What's the longest someone here has been on statins?

[PickledPepper]

Question popped into my head:

What's the longest someone here has been on statins?

Do we normally only take them for a period or indefinitely?

 

[hallii]

Been on them for ten years, will be on them until I die my Doc. said.

H

 

[PickledPepper]

Been on them for ten years, will be on them until I die my Doc. said.

H

Hiya

Thanks for the response.

I just don't get it?

Don't they (statins) lower your levels after a few months?

Why would you need to take them continuously? Surely you can have a break inbetween the period of having lowered your lipid levels and the time they take to go back up again?

Unless these levels are prone to rise very rapidly in people meaning they must be constantly suppressed with statins?

 

[cugila]

I too have been on statin's for more than 10 yrs or so, can't exactly remember.

When first given them they started to drop my levels right down. Been on them ever since and TC was always in the 3's until I decided once that I could do without them......... Not the best move I ever made !

Came off them and within a couple of months was back up in the 5's ! So, for me they are a must......I need them, despite all my best efforts diet wise etc. Levels back down to the high 4's at the minute after anti-Cancer treatment and diet changes. Hoping they will be lower next time.

So I will probably need to take them for life.......no problem. It's a pill, that's all and if it does the job well, so be it.......

 

[kateincornwall]

I`m in for the long haul too as I have Familial Hypercholesterolemia, which put simply means that if I dont take them , despite not eating much fat, my levels go into the 10`s , 11`s and even higher . Its just that my body doesnt cope with excess cholesterol , thats all and luckily I dont have side effects from Crestor .

 

[PickledPepper]

I suspect I have a genetic disposition to hypercholesterolemia myself. My brother's level was elevated too and he is of slim build.

If I'm right my levels may be off the scale when I next get checked.....

 

[Grazer]

I'm on them permanently. It is possible that after lowering cholesterol, you can come off or reduce statin levels, but invariably they just go back up. If you have no side effects, might as well just pop the pill.
Cheers
Malcolm

 

[noblehead]

My oldest brother has been on statins for a few years now with no ill-effect, his cholesterol was 9 when starting on statins and is now below 4, he has long accepted that he will be on them for life but doesn't seem too bothered.

Nigel

 

[daisy1]

I am on them for life too but as I have no side effects at all I don't mind and keep taking the
pills :shock:

 

[viviennem]

I took a fairly low dose of Simvastatin for over 4 years and gradually got increasing leg muscle pains and weakness, to the extent that I could barely walk 100 yards and had to give up my job. Fortunately I was 60 and able to retire.

I stopped taking the statins in February. I am gradually getting better, in that the pains have almost gone and I can now stagger as far as the village shop ( about 150 yards) without having to stop for a rest. I am happy with my total cholesterol at 5, because my total:HDL ratio is very good, as are my triglycerides. I don't intend to go back on them again, and have discussed this with my doctor, who has accepted it. He told me "you'll die of a heart attack instead of cancer, which should be quicker and might be preferable"!

I expect my total cholesterol will continue to drop now I'm firmly back on the low-carb. I shall be trying to increase my exercise when the weather improves, which should also help.

Apparently there is some evidence that statins are less good at protecting women from CHD than men, and supposedly as we get older we all function better with slightly higher cholesterol. The info is out there if you look. I try to stick to respectable sites - journals and universities, mostly.

I've done a lot of reading round on this subject, but please don't for a minute believe anything I say. I'm happy with my own decision, but I can't recommend it to anyone else. I am not qualified and you should listen to people who are. Having said that, I know 2 GPs and one practice nurse who won't take them. One of the GPs only prescribes them as a last resort. None of these individuals is in my practice.

It seems to be the usual thing - every individual is different, and reacts differently to drugs.

Cheers

V

 

[rogbert]

i started at the lipids clinic some 35 years ago when my levels were in the twenties i started on zocor then advanced to statins think ive been on them since they were introduced many years ago have got my levels down to about 4.8 i think statins seem to be the only drug to work i think you have to put up with the after effects or die from a heart attack i also take fenofribrate for the trigs

 

[Bluenosesol]

I dont qualify as an experienced statin taker as I have only been on them for 6 months. The criteria would appear to be Over 40, diabetic, then take them regardless of your cholesterol levels but especially if you go over 5.
When I first took them, I got a few muscle twinges and leadened thighs, but now free of any side effects. My doctor said that only 15 years ago it was common for a 50 something man to suffer his first heart attack. Today it is much less frequent and he puts it down to statins.
I do worry about the level of anti-statin opinion, but on balance I havent seen a strong enough case to encourage me to stop taking them.

All the best - Steve

 

[smcc]

I am a type 1 diabetic and have been for more than 40 years. My cholesterol levels were high about 5 years ago and I started on a statin. No side effects and lower cholesterol. At the last count my TC was 3.5 and HDL 2.2.
What is often forgotten is that cholesterol lowering is not the only effect of statins. One of the real benefits of statins is their effect in reducing in flammation in the lining of blood vessels, making plaque formation and thrombosis less likely.

http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/choles ... tatins.htm

 

[Daibell]

I've been on them for 7 years. My understanding is that you have to take them continuously as the effects only last as long as you take the tablets? My GP put me on a high dose to start with (stupid) and my levels dropped from 6'ish to 3'ish. I suggested that I try half the dose level as I don't like taking more medication than needed. I've done this with his agreement for several years and am still at 3.5'ish which means my current, lower, dose level is fine

 

[Virginia]

Hi,I've been on Atorvastatin for 16 years in August.I'm seriously thinking of stopping them because I have Fibromyalgia and Arachnoiditis,which is very painful and both are progressive and involve my muscles and Nerves and my Vascular System.One of the known side effects of statins is aching muscles,so really I am going to have to weigh up my options :? I did ask a few years ago about stopping the Atorvastatin and I was told that even if I had the lowest of low fat diets I would still have to take it for the rest of my life,but that was a while ago and I wondered if that idea had changed!I take quite a large number of Meds and would love to try and cut down.It seems like common sense to me really ,that, seeing as I have bad Muscle pain 24/7, stopping something that could possibly make it worse can only help,along with a low fat diet.I'll be interested to hear from anyone else who is experiencing a similar problem

 

[avy]

Hello all, This is my first posting and I have been diagnosed as diabetic since 2006(type 2). I read with interest everyones coments with regard to statins and would like to say that I take 40mg of simvastatin daily(at night) but I also take a co-enzyme Q-10. I asked in a very well known store that sells natural remedies and they were recommended as a protection against the not so good side effects of a statin. So muscle pain and wastage I have no experience of. Whether it is down to this medication I don't know.

 

[Osidge]

Hi Virginia

I don't experience any problems with taking statins but wondered what was making you think that the statin you take was giving you aching muscles rather than your other medical issues.

Regards

Doug

 

[hanadr]

I was put on statins 10 years ago and persuaded my doctor to reduce the dose to 20mg about 5 years ago[ Total cholesterol was 3!] Now I'm afraid I simply don't take them. My VLC diet keeps my cholesterol low in the 3s and my LDL/total ratio is much better better than target.
It's not fats that cause cholesterol, but carbs.
Hana

 

[Grazer]

Since reducing my carbs (not VLC) I've upped my fats a bit (more cheese) and have more eggs, and my cholesterol has gone from 5.5 to 3.8 (no extra statins or anything)

 

[noblehead]

My total cholesterol has never been above 4.3 and is currently 4.1 with all my lipids within range, despite this my consultant insists I should start taking a low-dose statin to prevent future heart disease in 10-20 years time.

I've not decided as yet but will seriously consider it at some point in the future.