simvastin

hello zombie,I too have had problems with simvastatin and came off it, my doctor wasn't pleased and asked me to try pravastatin instead, at first all seemed well and I was coping ok with this particular statin, however I soon started noticing pains in my knees, this then spread to my shoulders I was in constant pain and done some research on statins which convinced me that I would be better off without them, I stopped taking pravastatin on 17th January this year and soon noticed a big improvement in my shoulders, I told my DN at my three monthly check up expecting to be warned of the dangers of stopping, but to my surprise she told me that she had come off symvastatin for the same reasons, I think coming off them has done me the world of good, but it is down to the individual to decide whats best for themselves. All the best.

Were you on statins because you had known elevated cholesterol or was it on a prophylactic basis?

What are you doing instead?

Everybody on this website knows I loathe statins......however depending on reasons for being on them, I would discuss with HCP's before stopping them. There is a lot of controversy and discussions about this medication even on this website, but I really would discuss and research the subject more before making a decision.

Don't know about talking to GP's, as they get 'rewards' for prescribing them, and I'm not sure about their independent thinking. I personally think that statins will be less handed out when their patentcy ends soon.

I have been on Simvastin since diognosed with a heart problem and angina in 2006.

At first I did get muscle cramps and the aches and pains. However after a month or so for me at least these symptoms passed.

My heart problem and angina are only mild but I did not start to feel well untill my T2 diabetis was diognosed and treated in early December 2010.

I didnt know there wer such problems, I take 2 simvastains a night for over 2 years and never had any side effects whatsoever.

Terrible side effects with Simvastatin are pretty common. I had to stop taking them.

Problem is, there's no way to KNOW if you're gonna get the side effects until you take the drugs! I bet there are thousands of simvastatin users out there who just think the effects they are feeling is because they are getting old, or because they are overweight, or because they have high BG.

Also, the effects creep up on you. It's not like you take apill, then feel th eeffects. The effects are cumulative, so it takes a while for them to appear.

People are very rarely told to be mindful of possible effects of simva. It's one of the cheap ones, and they want to keep as many people on them as they can to keep their costs down... :x

Not everyone gets side effects but, like Patch, I stopped taking them because I was becoming unable to walk. All the pain and weakness was put down to a combination of osteo-arthritis and overweight. Then I started reading round . . .

I was fortunate in that I didn't have the episodes of memory loss.

Just Google 'statin side-effects'. Or Google 'spacedoc.net' if you want to look at one of the 'anti' sites. I couldn't possibly comment as to whether he's right or not. People should get as much info as possible and then make up their own minds.

Viv

There are two support groups for people who've suffered the side effects of statins:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Stopped_Our_Statins/ - which also has a very informative website

and for UK sufferers:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/UkStatinSideEffectSufferers/

I'm only new here but for eight months after taking statins for only a short time, I suffered the most unbelievable pain and muscle degeneration. Years later I still haven't fully recovered.

I was put on Simvastatin,I gradually started feeling ill and I ached all over particularly my legs and thighs, it got so bad I could barely walk anywhere. I started to study what might be causing it and after reading something about the effect of Simvastatin I decided to stop taking it and I started to improve. I saw the GP about them who just threw them in the bin and said they were not suitable for everyone. My DN persuaded me to start taking Ezetimbre,I only have one a day,small dose of it but I am beginning to think I may be getting a very similar effect,yesterday I noticed my thighs were really aching when walking and I had to keep stopping ,I am wondering if I should cut them out. My last cholesterol check was 5.3 and although I would love to think my life would be better because of them I don't really want to live longer but not be able to walk properly. I am 72 now and a diabetic T2 and I realise that as you get older you have to expect some aches and pains but I don't expect to get them from the pills I take!

It's all too easy to blame any pills we are on .I turned faint on my first trip to the bathroom after angioplasty but put this down to fasting after a very small tea the night before & loss of blood
Ann Day

We can all say things like that,I went into anaphalactic shock after taking penicillin,I took it for years with no problem but I took it one day and it almost killed me!

shirleymarye said:

We can all say things like that,I went into anaphalactic shock after taking penicillin,I took it for years with no problem but I took it one day and it almost killed me!

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Couldn't agree more shirley. Some of us have horrendous side effects with medications and some people have no side effects at all. Was listening to a radio programme where it was suggested that in years to come your medications will be individually tailored to your genetic makeup.
Some of the blood pressure meds I have taken in the past made me really ill as did statins. We are all different.

