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Statin side effects
I've tried statins 4 times since my heart attack last May. I was put on Pravastatin in the hospital and immediately started having muscle weakness, joint pain, bladder pain and urgency. This continued until I took myself off of it. Then the pain and urgency went away. I waited 6 weeks to have labs done and my numbers are higher than they should be considering I'm a heart patient. So, back to the statins and the side effects for the 3rd time. I asked to be tried on a different statin, Simvastatin. Started it on a Thursday and by Friday evening I felt like my lower back was broken. It continued to get worse to the point of me hardly being able to move off the couch for a week. Everything in my body hurt. Of course I quit taking it. My sister went through the same thing with statins and just can not take them. I'm wondering what I can take that's natural. I do take Plavix and a baby aspirin everyday. I know Krill Oil is out. Already checked on that. My Cardiologist is'nt being of much help. He keeps pushing the statins but I'm really afraid of what can happen if I try another one. I am on a pretty strict diet. I've been a vegetarian for many years, so no meat. Fat free organic milk, lots of veggies and fruit. Any advice someone could give me would be great. I'll run it by my Dr first before I try anything. Sorry this post is so long. I'm just at a loss as to what to do to get my numbers where they should be and it looks like I can not take a pharmaceutical statin.
Like me, you may just have a heredity situation. This was an interesting article, especially the part about blueberries and grapes.
http://www.raysahelian.com/cholesterol.html
http://www.raysahelian.com/cholesterol.html
COMMUNITY LEADER
Thanks for your post, I am not saying that some people do not have side effects, they do. But statistically it is a very small percentage. I am not reading drug company data. only data published by the National Institute of Health. Now that's not to say that it makes everything OK if your the one with side effects, I'm sure it does not. I personally know dozens of people on statins without any problems. It's a matter of perspective and what your personal experience has been. However, if you read the data the numbers are correct.
Sorry Erijon but, they are correct. My Cardiologist and two of my primary care Drs are telling me I am in that percentage of people that can not take a statin.
Since my Mom started on statins she has developed diabetes, severe muscle pain, tiredness, forgetfulness and loads of other symptoms.
I have researched all of this and from what I've read, statins mostly help only middle aged men who have low HDL. Just like Red_Star said.
I have personally talked to so many people that were put on statins and if you say there is a very small chance of possible side effects then why do almost all of these people have side effects, some extremely severe? If they have been taken off the statins the side effects go away.
I think you may be reading what the drug companies and Drs that are either unaware or being by the drug companies have to say.
I truly mean no disrespect to you. You have been there many times to help me and so many others. I'm glad that you do well on statins. Not all of us do though. Actually, many of us do not. I do know that once I quit taking them my bladder pain, muscle weakness and pain went away, along with the forgetfulness and many other symptoms. There's the proof for me that it was the statins. I've tried many, not just one. And I've tried many doses. I really should have been in the hospital with the last one I tried it was that bad.
Since my Mom started on statins she has developed diabetes, severe muscle pain, tiredness, forgetfulness and loads of other symptoms.
I have researched all of this and from what I've read, statins mostly help only middle aged men who have low HDL. Just like Red_Star said.
I have personally talked to so many people that were put on statins and if you say there is a very small chance of possible side effects then why do almost all of these people have side effects, some extremely severe? If they have been taken off the statins the side effects go away.
I think you may be reading what the drug companies and Drs that are either unaware or being by the drug companies have to say.
I truly mean no disrespect to you. You have been there many times to help me and so many others. I'm glad that you do well on statins. Not all of us do though. Actually, many of us do not. I do know that once I quit taking them my bladder pain, muscle weakness and pain went away, along with the forgetfulness and many other symptoms. There's the proof for me that it was the statins. I've tried many, not just one. And I've tried many doses. I really should have been in the hospital with the last one I tried it was that bad.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Your "myths" are just not correct and in fact are just more anti-statin talking points. The actual research is in the links I provided. They have a low incidence of side effects and are very safe and as research has proven lower cholesterol is linked with a reduction in cardiac events. These are not myths.
