statin, good or bad for you,?

[alfred]

i remember some years back when my doctor suggested that i should think about going on statin, i said no as i wasn't sure as then statins were a new tablet to which was being pushed by most medical people as to the benefits ,

recently i read that statins weren't as good as first thought, due to side effects that have affect some ,and so now people have to be really sure that statin or medicine in general  is ok for them,

 i suppose it was instinct of not being sure about taking them, that i refused and so  like many people i like to play it safe, and now i feel satisfied that my action for me was the right one,  and playing it safe which i suppose iv done for most of  my life,

Q; do you query tablets or medicine when prescribed by a doctor assuming that you actually saw one for his/her advice regarding symptom's
if so will you share your thoughts with us,. 

 

[GrannyMac]

I know lots of people think they are a waste of time.  However..... my OH and his brother possibly wouldn't be around without statins. My son would probably have had blocked arteries/heart attack without them.

For those with an inherited condition that creates bad cholesterol regardless of lifestyle, they have been a godsend.

[Alex]

Statins weren't for me unfortunately.

[klondike]

Me neither. I was talking to a neighbour and moaning about how crumbly I was getting. She asked if I'd recently started taking statins...

Having binned out the first lot I kept getting pestered to try a different one. Doctors have target to meet on dishing them out. I eventually agreed to try again. The new ones lasted less than a week as I was looking out for problems. The problems I noticed stopped when I stopped taking the pills. Roll on a few years and they got me to try something slightly different. They didn't get past me reading the contra indications on the information sheet.

Many people have no problems at all with them and sfaik they do reduce cholesterol.  I managed to wake up this morning without taking them. Whether I'd have managed to get out of bed if I was taking them is debatable.

[Alex]

I had the same problem, joints just stopped working ! I too tried two types, Simvastin and then another one I forget the name.  I had same side effects with both. 

[klondike]

I think the one I started with was simvastatin. I imagine it's the cheapest. I got some very odd sensations in my legs with the second one - atorvastatin (?). Couldn't find anything matching on google and certainly not in the information leaflet. That stopped when I stopped taking them.

[-Oy-]

For those with an inherited condition that creates bad cholesterol regardless of lifestyle, they have been a godsend.

That's me.

About 6 months after starting with Simvastsatin I got cramps in my legs and was put on Atorvastatin instead. About 5 years in and no problems.

[GrannyMac]

OH had both of those, eventually had some issues. He now takes a much smaller dose of Rosuvastatin without any problems. Most people can manage their cholesterol by diet and exercise, but not everyone. 

BHF have done quite a bit of research around FHL, it was a killer before statins.

[Michael Rolls]

I've been on simvastatin for years - doesn't seem to have had any bad effects

[klondike]

From what I make out it depends on your exact genetic makeup. That's why they get you to try different ones as one might give problems and another not. I had problems with two and those with the first were severe enough to put me off the entire class of treatment.

[Scrumpy]

I tried one and it made my legs hurt ..
I then tried Atorvastatin.. been on it for a few years.. no problem..