Is anyone else confused about statins?

[masbrolass 10]

I was taking my prescribed simvastins until I watched the Tonight programme and I do recognise some of the side effects they were talking about.Then, only 3 days later, I heard Dr Sarah Jarvis on the Jeremy Vine show saying they are a wonder drug. I'm going to talk to my doctor soon about it but does any one else find it confusing.

[MysticPam 10]

Hiya I take this medication and would appreciate it if you could tell me a little bit more about the programme you saw. I missed it so dont know what the side effects which were discussed. Would be much obliged as I am trying to sort my health out at the moment and eliminate anything that is contributing to the outcome. Thanks in advance

[mh01 10]

isnt it great that the scientists & doctors recommend & prescribe you medication that will help in 1 respect but may cause other ailments, is there a tablet that doesnt give side effects? those taking medication will always be guinea pigs for the pharmaceutical trade, i know i take enough tablets & various doctors still contradict eachother saying yes it is working, no it isnt, yes it does have side effects, no it doesnt, do any of them really know what theyre doing to our long term health?

[Aries22 10]

I take simvastins, went for a blood test for something l cant even remember now, but was told my cholesteral was too high and have been on them ever since. I dont have any side effects at all. Think the first lady they interviewed had Fibromyalgia same as l have, but she blames the side effects of statins on for her illness, as all my family have died of heart attacks l will deffo keep taking mine.

[masbrolass 10]

Hiya I take this medication and would appreciate it if you could tell me a little bit more about the programme you saw. I missed it so dont know what the side effects which were discussed. Would be much obliged as I am trying to sort my health out at the moment and eliminate anything that is contributing to the outcome. Thanks in advance

 

 

 

Some people on the programme had severe problems with muscle weakness and muscle loss. They were very ill but I expect they are the extreme.

 

I know that my lifestyle contributes to my high blood pressure and because I like eating the non healthier foods my fat levels are up so I take the tablets to counteract my bad habits. What a twerp I am. Today I have bought lentils, pro biotic stuff etc which states they reduce your cholestoral - now, some one tell me these don't work and are a waste of money.

Sorry for the spellings before somebody hangs me.

[masbrolass 10]

I take simvastins, went for a blood test for something l cant even remember now, but was told my cholesteral was too high and have been on them ever since. I dont have any side effects at all. Think the first lady they interviewed had Fibromyalgia same as l have, but she blames the side effects of statins on for her illness, as all my family have died of heart attacks l will deffo keep taking mine.

 

 

I missed the first part of the programme but its strange that I too have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia about a year after taking them. Thanks for that information I will see if its on catch up.

[HeadingNorth 11]

is there a tablet that doesnt give side effects?

 

 

In short - no.

 

 

By definition, a medicine is something that will affect the running of your body; none of them come with a risk rating of zero (though a great many have negligible risks.) If the risk of not taking them is higher than the risk of taking them, you should take them; otherwise, you shouldn't.

 

An awful lot of people will refuse to consider a balance of risks, and if told that a medicine might have a risk attached will simply refuse it no matter what the consequences - that's why many doctors prefer to oversimplify by saying "it is safe." If they said "it's safer than the disease" all too many people would refuse treatment, and suffer worse troubles because of the disease.

[HeadingNorth 11]

I missed the first part of the programme but its strange that I too have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia about a year after taking them. Thanks for that information I will see if its on catch up.

 

 

My mother had these symptoms of extreme muscle fatigue; it can be caused, apparently, as a side-effect of the statins, or by fibromyalgia (there's a history of it in our family), or by "stress damage" as part of her depression. It was impossible to be sure which was the cause, or if it was a bit of everything.

 

She stopped taking the statins and improved, but since her depression also somewhat lifted at the same time we still don't know which one was the bigger cause. My advice at the time, as a non-qualified-medical layman, was that if the side-effects were that bad, the risk of unexpectedly dropping dead of a heart attack from too high cholesterol was the better option, and she should quit taking them. (See my previous post about balance of risks...)

 

Today I have bought lentils, pro biotic stuff etc which states they reduce your cholestoral - now, some one tell me these don't work and are a waste of money.

 

It's possible, at laest in theory, for some types of bacteria to "eat cholesterol" and improve your levels. I don't know if such things really exist. The mere fact that something is described as "probiotic" doesn't guarantee it will help for any specific condition - it might work for one thing and not another.

 

Eating lentils does not actively reduce cholesterol, but if the lentils are taking the place of some of the bad parts of your diet, the overall effect will be to reduce it. So that's a good thing. (If you're still eating everything else that you were eating before, plus the lentils as well, they'll be completely useless.)

[R.A.N.D 10]

all i can say is if you carry on taking them your doomed both my father & grandfather were prescribed them a few year ago and there bad new they degrade your muscles not good. check the link

http://clareswinney.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/statins-cause-serious-structural-muscle-damage/

[Minimo 59]

I was prescribed them, plus loads of associated pills, because my bp and cholesterol were high.

I decided to stop taking them about 2 months ago, and instead try and eat a healthier diet. I have lost about 5 or 6 pounds so far.

I read doctors are paid a bonus if they get people onto statins, but don't know if that is true.

It's only my own opinion, not intended to influence anyone else, but I think doctors are too quick to make out prescriptions.

[HeadingNorth 11]

all i can say is if you carry on taking them your doomed both my father & grandfather were prescribed them a few year ago and there bad new they degrade your muscles not good. check the link

http://clareswinney.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/statins-cause-serious-structural-muscle-damage/

 

That happens to very few patients, and only a tiny percentage of that very few end up with permanent damage.

[Greybeard 10]

There is a huge amount of info about the safety , effectiveness and side effects of statins on the web. Just Google for 'statins side effects' for a couple of weeks' worth of reading.

 

You could start by reading the pages of comments to this article.

 

I have been prescribed them even before the blood sample for my cholesterol level was taken. I shall not be taking them until the results of that test are known to me.

 

There is a better way to a healthy heart and circulation but it involves a significant change of diet and lifestyle for most people - popping a little pill once a day is much the easier option which is why doctors rely on statins so much. I shall need surgery before I can take more strenuous excersize but once that is sorted I shall give the statin-free option a fair trial.