Also , did you ever wonder why doctors may not report side effects? It is simple, they don't believe there is a connection. Many are too vaque to tie to a statin and most doctors will not report a "maybe".
Also , did you ever wonder why doctors may not report side effects? It is simple, they don't believe there is a connection. Many are too vaque to tie to a statin and most doctors will not report a "maybe".
"MYTH: Statin drugs are perfectly safe.
FACT: Statin drugs have significant side effects, including loss of memory and libido, muscle pain and fatigue, and approximately 65% of doctors don’t report those side effects.
MYTH: Statin drugs are appropriate for men, women, children and the elderly.
FACT: The only group in which statins have been shown to have even a modest effect is in middle-aged men who’ve already had a heart attack. If you’re not in that group, you’ve got no business on a statin drug."
Excerpt from 8 Cholesterol Myths Your Doctor Still Believes.
FACT: Statin drugs have significant side effects, including loss of memory and libido, muscle pain and fatigue, and approximately 65% of doctors don’t report those side effects.
MYTH: Statin drugs are appropriate for men, women, children and the elderly.
FACT: The only group in which statins have been shown to have even a modest effect is in middle-aged men who’ve already had a heart attack. If you’re not in that group, you’ve got no business on a statin drug."
Excerpt from 8 Cholesterol Myths Your Doctor Still Believes.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Sorry you feel that way but the bottom line is that serious side effects from statins only occur in less than 1% of those who take them. To be accurate .53% for a reaction severe enough to cause muscle damage, those are the facts. I can show you study after study that show lower cholesterol reduces the odds of a cardiac event, that is also just a fact. The odds of that many people in your family having a bad response is very remote and I would hope that their doctors are looking for other causes as well, especially given that a biopsy is not 100% accurate in isolating statins as a cause for muscle damage.
A recent study may have answered the real question, what is an appropriate Here's a link;
http://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149(12)02655-0/abstract
They looked at the cholesterol levels of "hunter - gatherer" societies compared to the general population and show that the true normal range may be 50 - 70 for LDL. You can read the summary but you need to be a subscriber to the AJ online and as one I will not cut and paste the article but you can get the idea as it is against thie rules.
As far as my evidence, read this link. Get to the results and you'll see that in a meta analysis involving 20,523 people the number of cardiac events was 24% lower in high risk patients, 29% lower in those with diabetes and 19% in the elderly in individuals on a statin and thus have a lower TC. These are the numbers and they are beyond dispute. Can you show me evidence that cholesterol does not cause heart disease?
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/110/2/227.full
Also, your comments about JUPITER and their peer studies is not correct. The results were adjusted to include all that quit due to side effects. Another recent study shows that those that stop statin use from side effects and go on another statin stay in the new statin and experience no side effects 92% of the time.
Sorry you and your family are having a bad experience and I hope things work out, but remember that what you don't read on line is comments from the millions that take statins with no ill effect and get good results, like me. You will normally only hear from those that have a complaint.
Good luck,
Jon
A recent study may have answered the real question, what is an appropriate Here's a link;
http://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149(12)02655-0/abstract
They looked at the cholesterol levels of "hunter - gatherer" societies compared to the general population and show that the true normal range may be 50 - 70 for LDL. You can read the summary but you need to be a subscriber to the AJ online and as one I will not cut and paste the article but you can get the idea as it is against thie rules.
As far as my evidence, read this link. Get to the results and you'll see that in a meta analysis involving 20,523 people the number of cardiac events was 24% lower in high risk patients, 29% lower in those with diabetes and 19% in the elderly in individuals on a statin and thus have a lower TC. These are the numbers and they are beyond dispute. Can you show me evidence that cholesterol does not cause heart disease?
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/110/2/227.full
Also, your comments about JUPITER and their peer studies is not correct. The results were adjusted to include all that quit due to side effects. Another recent study shows that those that stop statin use from side effects and go on another statin stay in the new statin and experience no side effects 92% of the time.