Hello im a newbie here,
when i was first diagnosed with T2D about 4 years ago a whole range of problems came to light, such as high BP and high cholesterol , was prescribed simvastin and after about 2 weeks i began to get pains in my legs but the most scariest thing of all happened one day while i was taking a bath, i started to get quadrupel vision, (just think what could of happened if id been driving) it only lasted for about 10 seconds , but those were the longest 10 seconds in my life, I was taken off this medication and given a thorough eye test but nothing was found , ive been on pravastatin ever since and have had no problems with it,

I am type II and I have been on Simvastatin for about 3 years. Initially I was OK but gradually I began to have leg problems and memory losses and now I am quite handicapped. I find mounting steps tricky or standing up from a low seat. I have been researching statins and I am not convinced that GP's don't just shove people like me on statins as a prophylaxis. I will book myself in to see my GP! Unfortunately he is almost useless when it comes to diabetes. The surgery used to run a diabetic clinic but they quit! It was run by a practice nurse who seemd to know nothing about diabetes!

The whole thing is a little worrying.

I was prescribed simvastatin by my GP a few years ago. Within a month I felt desperately ill - pains everywhere, especially in my arms and chest. I got my GP's standard response to most conditions - "come back next month if you don't feel any better - next!". A week later - feeling even worse - I went in to find he was on holiday and a lady locum was on duty. She virtually leapt out of her seat, examined me thoroughly and asked if I'd taken that day's dose - I hadn't as I took it in the evenings. She told me to take no more, and handed me a prescription for Ezetemibe which I've taken ever since with no side effects. I haven't a clue if it's effective, as getting info from my GP is like getting blood out of a stone. The diabetic clinic nurse is a bit more forthcoming and confirmed later most of my numbers were pretty good.

I'm 67 and have never ever trusted doctors - not prejudice, just lifelong and often disastrous experience, one after another, often it seems interminable. That experience has taught me the the medical professions have more fads and fancies than the fashion industry, and while there are many dedicated professionals around, many are time-servers doing the least work for the most money. Uncannily I seem to have spent my life encountering the latter - so if they are a minority I must have been unusually unfortunate.

These days, the system is aided and abetted (happily not always to the patient's disadvantage) by unfortunate 'Practice Nurses' charged - in reality if not in theory - simply with keeping patients away from HM The Doctor. In my local health centre there's ONE harassed Practice Nurse charged with half a dozen disciplines - while GPs on a huge multiple of her salary work rather less than office hours.

And don't blame your Practice Nurse too much for her 'ignorance' people. Mine admitted to me once (socially, outside her work) that the NHS has a 'Party line' on most things these days and it's more than any nurse's job is worth to challenge the system, whatever their own knowledge and experience. That such dedicated professionals are now rapidly being outnumbered by those who never dream of rocking the boat is perhaps a bigger problem than who takes what drugs.

pickwick, i am sorry to say i totally agree with you, and i work in/for the nhs, god help us when the buggers get their hands on our money! i think the nhs is doomed, it is far more important to budget the books than look after people.

When i come accross someone that cares i almost have a coronary

i stopped simvastin, after the adverse comments of others, gps were given extra budget for prescribing, i believe i am far better for stopping, though did not suffer the extremes like yourself but pins and needs, which have now almost gone, ? down to simvastin

good luck with all, i have found my db consultant far more helpful than gp not only in db related things

Shirley - Ezetimibe is a combination of statin and something else. Beware being put onto it when (not "if") you get side effects of pure statins.

Also beware of Red Rice Yeast - it has the same effects as statins.

Jane

Just a quick reminder:

<http://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/>

If you have an adverse drug reaction, please report it.
Otherwise how will they know?
The GPs won't be reporting them.

I reported Symvastatin after it reduced me to a virtual zombie.
No obvious problems with Pravastatin so far.
I even ran out of them for a week when on holiday and didn't notice any difference.
Coming off Symvastatin had an immediate and obvious effect.

Cheers

LGC

janeislay said:

Shirley - Ezetimibe is a combination of statin and something else. Beware being put onto it when (not "if") you get side effects of pure statins.

Also beware of Red Rice Yeast - it has the same effects as statins.

Jane

Click to expand...

Jane.
Ezetimibe is NOT a Statin........it can be prescribed on it's own for those who don't take to Statin's well, or as an adjunct to Statin treatment. It is used to lower levels of total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol and also triglycerides (fatty substances) in the blood. It also raises the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.

It works by reducing the cholesterol absorbed in the digestive tract. It also can add to the cholesterol lowering effect of Statins. A Statin reduces the amount of cholesterol that your body makes itself.

As for avoiding Red Rice Yeast .....isn't that only the products that contain Lovostatins and is aimed mainly at pregnant women ? That's how I understood it.......