People Talk on Statin Drug Danger: Rehovot Resident Must Know

So far 13 people have commented on the Daily Mail story Statins: The Truth (29 Jan 2007):

I was searching for risks as well as benefits for a statin my Dr prescribed. Now I know that since I lowered the cholesterol on my own, it is better to keep trying to raise the good HDL without the drugs. Thank you. - Ilene, USA

For years I had high cholesterol and I was on Pravachol but my reading was 250 total and the doctor didn't change my medicine. Then I had a heart attack in 2005 and they put me on Zocor 80 mg. I have been on it ever since. I watch my foods and try not to eat a lot of fats high in cholesterol. I have my total cholesterol down to 163, but I am still told to have to take the Zocor. I feel that I should be able to get off of the medication now. What do you think? I just feel it didn't prevent me from having the heart attack and that I changed my eating habits that is why my cholesterol is down now not because of the Zocor. I worry about it all the time I don't want to take the medication anymore. It makes me irritable, moody, and I am more forgetful it seems. Please help me? - Margaret Epperson, Mentor, Ohio USA

There are always alternatives to man-made drugs for everything man/woman can get. However, the alternatives are not patentable and therefore do not make money for pharmaceutical companies. Enough said. - Peter, Chesterfield

The truth about statins is out there and has been so for a long time. The real news however is that most prescribing doctors don't know much about cholesterol, or what really causes heart-disease, or how statins work, or why they cause more problems than they solve. Doctors are still stuck in the pathetic diet-heart hypothesis of the 1950ies; that cholesterol and saturated fat clog up the arteries, and if we can just lower the cholesterol we will save lives. Statins are developed from this disaster of mental reasoning, and it has nothing to do with good science. Sorry doctors, you have been tricked, saturated fat and cholesterol are natural foods for humans (mother’s milk is packed with it). Why not tell your patients to stay away from the unnatural stuff, such as sugar and refined starches? If you require simplicity, that would be it. Sugar is the real killer in this context. Wake up, do your homework and save lives. - J Michael Nicholls, Alingsås, Sweden

I was prescribed Lipitor 3 years ago and most of the side-effects that are listed on the leaflet I have experienced and they are getting worse. I take 20mg a day. For the last couple of years, my level has been 4.mml/l which I understand is OK. I am very angry with my doctor for not following me up. I had an accident several years ago and suffered a lot of pain, which was very similar to the side-effects of statins. I have almost recovered from the accident, but my symptoms are becoming worse. Talking to a hospital pharmacist, the advice was that I take 10 mg a day for a week or so and then reduce down to none. I have not had any indication and have been negatively tested for coronary heart disease, diabetes, vascular problems caused by illness (only the accident). I am hypertensive but I notice that a side-effect of Lipitor is water retention! For the water retention, I was prescribed a diuretic which in turn caused a build up of uric acid in my joints... - Anne Whitburn, Sutton, Surrey, England.

Oh how I would love a brave newspaper to ask all statin users if they have have experienced muscle pain, weakness, lack of energy, lack of sex drive, memory problems or any of the other common effects of lowered cholesterol. The vast majority of sufferers are told by their doctors that what they are experiencing is just due to advancing years. - Jane Dawson, Isle of Islay

I was taking lipitor 10 mg my cholesterol was 8.0 it came down to 6.5 so my Dr increased the dose to 20 mg. I then started to experience deafness and vertigo, I was sent for a MRI scan and was told I had nerve damage, my hearing would not improve would I like a hearing aid. I then started to experience a lot more side effects,rhinitis,leg pains, tinnitus and dry throat. I reported to my Dr and asked if it could be the statins, I stopped them for a while and my hearing came back so Dr tried other statins which within 2 days made me deaf again. I have now stopped taking them and my hearing is back to normal. My sister in law was also on 20mg Lipitor and she woke in the night and both her arms had gone dead, she asked her Dr and he said to stop the Lipitor and this problem stopped. - Rosemary, Surrey, UK

About 3 years ago I had a cholesterol reading of 6.4, my Doctor prescribed LIPITOR 20mg, I lost 5 stone in weight, and after 12 months my reading had increased to over 9. My doctor increased my dosage to 40mg, my reading for two subsequent years has been 3.7 and 4. I am 34 years old and have a very healthy lifestyle now, Statins helped me and I have no side effects at all. My cholesterol was hereditary though, this might make a difference? - Hal Jaffer, London, England

My doctor has recently increased my statins (Simvaststin) dose from 20 to 40 mg. For no other reason than "This is the standard dose". I have heard, from another doctor, that 40mg is CHEAPER than 20 mg! Perhaps there is a reason after all. I am not entirely happy about it...
- Colin Maguire, Manchester, England.

I'm 60; after two heart attacks and an unsuccessful heart bypass operation I've been on 40mg Lipitor daily for about five years. Although my cholesterol levels have reduced from around 6.5 to 4.2, the side effects from this drug have been a big problem. The worst of these are the bouts of nausea which arise about three times weekly and last for several hours. Previously, I drank a small amount socially perhaps twice a week (never more than two beers) but now I seem to have developed an intolerance to even the smallest volume of alcohol (feelings of nausea again) and have thus abstained entirely. Attacks of muscle aches have also arisen from time to time. At my Dr's suggestion, I've tried other medication but they are far less effective at reducing cholesterol - so realistically, I'm stuck with the statins and all the side-effects. After reading your article about other effects (cognitive problems; liver damage) I've decided to flush the whole lot down the loo and trust in nature! - Paul, Weston-super-mare, Somerset

I have been on statins for approx 10 yrs after it was discovered I had inherited a cholesterol problem. My readings were at the time 9.6 after being on statins 10mg for apprx 6 months the reading had dropped to 4.6mg. Then my doctor told me I had to change to a different make as they were cheaper and these were 40mg. The only problem was I had severe side effects. So I have gone back to my other tablets as with the new ones my cholesterol level went up by to 5.6 so it just proves the government are penny pinching with peoples lives at risk. - Pauline, Cornwall

I am a 54 year old woman and have been taking Simvastatin for approximately 3 to 4 years and have Type 2 Diabetes. I have suffered considerably from brain fog but honestly believed it was the onset of an early dementia. After reading your article I realised that the brain fog was due to the statins. I stopped taking them straight away and within a week found a huge benefit in my memory. I feel a conned. I was never asked about muscle weakness and am concerned that I have had a history of muscle cramps in my legs and feet since the age of 14. I feel tons better regarding my memory and will not be going back on to the statins. - Cynthia Burtenshaw, Haverhill, England

I have suffered from IBS for over 10 years, sometimes very acutely, having to leave funtions ect in great pain. On learning that taking statins could have side effects I stoped taking them as an experiment and, bingo, my IBS dissapeared. - Alec Daniels, Surrey

Source: Readers comments on Jerome Burne Daily Mail article "Statins: the truth" [FullText]