How bad are statins?

I have very high cholesterol. I was starting showing high cholesterol back when I was 22.

By the time I was 29, my doc wanted me to go on statins. I tried and I didn't like it, so I quit. I later lost 20 pounds, but cholesterol kept creeping up every year. I am currently 190, 28% bodyfat (from a dexascan). I could stand to lose weight again.

Now I am 36 and my total cholesterol is over 310. I had three blood tests in a row (shopping for life insurance) and it goes up and down but never below 310.

Now, I have atrial fibrillation after binge eating/drinking alcohol and having an overall stressful month. I feel like I am almost guaranteed to have a stroke. The Afib has lasted longer than a week. i am currently seeing a cardiologist after going to the emergency room.

I feel like I have no choice but to take statins or I am going to die soon. But, I like to lift weights and exercise. From what I can read on the internet, statins destroy muscle gains, destroy endurance, and lower testosterone.

not sure if I have a choice.

I am sure there is someone else here that has been on statins long-term and can attest to side effects

 

Pharmacy tech here, so take what I say with a grain of salt, I am not a pharmacist but I have a bit of knowledge on the subject. I also have a weak heart so I've been kept in the hospital for afib before, it sucks. The side effects you're worried about can definitely be true, but a lot of people don't see too much of a difference. Most people who take a statin regularly are either diabetic or have heart meds they're already on; usually high bp meds. I promise the meds they gave you for afib in the hospital (most likely a mixture of 2 or 3 like cartizem and lanoxin, maybe toprol if you had a very rapid heart rate) will probably make you feel much worse than a statin. Now, just because I'm a tech doesn't mean I'm really an advocate for drugs, I try my best to stay away from any maintenance meds myself, but your cholesterol is very high. The best thing to do of course is make lifestyle changes. That will allow you to decrease the strength of statin you are on over time. There are a lot of healthy people out there who take statins every day too. I think the stigma around the negative effects of statins have been a little overplayed personally though. There are many far worse drugs out there. They can cause a little muscle weakness but if you let your doctor know they can switch you to a different variety, usually after trying one or two patients find one that suits them pretty well. Everyone should be a bit concerned before starting a medication, but to me it sounds like you could really benefit from one. Talk to your insurance about which ones they cover. Some companies only cover a handful of them, and some are very expensive like Crestor (Rosuvastatin).
Most importantly, convince your doctor to put you on a moderate dose. This is where statins get weird, so the drug's milligrams go up but the percentage at which it's helping lower cholesterol is going to go down. So being on a high dose isn't going to help you much more than an average dose would, but the side effects will be more likely to appear. It can help break up small blockages around the body, which is why heart attack risks are lower for those on statins.
Lipitor, Mevacor and Zocor are going to be among the cheapest you can find cash price, so insurances are more likely to cover these.
I'm only 20 and a very small person so I can't tell you anything about these meds from experience unfortunately. What I can tell you, is heart complications are extremely scary, especially if you're at the hospital alone. I also recently had my gallbladder removed. My issue wasn't cholesterol related but in most cases they are. Gallstones caused by cholesterol are extremely painful, they'll have to remove your gallbladder, then every time you eat anything with a high-ish fat content, most people get the shits. For some reason I haven't recovered from my surgery and just feel dizzy and nauseous as fuck every day for seemingly no reason. It's ruined my life, and it happens to about 10% of people who get gallbladder disease, usually caused by untreated cholesterol issues and liver issues. Not trying to scare you, but there are a lot of other things that can bloom out of no where, but the heart is always your main concern.
Sorry if that was kind of all over the place. Take care, I think it's definitely worth it to try one or two to see if you see a difference. Expect to most likely take them in the evening, most work better that way. Consistency is important, you won't see any difference until you've taken it for a while, you wont want to miss doses if you can prevent it for your health's sake, and a statin is something most patients never get off of. Once your colesterol is high it's usually a downwards slope that can only be reversed by extreme lifestyle changes or the medication itself. I know it's not what you want to hear, but I don't think being on the medication will be nearly as bad as you think. Best of luck.

 

The Diet Heart Hypothesis is the theory that the amount of fat you eat is correlated with blood cholesterol and that high blood cholesterol, specifically high LDL will lead to heart disease (CVD).

This is basically the major link and premise that has taken over deitary recommendations and heart health education since the 1980’s.

There is actually very little scientific evidence to validate that hypothesis. Yet its something everyone is taught.

Ancel Keys was the original creator of the Diet Heart Hypothesis and the research he did that first developed the hypotgesis was actually fabricated. He surveyed 21 countries and looked at fat intake and CVD.

He chose 7 countries to represent in his research. The relationship between dietary fat intake (specifically saturated fat from meats) had nearly a perfect linear relationship. So a diet high in saturated fat MUST cause CVD right?

When you looked at the data collected from all 21 countries, no relationship existed.

The data was cherry picked and manipulated.



Firstly, the amount of dietary fat you consume, to include the type of fat (saturated or unsaturated) is NOT associated with blood lipid levels.
Ketogenic diets made up of mostly fats, proteins, and virtually no carbs actually lower blood lipid levels.
Carbs kill faster than any other macronutrient. Fat is healthy, even saturated fats.

