Statins - side effects

[Cyril Haearn]

Not drinking enough can be dangerous in this awful hot weather

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

Hi,

On anticolesterol, I have been through most of the statins and am now on Ezetimibe.(non statin).....................just the other day I tracked down a US site which says that the med can cause a rash which I have had, muscle cramps well I feel awful all the time worst when I relax , joint pain unlike anything or similar to statins, itching lower legs and red rash, endurance has gone from 250 miles in a day to struggling to stay on bike after 100, then I get off and collapse for half an hour, and cant even cycle up any hill to get a few miles home.

Its GP on monday as I am well fed up

How many hours cycling for 250 miles?

Under 20 hrs in the saddle and home in less than 24hrs, self supporting on the old raleigh, water from streams and a pannier full of sarmes
I plan to improve on that...hopefully, same set up for 168 in 12.5 hrs less than 11 hours in the saddle Happy days..

I wont be doing end to end return until I can do 250 in a day again, not repeating devon and cornwall coast ride at 100 a day again

[foxyrider]

Hi,

Hi,

On anticolesterol, I have been through most of the statins and am now on Ezetimibe.(non statin).....................just the other day I tracked down a US site which says that the med can cause a rash which I have had, muscle cramps well I feel awful all the time worst when I relax , joint pain unlike anything or similar to statins, itching lower legs and red rash, endurance has gone from 250 miles in a day to struggling to stay on bike after 100, then I get off and collapse for half an hour, and cant even cycle up any hill to get a few miles home.

Its GP on monday as I am well fed up

How many hours cycling for 250 miles?

Under 20 hrs in the saddle and home in less than 24hrs, self supporting on the old raleigh, water from streams and a pannier full of sarmes
I plan to improve on that...hopefully, same set up for 168 in 12.5 hrs less than 11 hours in the saddle Happy days..

I wont be doing end to end return until I can do 250 in a day again, not repeating devon and cornwall coast ride at 100 a day again

Lets be right, most people would struggle to stay on a bike over 100 miles, 250 is madness!

[thirdcrank]

I see the so-called Nocebo effect has been reported again

Most statin problems caused by mysterious 'nocebo effect', study suggests

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54951648

[Mick F]

Very interesting indeed.

Glad I wasn't taken in by Nocebo though.
I had terrible headaches. Went on for weeks and months on end .............. was taking Cocodamol on occasion to relive the pain.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
I done statins to death.
I am now on non statin anti-cholesterol meds........will do them to death

Edited Was on ezetimibe a Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitor.
Now on Fibrates.

[Oldjohnw]

I have had statins for I think about 25 years. Had a few headaches and occasional muscle ache, nothing serious. My Cholesterol level is managed well.

[Tangled Metal]

Is it still medical advice to control cholesterol by non drug methods first or are statins now the default position for doctors?

Only asking because I'm edging towards 50 and thinking that since junior was born and I stopped cycle commuting I'm possibly edging inexorably towards high cholesterol and the statin life. Should I fight against it or accept it?

[drossall]

If you end up having any kind of intervention for a heart condition or similar, you'll get told to do exercise as well as take statins. It's not really either/or. I'd suggest trying to replace the cycle commuting in some way. That's how, with no commuting this year, I ended up on Zwift.

[Jdsk]

Is it still medical advice to control cholesterol by non drug methods first or are statins now the default position for doctors?

All of the guidance recommends changes to lifestyle first and then in combination with drugs etc where necessary. My students have this hammered into them, last week as it happened. But there are some situations where it's immediately obvious that lifestyle changes won't be enough by themselves.

NHS advice:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-cholesterol/how-to-lower-your-cholesterol/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-cholesterol/medicines-for-high-cholesterol/

Jonathan

[Oldjohnw]

When I first discovered I had high cholesterol it was from a routine well man clinic. I had no symptoms or family history. Both my diet and exercise regime were good and I was the right weight. I neither smoked nor drank. I tried cutting out all fatty foods such as dairy products and I always are oily fish and high fibre anyway, and it made no difference. The conclusion was that only drugs would help. They have.

[paddler]

I've been on Statins since March after getting chest pains while running and cycling. Saw a doctor and he arranged a resting ECG for the next day (which was clear) and blood tests. He also prescribed the Statins plus Aspirin and said he would arrange for a stress test, which I understand is done on a treadmill. Oh, and he also gave me one of those sprays for under my tongue in case of further attacks.
My Cholesterol was high so they gave me advice to deal with that. I I thought the best thing to do would be to lose weight and be as fit as I could be in case of any medical procedure that may be necessary.

I was hovering around 12 stone ( I'm 5'8" on a good day) so cut out fat and found it really easy to lose weight. I'm now just under 11 stone.

Next I had a telephone appointment with a consultant who, after hearing about my symptoms prescribed some medicine for acid reflux.

So that's where I am now. I get no side affects from any of the medication at all and I still run and cycle - actually faster than I was before, ran 8 miles yesterday and I haven't had any more pains. I didn't run straight away of course, but went out for rides. As is the way of things with me, I gradually pushed more and more and realised I could go faster with no problems so after a few weeks I went out for a slow jog, which freaked Mrs Paddler!

Of course I don't know if that is because of the medicine, or losing weight or a combination.
My wife always knows where I'm going and I carry the spray and wear and ID bracelet.
No idea when I will be going to the hospital in the current situation but I have since learned that when I do eventually go it will be for a scan, not a stress test.

[mjr]

I see the so-called Nocebo effect has been reported again

Most statin problems caused by mysterious 'nocebo effect', study suggests

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54951648

Only 60 patients, many details subscription only, but a study design which excludes long-term accumulation effects and won't readily capture exercise-induced effects. The authors and journal should be ashamed of the damage they will do to patients' mental health with this.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

When I first discovered I had high cholesterol it was from a routine well man clinic. I had no symptoms or family history. Both my diet and exercise regime were good and I was the right weight. I neither smoked nor drank. I tried cutting out all fatty foods such as dairy products and I always are oily fish and high fibre anyway, and it made no difference. The conclusion was that only drugs would help. They have.

I don't mind being corrected but I think the figure is 14.5%, that is what your cholesterol can be reduced by by changing your diet?
So if you are advice to do something about it, then change your diet is unlikely to reduce it to a level they will be happy with?
Most of us get to a time in life where we are diagnosed with a problem which might affect our health the Next step will of course the medication to reduce your cholesterol.

[Jdsk]

When I first discovered I had high cholesterol it was from a routine well man clinic. I had no symptoms or family history. Both my diet and exercise regime were good and I was the right weight. I neither smoked nor drank. I tried cutting out all fatty foods such as dairy products and I always are oily fish and high fibre anyway, and it made no difference. The conclusion was that only drugs would help. They have.

So if you are advice to do something about it, then change your diet is unlikely to reduce it to a level they will be happy with?

I don't think of this as a matter of making a healthcare professional happy with anything. It's about harm reduction and quality of life and who can contribute what to that. The vast majority of adults in the UK can improve their future quality of life themselves by very simple (or simple-sounding) measures, including eating less. Sometimes doctors can help. Often the government could.

Jonathan