Statins - side effects

[mjr]

What is that CoeQ10 ?

I explained it earlier. Post 16 or so I think.

As for the muscle damage, the blood tests should be measurining creatinine and CK levels amongst others to try to detect that. I had to remind the medics a couple of times.

[Mick F]

Just seen the doc.
Respects what I've done, but suggests I stay off the statins for a total of three months, then have a thorough blood test. By that time, the drug will be completely out of my system and I'll be back to "normal" (for me).

After the blood has been analysed, we can see where I am on the spectrum and we can go forward with ideas. Maybe have a much lower statin dose to at least help in cholesterol reduction but without the unpleasant side effects of a large dose.

Suggests I stay fit, keep with a heathy diet ................. no mention of staying off the beer .............. Mind you, I never asked!

[mjr]

Suggests I stay fit, keep with a heathy diet ................. no mention of staying off the beer .............. Mind you, I never asked!

A little beer is OK. A little red wine might help more. Too much anything is bad. Good luck!

[durhambiker]

I am a 52 yr old man.put on statins after a heart attack.everyone is different.some have side effects.some don't.I'm 100% convinced they gave me side effects I could not endure.I'm no hypocondriac but I don't have a death wish either.I would of kept taking them if I could.after numerous trips to doc and several cocktails I threw in the towel with the pills.I feel fine.it might shorten my life.I don't know.but I could not tolerate the side effects another day.but that's my system.everyone is different.I singled out the statin and experienced symptoms within 24 hours.I'm self employed.love touring cycling.statins would of ended that.but as I say that's just me.depends which expert you believe.same for aspirin.

[Mick F]

With me, my side-effects came on very slowly over the years. Eventually, I read the leaflet that came with my prescription and read NHS Choices website.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cholestero ... fects.aspx
As I read the info, I realised why I'd been feeling so bad during the past year.

As soon as I stopped taking them ............ maybe three days ........... the difference was amazing.

[531colin]

If you read about the common side effects of taking statins, it reads like a list of what I'm suffering from.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cholestero ... fects.aspx

I have a large familial cholesterol problem and have been taking huge rugby balls of statins every day for maybe 10 years. As I've become older, I'm obviously feeling my age, but headaches are ever present (some of them are severe), I often get indigestion, my joints ache especially ankles and elbows, I get the odd nosebleed when I blow my nose, and my nose seems to continually run a bit, plus often I have an achey throat.

I've decided that for the whole of June, I'm not going to take my daily dose of Atorvastatin 80mg and see how I get on.
If any or all of the above symptoms disappear, I'll have to make my mind up about quality of life vs cholesterol reduction.

I see myself as a fit and healthy person as I'm certainly not a couch potato, overweight slob.

Update us, Mick?.....its a month since you were on this thread...?

[Mick F]

Funny you should bring this up as I was only thinking the other day about this thread.

No update as such.
Since stopping taking the statins, the main difference has been the total lack of headaches, ear aches and jaw aches. Depending on what I've been doing, I ache (back/shoulders/arms) sometimes ........... but that's age and stuff, not statins or lack of them. The difference is I'm not aching all the time.

Also, total lack of nosebleeds. I would often bleed if I blew my nose, but not at all now.

It's late July now and the doc said to leave it until late August so it'll be three months without them. I'll be booking a fasting blood test maybe the second week in August ............. I must have a fasting blood test and there's no way I'm going until mid morning (or later) without breakfast, so I'll be booking well in advance to get a very early appointment. 08:30 is the first available each day.

I've not altered my lifestyle since giving up statins. I thought I'd carry on regardless and see how the cholesterol gets on. I still eat butter, fried food, biscuits, chips, cheese, eggs, etc ................... and still drink beer, and wine too.

I'm fit and well and happy.

[Psamathe]

Just seen the doc.
Respects what I've done, but suggests I stay off the statins for a total of three months, then have a thorough blood test. By that time, the drug will be completely out of my system and I'll be back to "normal" (for me)....

I you are impatient or interested in what might be going on or concerned, I believe that Lloyds Pharmacy offer free cholesterol tests. Check on their web site if any branches near you and if they do the tests (and if you need to book or just walk-in, etc).

I suspect they use the same machine as an NHS GP Practice nurse would use as last year I had a blood sugars test at Lloyds Pharmacy (also free) and they used a machine/method that was virtually identical to cholesterol test machine the GP's nurse used in my the "old persons health test" waste of time thing I was asked to attend.

Ian

[al_yrpal]

For a fasting blood test stop eating or drinking anything but water 14 hours beforehand, so 6.30pm the evening before.