Sorry you and your family are having a bad experience and I hope things work out, but remember that what you don't read on line is comments from the millions that take statins with no ill effect and get good results, like me. You will normally only hear from those that have a complaint.
Good luck,
Jon
2 Comments
Please do not believe the 1/3 or 33% risk reduction they attribute to statin. This is a false math called relative risk reduction. The legitimate math calculation for the risk reduction is about 1/3 of 1%. If you want real information investigate the term NNT (Number Needed to Treat). You can look it up on the internet or ask you local pharmacy. We all know statistics can lie.
Please do not believe the 1/3 or 33% risk reduction they attribute to statin. This is a false math called relative risk reduction. The legitimate math calculation for the risk reduction is about 1/3 of 1%. If you want real information investigate the term NNT (Number Needed to Treat). You can look it up on the internet or ask you local pharmacy. We all know statistics can lie.
Jon:
You sound like someone on the statin drug payroll. Your dismissal of the symptoms listed in these posts borders on cruelty. My mom took Baycol for 2 years only - was sick and hospitalized several times for pain, nausea, neuralgia, numbness, difficulty walking, vision effects etc. etc. She felt strongly it was due to the statin drug but no dr. believed this and they guilted her into staying on it. 12 years later she is in bed for 20 out of 24 hours with miserable back pain and spasm and leg pain. My cousins were also urged to take statins and one was disabled immediately, after stopping she got better but will never take another. The second took crestor for two years, gaining symptoms like type 2 diabetes, dermal rashes and strange bruising, severe gout, and when she got pneumonia and was given an antibiotic she had severe muscle failure with 10 days in the hospital, a 10 inch slice down the front of her leg for her biopsy. The biopsy conclusively showed muscle damage due to stain drugs and a total of 5 doctors agreed that this was due only to statin drug damage. Talking about the relative safety of these sounds like a stubborn commitment to drug that is a time-bomb for many of us out there. My mom would rather be dead from a heart attack than to live the last years of her life with such pain and always numbed out on pain killers.
Show me your statistics that say high cholesterol causes heart attacks.
All you guys who are suffering out there, keep looking for a doctor who believes that statin drugs are not for everyone and that a total cholesterol of 300 and more can be normal and healthy for many people.
Be careful quoting the Jupiter trial and its cousins, and be ready to explain all the people who are tossed out of the studies because of their immediate reaction to these drugs.
You sound like someone on the statin drug payroll. Your dismissal of the symptoms listed in these posts borders on cruelty. My mom took Baycol for 2 years only - was sick and hospitalized several times for pain, nausea, neuralgia, numbness, difficulty walking, vision effects etc. etc. She felt strongly it was due to the statin drug but no dr. believed this and they guilted her into staying on it. 12 years later she is in bed for 20 out of 24 hours with miserable back pain and spasm and leg pain. My cousins were also urged to take statins and one was disabled immediately, after stopping she got better but will never take another. The second took crestor for two years, gaining symptoms like type 2 diabetes, dermal rashes and strange bruising, severe gout, and when she got pneumonia and was given an antibiotic she had severe muscle failure with 10 days in the hospital, a 10 inch slice down the front of her leg for her biopsy. The biopsy conclusively showed muscle damage due to stain drugs and a total of 5 doctors agreed that this was due only to statin drug damage. Talking about the relative safety of these sounds like a stubborn commitment to drug that is a time-bomb for many of us out there. My mom would rather be dead from a heart attack than to live the last years of her life with such pain and always numbed out on pain killers.
Show me your statistics that say high cholesterol causes heart attacks.
All you guys who are suffering out there, keep looking for a doctor who believes that statin drugs are not for everyone and that a total cholesterol of 300 and more can be normal and healthy for many people.
