Statins or not?

[Rita Postlethwaite]

My family suffer genetically from high blood pressure and high cholesterol and until last December we were all on statin reducer tablets, however, my Mother was taken seriously ill and lost the use of her legs and it was put down to the use of statins. As I had already begun to show similar symtoms I refused to take them any more. My doctors practise has spent this year trying to persuade me to go back on them (even though my negative symtoms disappeared within two weeks of stopping this medication.) I am fully aware of the risks I take but don`t want to spend the rest of my life either crippled or in constant pain if I don`t need to. I have been for another blood test this morning, at doctors insistence but consider that my life is my own to make decisions about and not theirs.  

[Dottie1943]

Well done Rita for sticking to your guns.

I do take them and about eighteen months ago I stopped because I was getting terrible neck and shoulder pains, I was convinced that it was the tablets because I had read an article in the paper about them causing a similar problem, however after three months I still had the symptoms so I decided to go back on them, eventually the pain in the neck went. 

I really do believe though, that if you don't need them then don't take them, let's hope your blood tests come back ok, I did hear a few months ago that there is another tablet that the doctor can give you to keep the blood pressure down but more expensive than the Statins, maybe it's worth asking about that Rita.

[Papaumau]

Hi guys.....( gals ).

Curiously this is a subject dear to my heart too.

I was surfing around t'internet one day and I casually came on "statins" as a search in Google. This act opened up a can of worms I can tell you.

HERE is a good place to start.

HERE is another definition and explanation of why statins are used and what their side effects are.

During my previous search I found that there are a number of "statin" drugs that are better or worse for side effects and that the better ones are more expensive for the NHS to buy for our use and the now-cheapest, namely: Simvastatin. ( a generic version ),  is one of the worst for side-effects.

I plan to find this information again and take it to my doctor - and my wife's doctor - as we are now BOTH on "Simvastatin".

[xetog]

That's interesting.  As far as I am aware my raised cholesterol level is not hereditory (back then they had no statins anyway), but when I was first tested (about 20 years ago) the acceptable level was 5.  This has regularly been reduced to 4.5 and is now about 4.0 I believe.  Some time ago, I was about 4.2 and on Simvistatin, but my GP decided I should be on Lipitor (Atorvastatin), which is apparently quite expensive.  It certainly works as my cholesterol level is now 3.1, but I am unsure what side affects can be attributed to the taking of statins.  I do get some cramp like symptoms in my legs when it gets cold and my feet now seem to get very cold indeed, to the point of numbness, but I had attributed it to advancing age.  I will have to investigate further.

[xetog]

Hmm, on re-reading, I think that's too much information!
M.

[Dottie1943]

Xetog

I think that is our problem, we think OMG so much information can I cope and decide that the doctor knows best, but as Papa says sometimes you do have to read the small print and take it all in, especially after what Rita has said about her old mum and herself!

[Sheila]

I stopped taking simvastatin because of pains in my legs.  Although I stopped some time ago, the pains and discomfort haven't entirely gone.

[Papaumau]

Yes folks and Xetog.....it is true that we often get a bit scared when we look at such subjects in detail.

I am exactly the opposite about such information as I have always believed that the more we know about such health subjects - from safe sources - the better it will be for me and mine. ( Always been a bit of a nosey-parker  )

Mind you I don't think that the GPs like people coming into their surgery and quoting stuff they have found on the internet. ( I am sure that they feel that "a little information can be a dangerous thing" ). Of course they are right in that idea but I STILL think that sometimes we blindly trust our doctors a bit too much at times.

Incidentally my wife went to her doctor yesterday after I had written my first comment here and she HAS been taken her off the Simvastatin for the time being to try to see if the severe pains in her calves and the back of her shoulders will lessen as the statins drug gets out of her system.

Watch this space. 

[Rita Postlethwaite]

Thank you all so much for your response. I really don`t suggest that everyone comes off their medication, only that they question their doctors more and don`t take their word as gospel! This condition is not considered hereditary by doctors only genetically likely, xetog. I am like you Papa, the more I know the more in control I feel, I know that some people cannot take this approach. Thanks dear Dottie, blood pressure and high choleserol are two different conditions (though often occur together) and I am treated seperately for them both. I have had high blood pressure, as did my Grandma and Mother, all from our early thirties and high cholesterol since my late forties. All my siblings have the same conditions and is the reason that my late Brother needed a quadruple heart bypass at the age of forty eight and from which he never recovered. Unfortunately as it is a genetic fault then diet does not control it, in fact I did try a very strict diet in the begining and it only made a 0.4 difference (not much help when a 7.6 reading is given!) Even when taking Simvastatin it was only reduced to 5.2 but kept the doctors happy, since being off the medication it has shot up to its original reading and I know this cannot alter. I am very pragmatic about all of this and only want to live a good quality of life. Thank you all for your support it is truly appreciated.

[xetog]

From the number of drugs I have to take, one would think me a physical wreck, but that is a long way from the truth.  One of the drugs is Warfarin (to stop blood clotting on my 33 year old artificial heart valve).  Warfarin has interactions with a staggering number of other drugs and herbal medicines.  I am constantly amazed by the sheer ignorance of doctors who happily prescribe new drugs and don't even appear to check what interactions may appear.  Instead they leave it up to the local anticoagulant clinic to notice sharp changes in the blood tests, but even they don't seem to have a comprehensive list.  After a scare a while back, I now check every drug I am given for interactions and am currently compiling a list of those things that are likely to cause problem.  Since I now self test, this is of huge importance to me.

M.

[Dottie1943]

Xetog I am the  same as you but as I was diagnosed in Spain they put me on sinthrom which works the same as Warfrin but I think it's a bit dearer. Anyway when we came back from Spain the doctor tried to get me over onto Warfrin and I said no! After all why fix something that nots broken, his excuse was not a lot of people will know what Sinthrom is, my response was then I will educate them!  Now I watch everything I take, and my local pharmacist is fantastic even if he is Welsh

Between the two of us I don't take any medication unless he or I have checked and double checked it out first.

[xetog]

Sinthrom I understand is very much the same as warfarin being coumarin based and has a list of reactive drugs as long as your arm.  However, if it suits you, that's fine.  I am on a self testing regime as we live part of the year in Spain (we leave on Sunday for our next 2 month break).  Glad you are happy with your drugs.
M.

[Dottie1943]

Safe journey and hope that you enjoy yourselves.

[Hugh]

SATIN try a good diet and plenty of exercise before going down the satin taking road, it worked for me.

[xetog]

Thanks Dotti.  We are due to catch the ferry at Portsmouth tomorrow evening, just when the gales are due!! I have a netbook in Spain and will try to keep up with posts once we are there.

M.