Statin side effects

[Jerlyn]

I am 63 years old & have been on statins since I was about 45. Lipitor first which elevated my liver profiles so I was taken off of. Next Simvistatin for years which was 3 years ago found to have really elevated my liver profiles - I was taken off & the liver settled down. This was discovered when I went in for an extreme burning skin sensation - worse at night - along with extreme muscle cramps spasms & pain to the point I was investegated for MS & other neuropathies but my blood results came back negative. My cholesterol elevated greatly & I was put on Crestor. My liver profiles again started to elevate. At the same time I was on Crestor my burning skin muscle issues also increased greatly. I was taken of Crestor while they figure out what to do & after 2 months of no statins the muscle issues have diminshed back to the pre Crestor level.

After reading the literaure given out by the Pharmacy I asked if my problems could be statin related but was told no because I was only on 5 mg of each drug. In the beginning I was told the Lipitor & Simvistatin could not be the cause of my liver profile elevation but much to my GP's surprise it has been concluded that my low dose although rare could elevate my profiles.

After reading this site does anyone think my burning/spasms/muscle issues could possibly be related to long term use of statins as opposed to dose?

I am not an individual who routinely seeks a doctors attention & have been seen by an allergist, neurologist & dermatologist. My GP has said he believes I have a problem he just can not figure out what yet. Because it has progressed over the 3 years & skyrocketed with the Crestor I wondered if it is something that is now permanent but lessened if not on a statin?

Thank you
Lynda

[Allen1]

Hi there Lynda,

Statins have not been proven to have any benefit in women in general, also when someone stops taking them, it is common for the cholesterol levels to rise above what are called normal levels, they do however level out in a short time.

Although many of the symptoms from the harm statins are doing to a person is often seen on the higher doses, it does happen to people who are on the lower dose too. People are all different and while a small dose may not affect one person, the consequences of that same dose can cause havoc for someone else. Your symptoms are not unusual to anyone who has experienced the dark side of statin therapy, they could be caused by either the dose or the length of time you have been taking them or both.

I do hope you keep away from any cholesterol reducing drug from now on, the damage may ease in time but for many of us it sometimes gets worse, it also often gets a lot worse for a lot of people for a few weeks/months after stopping them, that will level off in time. The negative results from tests is something that 99% of us have experienced too and a good few of us have had that certain look from a doctor as in its all in their head or worse.

Take care and I hope your health improves soon, Co Q10 and Carnitine plus several Vitamins are proven to be helpful to many of us, I won't mention them as they are posted already on several threads.

All the best,
Allen.

[Jerlyn]

Thank you for your reply - after joining last week I have read almost all the messages - I am flabbergasted at the symptoms that so many other people have which are similar to mine - the hand weakness was the clencher. I also may be a bit niave on some of my questions so will apologize in advance.
I kept telling myself my symptoms were all due to aging. I am extremely active & I also thought it was my imagination that it was worse after excerise, but I see now it is possible.
My cholesterol issues are believed to be genetic as all my known family have problems. I have been a vegetarian for years & eat healthy, so can not really adjust my diet. How do other people on the list control their cholesterol beyond diet & exercise? My GP is deciding how to deal with my elevated livre profiles after trying 3 separate drugs elevating the liver. I am led to believe Crestor was the last resort. I do not think he questions the statins being the cause of my muscle problems.
My leg EMG showed loss of reflexes & they could not believe it when I told them I did not have severe back pain. Is it possible the statins can be related to the reflex loss as I "do not" have back pain. My MRI showed degenerative disc disease in my spines & small plaques on the head scan. I feel these are all part of the normal aging process.
One of my biggest issues is the burning sensation on my abdomen, limbs & upper back which is greatly aggravated by bathing, showering, swimming or tight clothing like a life jacket.
As mentioned in my previous post the spasms/pain has diminished back to the pre Crestor level which means intermittent not constant, but the burning has stayed at an almost intolerable level at night. From the other messages I am interpreting that symptoms may diminish but may not go away for an extended period of time - am I correct?
Is there any known medication which does not elevate the liver profiles?
Are there any good articles beyond this site which anyone can recommend so I can take them to my GP to assist?
Are there any known studies which actually show statins decrease strokes in females - this is why I was told to go on stains many years ago.

Thank you for your comments