Be careful quoting the Jupiter trial and its cousins, and be ready to explain all the people who are tossed out of the studies because of their immediate reaction to these drugs.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Thanks for the post. Your comments are misleading, reckless and incorrect. Let's start with your statement that just as many people with low cholesterol have as many heart attacks as those that have normal cholesterol. That is the most over used and misleading statements made by the anti-statin group. Here's the fact, not all heart attacks are from blockages, it is that simple. Some heart attacks are caused by electrical issues with the heart, some are caused by vasospasm and others by small vulnerable plaques and still more by various cardiomyopathies not to mention drug and alcohol abuse. So when one of these conditions causes a heart attack and the victim has a normal cholesterol, people that are opposed to statins will point fingers and try to place the blame elsewhere. The truth is that these issues will always skew the numbers. If you only looked at heart attacks that are due to blockages, the number with high cholesterol is estimated at 82% by the AHA. Therefore to say that half of the heart attacks out there are in individuals with normal cholesterol is very, very misleading.
There are side effects from statins, however they are much safer than most people are willing to admit. The chance of dangerous muscle damage from statins is less than 1% and only one death occurs in 53 million prescriptions world wide. By any standard that is a very good safety record. In addition, the FDA has dropped potential liver damage from the list of side effects and even told the medical profession it is no longer recommended that doctors do follow up tests to check the liver function of those on statins. They did add a warning about TEMPORARY muscle pain and confusion to the list of side effects even though by their own statement they can not say that there is a direct tie to statin use, but it has been observed. There is no evidence of serious or permanent damage from long term statin use. If you find otherwise please share the study with us.
Lastly, why throw the drug companies and doctors under the bus? So many people make these statements and have NOTHING to back it up. If you had a bad experience with a doctor, get a new one.
Simply put, if you don't want to take a statin, don't. Just remember how many have benefited from their use.
Jon
There are side effects from statins, however they are much safer than most people are willing to admit. The chance of dangerous muscle damage from statins is less than 1% and only one death occurs in 53 million prescriptions world wide. By any standard that is a very good safety record. In addition, the FDA has dropped potential liver damage from the list of side effects and even told the medical profession it is no longer recommended that doctors do follow up tests to check the liver function of those on statins. They did add a warning about TEMPORARY muscle pain and confusion to the list of side effects even though by their own statement they can not say that there is a direct tie to statin use, but it has been observed. There is no evidence of serious or permanent damage from long term statin use. If you find otherwise please share the study with us.
Lastly, why throw the drug companies and doctors under the bus? So many people make these statements and have NOTHING to back it up. If you had a bad experience with a doctor, get a new one.
Simply put, if you don't want to take a statin, don't. Just remember how many have benefited from their use.
Jon
I have talked to a lot of people taking statins and some feel no side effects and others get them bad and right away. I react very badly to them and got off of them several times. My sister reacted the same way when she got on them. One question to ask yourself is why to people with low cholesterol have just as many heart attacks as those with high...that's because cholesterol is not the total picture. Inflammation is. I personally feel that long term use of statins can cause cognitive problems and muscle damage but of course we can't argue with the drug companies and doctors because they no it all. I'd rather take my chances with my very good high cholesterol than worry about my total cholesterol!
What a great forum. Thanks for all your comments.
I had the same experience that coenzyme Q10 didn't help with statins. I did some research, and it seems that most of the time, the "experts" who say it does help are usually connected to a company that sells coenzyme Q10. :(
I'd be interested to hear about how helpful is a high-fiber diet for lowering LDL. Anybody have significant results through this approach?
I had the same experience that coenzyme Q10 didn't help with statins. I did some research, and it seems that most of the time, the "experts" who say it does help are usually connected to a company that sells coenzyme Q10. :(
I'd be interested to hear about how helpful is a high-fiber diet for lowering LDL. Anybody have significant results through this approach?
You've been on the Plavix for awhile. They recommend a year after having a stent. Since you've noticed your anxiety lessening, it very well could have been the Plavix. I really thought I was nuts or the only one that was getting panic attacks or severe anxiety after taking it. I told you that I did research on it and have talked to other people and they have that same symptom. You might want to think about changing to a different statin. There are several to choose form. I know they help. My original post was not to try and get everyone off them. I just could not take them. For days after the last one I tried I could hardly move I hurt so bad. Pretty sad when your husband has to shower and dress you.
thank you. I've been on statins two years. I had a stent RCA 18 months ago. After stess test two weeks ago the Cardio took me off plavix and I begin to think anxiety is lessening.. Said I'm in good shape ( except for diastolic dysfunction Phase 2). As always when I see him I'm feeling better but I'm never with him when I'm bent over with backache and all the rest of it and general malaise.
