Who's on Statins ?

Emp_Fab

...for cholesterol.

I'm on 40mg Atorvastatin and the leg muscle aches are really pissing me off now.

Phil_aka_Pip

I do simvastatin every evening.I don't get muscle aches, but I do get cramp 1st thing in the morning. Is that relevant? 

Emp_Fab

Dunno.  I just know muscle aches and cramps are a side effect of statins.  I was on Simvastatin but the doc moved me to Atorvastatin as the muscle aches were much worse on Simva...

drwiddly

Been on them since 1987 (I have familial hypercholesterolaemia) and sometimes the muscle aches are bad but other times I have no side effects at all - weird!

Drew_TNBD

No.

ThePrettyDamned

My dad is, no side effects though.

Jalapeno

Doc put me on them, muscle aches aplenty, plus the pre-Diabetes I'd been happily managing for 3yrs without drugs turned immediately into full blown Type2 Diabetes.  Doc's immediate reaction - take me off statins again (for the diabetes meds)

EricTheWeary

I've never had high cholesterol or high blood pressure but when I had my heart attack like incident ( viral thing, never really sure what it was) I got put on BP meds and statins whilst awaiting further tests. Jesus, the cramps were just awful and I couldn't sleep. Stopped taking the statins, cramps went away. Had my tests and still no high cholesterol.

jonnyburgo

Theyre talking about mandatorily putting everybody over 60 on them. Fear driven money spinner if you ask me. Or am I being cynical?

Megii

Was put on statins when diagnosed with diabetes. Have been on atorvastatin - some muscle ache, occasional leg cramps - then simvastatin - seemed OK for a while, then really bad muscle ache, and reduced range of limb movement (plus cramps). Now on Rosuvastatin - won't say it's perfect, but thankfully nothing at all terrible re the muscle ache/cramps.

Phil_aka_Pip

Should I report the cramps to my GP, if there's a chance that they are connected with simvastatin?

Megii

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Should I report the cramps to my GP, if there's a chance that they are connected with simvastatin?

I would guess there is no harm in having a chat about it - not a doctor, only speculation, but I would think there might be a chance there is some connection.

EricTheWeary

I can't remember the details but there was some risk that cramps from statins could lead to long term muscle damage ( MrsTheWeary, nurse and person with high cholesterol,was highly alarmed at my reaction to them) so

EricTheWeary

...always tell your gp about the side effects ( and why did only half what I typed get posted?).

west

http://drmalcolmkendrick.org/the-great-cholesterol-con/  ;

if you have the time to read , this guy is trying hard to rail against the dogma .....

ThePrettyDamned

jonnyburgo;426640" said:

Theyre talking about mandatorily putting everybody over 60 on them. Fear driven money spinner if you ask me. Or am I being cynical?

The worst thing that can happen is it works brilliantly well and people start living consistently to well over 100.

I don't think I'm entirely joking, either...

musicegbdf

Yes been on them for over 10 years mY cholestrol is only 5.1 without them , but as on BP meds as well they put me on 40MG.

I started using Flora proactiv and benecol and got them reduced to 20mg. Even on 20 mg cholestrol is now only 2.8 have asked for meds to be reduced , but they said it was good to be on 2.8... When I started had problems with cramps and went back to doctors and they did nothing about it.

After a few years they told me my potassium levels are too low. So now each a bannana a day and spinach (call me popeye) and the stiff legs and craps are better. A couple of months back I was travelling and did not have my daily bannana for a few days and had terrible cramp in the night....

Hope that might help...

freakboy1610

I was on Simvastatin for a couple of years until the leg cramps started. Pravastatin had same effect. Now control cholesterol with diet and exercise. Cod liver oil also helps.

holnrew

No, but I have arse cream that gives me a headache.

Spider

holnrew said:

No, but I have arse cream that gives me a headache.

Do you think you might be pushing it too far up ?  :-B

hobbio

Yeah, I'm likely to be going onto them soon. High BP, massively high cholesterol and I'm borderline diabetic.

I really should sort out my diet.