the years on simvastation I suffered from terrible pain i my arms and shoulder, but couldnt figure out why. They even sent me for steroid injections into my shoulder.

And now that I'm off them I feel so much better. I went for a mile walk today (to try and lower a spike) I don't do exercise. Five weeks ago when I last tried it my hips ached and I found it really hard. Today I almost broke into a run I felt so strong. I haven't done any exercise in the between time! Could be my major life change, but I'm convinced the statins haven't helped. The atorvastatin in particular really increased my arm pain.

So in one sense hurrah for statins they made me change my life! lol
 
elliek69 said:
I can totally relate to all that you are going through. I have come to an agreement with my gp to stay off statins for 3 months and then have a cholesterol check. While on statins my cholesterol level was 3.8. Off statins has gone up to 5. I have decided to pay particular attention to my diet to see if I can reduce it without taking statins. My life has been so bad this past year that I would rather have raised cholestrol than suffer all the side effects of statins?
Click to expand...

I understand what you say ellie. Personally, I don't think 5 is over high for a woman, I would be happy with that, or even 5+. Over the years they seem to have lowered the numbers - probably to dish out more statins!
 
Hawkeye said:
Statins are the work of the devil.
My GP put me on Simvastatin last year, and slowly over a couple of months I began to feel horrible and gradually all the muscles in my body started to really hurt, so that I was doubled up in pain constantly and could hardly think. I went back to the GP who said that he could not think of the cause. At that I started to become sceptical; did some of my own research and discovered the truth about statins. I took myself off using them, despite being told that I should continue for the sake of my heart. After a year, I still have some muscle pain, but I feel far better than I did. If they caused so much pain to my muscles, what were they doing to my heart, which is a muscle?
Crooked pharmacy companies!
Click to expand...

Well yes, you are right Hawkeye, the heart is muscle, and I don't see how a tablet can know the difference from leg muscle and heart muscle etc. I really would have thought by now that doctors would be taking more notice of people who experience problems with statins, and not pushing them onto them. Maybe they do take notice but there are other reasons why they persist in prescribing them to some of us?
 
Beshlie said:
I understand what you say ellie. Personally, I don't think 5 is over high for a woman, I would be happy with that, or even 5+. Over the years they seem to have lowered the numbers - probably to dish out more statins!
Click to expand...
I totally agree with this statement. they are bringing down the "acceptable" figures. more people living in fear, more pills doled out, more profits for Dr Pharma. I am sick of this preventative stuff being shoved down my neck. I've stopped taking my statin and will Never take them again, no matter WHAT doctors or nurses say to me. They don't know anything for sure about them. I'll take my chances, if I eat healthy and excercise, that's all I can do and want to do. Why do they want us all to live to be 100 years old? They can't afford the elderly care bill now!
 
Squire Fulwood said:
Here is Dr Kendrick on BBC news this morning.

Click to expand...
Loved this Squire Fulwood! - As I believe I have said before, statins will only cross my lips when a time may come (hopefully not!) that I will be force-fed - hmm - and at such a time I may not mind anyway ...

Strange thing, at a GP consultation, second to my last, my doctor kind of muttered under his breath, that he was not a strong supporter of statins when I said I didn't wish to take them. However, at my latest consultation, he kind of tried to push them on me.

And if I have understood information correctly, in the US diabetics will now routinely be put on statins ...

annelise
 
Spiker said:
With question marks emerging over claims that 20 percent of statin users experience side effects, what is this community's experience with statins? Please only respond to the poll if you have actually taken statins.
Click to expand...
I'm very pleased to say that lowering my carb intake by cutting out pasta/rice/bread/potato my total cholesterol dropped to 3.5. It's been 9 months since I finally stopped taking Atorvastatin and my recent total cholesterol (1 week ago) was 5.4. PDG methinks, quite chuffed as I know how to get it lower without drugs.
I did put my vote in, I tolerated muscle pain, sleepless nights and brain fog for 17 years, 9 months without the **** thing and I've only got the brain fog to get rid of. What are my chances?
 
graj0 said:
I'm very pleased to say that lowering my carb intake by cutting out pasta/rice/bread/potato my total cholesterol dropped to 3.5. It's been 9 months since I finally stopped taking Atorvastatin and my recent total cholesterol (1 week ago) was 5.4. PDG methinks, quite chuffed as I know how to get it lower without drugs.
I did put my vote in, I tolerated muscle pain, sleepless nights and brain fog for 17 years, 9 months without the **** thing and I've only got the brain fog to get rid of. What are my chances?
Click to expand...


I hope they are very good. How on earth did you go that long with all that happening? Maybe you didn't realise what was causing it = so glad you do now!
 
Beshlie said:
I hope they are very good. How on earth did you go that long with all that happening? Maybe you didn't realise what was causing it = so glad you do now!
Click to expand...


Its very easy to go that long when every consultant n gp don't listen and send you for scans, diagnosis of fibromyalgia etc....


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
I've just been catching up with this thread. I refused statins when I was diagnosed, read a bit more which reinforced my decision, and the balance of the anecdotal evidence on this thread clinches it for me. Never never never.
 
I have now got a breakdown of my cholesterol from my practice nurse:

LDL: 3.4
HDL: 1.0
Triglycerides: 0.6

Total 5.0 (my GP says this is too high as a diabetic)

I have checked all these figures out and the only thing that is at the top of normal range and therefore bad is the LDL, but even within that group you can get high and low density LDL but the NHS test does not pick up which is which. I have now been told that my bad cholesterol could be down to my under active thyroid so we will have to see what happens at my next blood test which is in July.

I consider myself to be lucky in that I have a GP who I can talk to and can get good advice from the nurses, others are not so fortunate and some must find this to be a mine field.

I wish you all luck in trying to make your way through this mess that has been forced upon us.
 
I voted no as until the last few days I had never had any problems (except I was diagnosed diabetic after I was put on them and now I am wondering about that). I started trying to reduce my carb intake about 2 weeks ago when I started reading the forum and more so when I got my meter. For about the last week I have started to have sever muscle pains in my upper back, shoulders and neck regions for no apparent reason. It feels just like that painful stiffening that I can get after exercise but it comes when I haven't been doing any. Last night it got so bad I could hardly use my right arm if it had been the left side I think I would have been at A&E. Fortunately I am seeing the practice nurse tonight for something else so I can ask her then, but I was wondering if any one here had suddenly started to experience the muscle pain after being on the statins for so long.

At the moment I am on 40mg of Atavastatin (I think that's the dose) as my cholesterol was about 5.5 to 6 and the practice doesn't give a breakdown of it, and high cholesterol is in the family.
 
Ruth B said:
so I can ask her then, but I was wondering if any one here had suddenly started to experience the muscle pain after being on the statins for so long.
Click to expand...

I had been on Simvastatin for some time, maybe a year (needs checking) before my legs went for the first time. The statin was changed after I recovered but it did not take so long the second time. The third one affected my upper body much as you describe in that my shoulders went rigid and I could not move my head. I was sent to physio with that one. I can't remember the names of the last three but each one gave more immediate side effects than the one before it..
 
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