Anxiety (no evident cause) with iron butterflies in the tum has pestered me for two years. I can almost always stop them with '50 Alprazolam under hte tongue. But there again, I don't want to get dependent. And it doesn't always work. Iput all of this to my cardio. He is a an interventiionist through and through. It goes like this: Him: Any pain in the chest?
Me, NO.
Good. come back in two months.
Anxiety (no evident cause) with iron butterflies in the tum has pestered me for two years. I can almost always stop them with '50 Alprazolam under hte tongue. But there again, I don't want to get dependent. And it doesn't always work. Iput all of this to my cardio. He is a an interventiionist through and through. It goes like this: Him: Any pain in the chest?
Me, NO.
Good. come back in two months.
I started off on 40 mgs of Pravastastin. It was way too high for me so my Dr said I could try 20 mgs. Still had the severe muscle pain and nausea. When I tried the Simvastatin It was 10 mgs. That was the one that had me on the couch for a week feeling like I was dying.
Plavix can cause anxiety, fatigue and dizziness. I did'nt even look the side effects up when my Dr put me on it because I figured I HAD to take it so why worry myself. But, when I could'nt figure out why I would have severe anxiety about an hour or so after taking it, I decided to look the side effects up. Sure enough, anxiety can be one of them along with dizziness and fatigue which I was also having..
The stomach and back pain your feeling could be from the statin. How long have you been on it? If it's not agreeing with you then you might want to tell your Dr and possibly change to a different one.
Plavix can cause anxiety, fatigue and dizziness. I did'nt even look the side effects up when my Dr put me on it because I figured I HAD to take it so why worry myself. But, when I could'nt figure out why I would have severe anxiety about an hour or so after taking it, I decided to look the side effects up. Sure enough, anxiety can be one of them along with dizziness and fatigue which I was also having..
The stomach and back pain your feeling could be from the statin. How long have you been on it? If it's not agreeing with you then you might want to tell your Dr and possibly change to a different one.
I am beginning to feel the pains your describe. But my statin (crestor now, lipitor before that)) dose is so low , 10mg alternate days, I hesitate to blame it. Please, would you all state what dose you were taking and for how long. I have several symptoms - anxiety gut pain, night sweats, fatigue, nausea, dizzy - and have searched through all the heart medications,statins, plavix, carvedilol, aspirin with no clear answer. Now the back pain too despite unfailing exercise and diet plus good lipid balance.. So your help to me please, is to know your dose.
I appreciate the problems you experienced while on Statins, I had the same thing happening to me. I had been taking them for 12+ years and went to most varieties on the market. It was ok for a time then problems occurred - got off that particular one, on to the next. Doctors are adamant about it. During all this time I had plaque building up like crazy, my last Calcium Score was 1242 - I know, Statins are supposed to prevent that. I had Rhabdomyolysis affecting my kidneys, myalgia - constant muscle pain - until I finally decided, enough is enough. I don't even have that "false sense of security" that erijon mentioned, because I am through with Niacin and Red Yeast Rice as well.
Sorry for hear that you are suffering with such a diseas .I know how you feel because i have a heart disease when i was 17years old .But now ,i'm 23years old and my heart disease have never relapse again .Do you believe Chinese herb medicine ? Do you know anything about honey bolus ? If you're not ,i hope you could try to know more about it .
Without any side effects ,Chinese herb medicine always build a whole body organize .Not just cure one disease ,bring back another disease .Build up your immune systerm frist when you use it for cure the heart disease .I have to say that i'm a Chinese ,i always trust our traditional medicine ,but the fact is it always working .I don't suggest that only use the herb medicine or western medicine ,mix them will be better .