Al

[mjr]

I suspect they use the same machine as an NHS GP Practice nurse would use as last year I had a blood sugars test at Lloyds Pharmacy (also free) and they used a machine/method that was virtually identical to cholesterol test machine the GP's nurse used in my the "old persons health test" waste of time thing I was asked to attend.

There seem to be at least four types of cholesterol test: there's a simple test which gives only a total reading and is based mainly on colorimetry - you can even buy that off the shelf; there's a quick diagnostic machine used by some pharmacies and GP practices which gives only a total and some components; there's a full laboratory breakdown (total, HDL, Triglycerides, LDL-C and more) which is usually used when a problem has been diagnosed and takes a day or two to report in most places (this is what I suspect Mick F is getting); and there's a more complete breakdown which gives an LDL measurement and breaks it down by particle size which I think is only available privately in England at the moment.

Fasting time advice varies. I've stuck with 12 hours for the last 30+ years and I've been told shorter but never 14 hours. I hope it doesn't matter as long as I'm consistent

[Psamathe]

I suspect they use the same machine as an NHS GP Practice nurse would use as last year I had a blood sugars test at Lloyds Pharmacy (also free) and they used a machine/method that was virtually identical to cholesterol test machine the GP's nurse used in my the "old persons health test" waste of time thing I was asked to attend.

There seem to be at least four types of cholesterol test: there's a simple test which gives only a total reading and is based mainly on colorimetry - you can even buy that off the shelf; there's a quick diagnostic machine used by some pharmacies and GP practices which gives only a total and some components; there's a full laboratory breakdown (total, HDL, Triglycerides, LDL-C and more) which is usually used when a problem has been diagnosed and takes a day or two to report in most places (this is what I suspect Mick F is getting); and there's a more complete breakdown which gives an LDL measurement and breaks it down by particle size which I think is only available privately in England at the moment.

Fasting time advice varies. I've stuck with 12 hours for the last 30+ years and I've been told shorter but never 14 hours. I hope it doesn't matter as long as I'm consistent ;)

When I had my blood sugar thing at Lloyds Pharmacy they took a drop of blood on a mini-slide like thing and inserted it in a machine which gave the readings. When I had my health check thing with the GP nurse they took a drop of blood on a similar looking slide thing and put that in a similar machine which gave me two readings (from memory "good" and "bad" cholesterol). Both machines were (from memory) slightly larger than a Garmin GPS - thicker and a bit bigger, and definitely hand held sized).

Ian

[Mick F]

When I have my tests, they take two blood samples. Bottles about 2" long, maybe slightly less. The samples get marked up and sent off to Derriford Hospital Plymouth. Results come back in a few days. Complete break-down in blood cholesterol thingies plus they look for muscle enzymes(?) and liver wotsits. I think they check for diabetes too. I have the test every couple of years.

I doubt a Lloyds Pharmacy (or any high-street chemist) could do all this to the same degree.

[Mark1978]

When I have my tests, they take two blood samples. Bottles about 2" long, maybe slightly less. The samples get marked up and sent off to Derriford Hospital Plymouth. Results come back in a few days. Complete break-down in blood cholesterol thingies plus they look for muscle enzymes(?) and liver wotsits. I think they check for diabetes too. I have the test every couple of years.

I doubt a Lloyds Pharmacy (or any high-street chemist) could do all this to the same degree.

My tests have always been the same. Small tubes they send away in an envelope. I've never had a test where they tell you the result there and then.

I don't know if I posted this above. But I was referred to the local hospital as my LDL was around 9 - which is the highest the consultant had seen! But then I started properly taking* Atorvastatin 40mg and that level was cut in half.

* I had been very bad at taking it, quite often going weeks at a stretch without taking it at all.

[Mark1978]

As an aside I do wonder what effects of very high cholesterol has on cycling? I would imagine if your arteries are somewhat blocked then it can't help the bloodflow necessary to maintain a good power output?

[Psamathe]

When I have my tests, they take two blood samples. Bottles about 2" long, maybe slightly less. The samples get marked up and sent off to Derriford Hospital Plymouth. Results come back in a few days. Complete break-down in blood cholesterol thingies plus they look for muscle enzymes(?) and liver wotsits. I think they check for diabetes too. I have the test every couple of years.

I doubt a Lloyds Pharmacy (or any high-street chemist) could do all this to the same degree.

Not suggesting an "instead of", more if you wonder what is "going on" during your 3 month wait for the full works.

Ian