Statins

[Rocket2]

Lots of talk on the news lately regarding side effect of Statins - anyone suffered any ill effects as I've just started using them & am a bit worried.
Cheers
R2

[nannodnai]

Statins are approved for use by all pilots, classes 1 and 2. Side effects are usually minimal, mainly a slight increase in muscle aching and stiffness, especially after significant exercise. This tends to decrease as time goes on. If that sort of side-effect is more troublesome or unacceptable then a change of brand (eg atorvastatin to pravastatin) is usually all that's required.

Certainly no need to be "a bit worried". A significantly raised cholesterol would be of MUCH more concern ! !

[stepwilk]

I've just started taking simvastation, maybe two weeks ago, 50mg daily, and so far haven't noticed a thing, though some say it takes at least a month for side effects to show up. One of my brothers has taken a variety of statins--he's now also on simvastatin--in an attempt to find one, and a dosage, that's bearable. He had awful knee pains and at times (during or after a run, particularly) felt like his legs were going to buckle. He also feels he had some mood-altering side effects, though my doc says those are enormously exaggerated.

One of the problems of the Internet, for medicine, is that we can go find all sorts of information on side effects and the like, self-diagnosis, etc., and that often we convince ourselves that we're experiencing side effects to drugs because we've read about them. And that the knee-buckling, say, is simply the result of exercising too hard or whatever.

Having said that, I hate the thought of fixing things with chemicals and am definitely not somebody who jumps to take any med...

[driftdown]

I am on 10mg Rosuvastatin and I cannot say I have noticed any side effects.

Although I dislike the fact that I require medication to control my cholesterol level I think the alternative would be far worse.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

I've been on statins, Simvasatin 20mg, for several years with no problems at all. My cholesterol went from 6.6 to 3.2 in a matter of a few months after starting. A friends of ours had some problems before they found the right brand of tablet for her.

I recently started taking Q10 as various reports suggest it's a good supplement for statin users. I can't say I've noticed any difference but would appreciate professional comment from one of the medics on here.

[Bertie Thruster]

Low Cholesterol May Be Bad for your Health: Low Cholesterol Can Be a Sign of serious IIlness regardless of Age (http://healthfieldmedicare.suite101.com/article.cfm/low_cholesterol_may_be_bad_for_your_health)

[Albert Square]

I can recall various reports that statins are good for you in all sort of ways ( a bit like they say about a small dose of aspirin). Certainly in my case it dropped a very high cholesterol level of 7.3 to a within limits level of 4.5 within a few months. (I was told the target was < 5.0).

After some years, I can't attribute any significant side effects to the statins ( initially Atorvastatin then Simvastatin because it is less expensive (patent expiry)).

Now getting to grips with high blood pressure is another story!

[gingernut]

Doctors and (some) nurses love numbers, so we do tend to concentrate on lowering the magic cholesterol figure. Those of us who are real boffins, tend to look at fractions such as HDL's etc. It makes us look busy, and feel important.

Those in the know, seem to think that there is some, as yet, unknown quality about statins, that protects the heart and circulatory system-suggesting that taking the pill itself is more important than the effect on the cholesterol level.

If I had my way, I'd put it in the water, but then again, I am a bit of a health facist.



Despite some publicised horror stories, the drug seems to be tolerated well by most people. The most common problem seems to be from aching muscles and tummy upsets- better than a stroke I s'pose.