Hope you could get better soon !
Best regards!
Without any side effects ,Chinese herb medicine always build a whole body organize .Not just cure one disease ,bring back another disease .Build up your immune systerm frist when you use it for cure the heart disease .I have to say that i'm a Chinese ,i always trust our traditional medicine ,but the fact is it always working .I don't suggest that only use the herb medicine or western medicine ,mix them will be better .
Hope you could get better soon !
Best regards!
Jon. I so appreciate your concern and all of your help. Your such a caring person and have always answered all of my posts and messages. I really wish I did'nt have these side effects from the statins. My cholesterol numbers are a big concern to me and the last in the world I want to happen to me is another heart attack. I do plan to get with my Cardiologist soon to talk about other options and to get labs done again. I've been ever more strict about my diet and since being off the statins I can be so much more active. I'm still working on how I deal with stress, which is much better I'm happy to say.
Dcordes, you are the first person I've heard from on this forum that has had the most debilitating side effects from statins the same as I did. Those side effects started the day after I took my first dose in the hospital and never let up.Tylenal and the couch were becoming my best friends. I've tried 4 times and every time it gets worse. This last time had me, my husband and my family very scared because I was so sick and could hardly function. Now that I'm off of them, it's taken almost 3 weeks, I'm slowly getting better and able to be much more active. Like you, I was having no quality of life because I hurt and was nauseous all of the time. I did see my family Dr last Friday and he told me he would not go against my Cardiologist but if it he were in my shoes and had been through everything I have, he would not try taking another statin. He talked about a condition some people can get from a statin that can be permanent.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I'm sorry to hear of your issues, however your experience is the vast minority of those who take statins. A trained medical professional has weighed the risk verses benefit for this individual and determined statins were the best treatment given their overall risk. This individual has heart disease and a recent heart attack and still has high cholesterol, I think it warrants trying to stick it out as much as possible, many have a reduction in the side effects after a couple weeks.
Concerning Niacin, don't be too satisfied with your results. Recent studies have found that the HDL particles created by Niacin do NOT have the same protective characteristics as naturally occurring HDL particles. You may find this interesting;
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2011/nhlbi-26.htm
In short, you may have a false sense of security with your chemically induced high HDL and assumed high LDL. You should discuss this with your doctor.
Jon
Concerning Niacin, don't be too satisfied with your results. Recent studies have found that the HDL particles created by Niacin do NOT have the same protective characteristics as naturally occurring HDL particles. You may find this interesting;
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2011/nhlbi-26.htm
In short, you may have a false sense of security with your chemically induced high HDL and assumed high LDL. You should discuss this with your doctor.
Jon
Unless you have experienced the full brunt of side effects from statins, you can not state "just stick it out". The side effects are unbearable. I finally asked my doctor if it was really healthier that i went from someone who worked out at the gym 5 days a week to someone gobbling pain medicine and laying on the couch. I had no life on the meds and so, I opted to take the risk. I very very slowly (to minimize flushing) worked myself up to 1500 mgs of niacin twice a day and my HDL is through the roof and my LDL, while high. is the less dangerous buoyant fluffy kind. Ill have to take my chances with this improvement as on statins, I simply had no quality of life - and I had taken huge dose of COQ10 with them AND tried (and could not tolerate) the red yeast rice.
Unless you have experienced the full brunt of side effects from statins, you can not state "just stick it out". The side effects are unbearable. I finally asked my doctor if it was really healthier that i went from someone who worked out at the gym 5 days a week to someone gobbling pain medicine and laying on the couch. I had no life on the meds and so, I opted to take the risk. I very very slowly (to minimize flushing) worked myself up to 1500 mgs of niacin twice a day and my HDL is through the roof and my LDL, while high. is the less dangerous buoyant fluffy kind. Ill have to take my chances with this improvement as on statins, I simply had no quality of life - and I had taken huge dose of COQ10 with them AND tried (and could not tolerate) the red yeast rice.
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