Secondly, cholesterol is REQUIRED to sustain life. It is necessary for cell walls, insulation of nerves, brain function, and hormone production.
Your liver makes over 80% of the cholesterol your body needs. This is why diets low in dietary cholesterol have zero impact on blood cholesterol levels.

When you take a Statin it inhibits liver enzymes that produce cholesterol so you make less. However cholestrol is important for the things listed above. Nerve and brain fuction can suffer as well as hormone production.
Studies have shown people on statins long term have an increased risk for dementia due to the loss of cholesterol in the brain. This is a permanent brain injury and cannot be reversed.
Studies also show Statins in men increase the risk of impotence due to nerve function loss as well.

Pfizer was the original Pharm company that developed the Statin. The drug has been demonstrated through research to reduce the incidence of a persons SECOND heart attack when prescribed after their first. This is the research that led to FDA approval.
It’s important to know this because it is scientific data collected on individuals who have already had a cardiac incident (so they are likely over 45-50).

Doctors have started prescribing statins to young people who have never had cardiac incidents. The issue with this is there is virtually no research that examines long term use of the drug over decades and decades.
This is where the controversy is. There may exist a very large risk for taking statins long term. Current research is starting to support that but nothing definitive yet.

The issue is the Diet Heart Hypothesis is wrong and dietary fat is not related to blood cholesterol levels AND most importantly high blood cholesterol levels are not highly linked to CVD risk.
So even if statins were OK to take long term, they are treating a correlational relationship that doesn’t exist.

Furthermore studies show for elderly (over 65) individuals who have a total blood cholesterol of 200 or more live longer and have less disease (and less dementia) than counterparts with cholesterol under 200.



You need to do your own research and make a decision you are comfortable with. Read, read, read, and research until you feel comfortable with your decision.


I would not take a statin even if I’ve had a heart attack because I don’t believe high blood cholesterol leads to increased CVD risk. The science doesn’t support it.
The science does support high carb intake especially high added sugar intake will lead to strokes and heart attacks so I sure as heck try to limit my intake of those things. But thats me, my research, and my comfort level.

Research in this area is so heavily manipulated and outdated research continues to live on making this choice feel like a gamble no matter what.

You need to take the gamble that is best for you.
Educate yourself so you can feel confident in your choice.

 

Speaking from experience (I'm on a small dose of Lipitor / atorvastatin), I have no problems with it. About 7 years ago (age 24), my doctor was concerned about my LDL and triglyceride levels. He started me on Lipitor and i have seen my levels come down and go up. During that time though i went through a major weight loss / gain cycles. I've lost 60-70 lbs twice, and gained it back twice. During the weight loss cycles, i ate lots of oatmeal (which is proven to help lower cholesterol levels), along with TONS of vegetables and chicken and salmon, as well as a large dose of cardio. At the lower weights, my LDL/Triglyceride levels did come down quite a bit; enough so that my doctor said, that if i can maintain the weight loss, and current diet, that he would stop the Lipitor. Unfortunately, life got in the way, and depression kicked in and i put all the weight back on, and I'm still on it.

For me, my diet most definitely affects my levels, regardless of what the above post says. I've been tracking it for years now, and i know what works (at least for me). Heart issues are nothing to mess around with.

And remember, not everyone gets all side effects. I've seen no noticeable loss of testosterone, muscle, or endurance. During my lower weight periods, muscle and endurance most definitely went up (probably due to all the exercise - I was lifting heavy along with the cardio).

 

My post specifically says dietary fat and dietary cholesterol intake does not directly impact blood lipid levels (which is scientifically validated).

I did not say that diet does not impact blood lipid levels. IT DOES. Dietary carbohydrates have been scientifically shown to contribute to CVD and blood lipid levels.

I have tried to make my post very specific and very clear, please don’t take it out of context.

 

Take the statin meds now, deal with side affects should they arise. My story is way too long to type out here, but the short version is my PCP wanted me on a statin starting about age 40. My totals where 210-275.I begged him to let me change lifestyle before using meds,already on a beta blocker for BP.. I increased exercise, improved the diet, (5'10 180#) and still suffered my 1st heart attack at 47 .Felt like the "Big One", 4 months later (now 48) heart attack #2 with a EF of 25%, so single bypass surgery it was for me, Drs had no better options. Surgery and about a week in ICU SUCKED! No better way to word it. I am about 2 years removed now (age 50) and graciously taking a statin med now. Biking,lifting weighs now more than ever, feel really good. Please do not wait till you survive your 1st heart attack because you might not be so lucky. Take med now to improve chance of prevention. This is just my story, hope it helps.

 

I myself didn't have any side effects on statins. What got me off them was turning 40 and finally getting motivated to stop eating junk all day and lose some weight.

I really didn't want to be on them since most work with the liver. I am recovering and don't want to put more work on it.

 

I'm 68, been on statins for 30 years. Still very active. My only side effect was leg cramps at night, get a charlie horse so bad I could wall on my toes like a ballerina. Started, doctors advise, a low level calcium and magnesium pill before bed- disappeared in two days. I eat very heathly, never ate fast food, lost weight, quit beer and drink wine moderately. Still have to take statin.

 

I started using Lipitor recently coming from a generic LOVASTATIN and my results are already showing better,i was always told that GENERIC brand medicines would work as well as the name brand by my drug prescription insurance but it seems that's not the case always, recently most pharmaceutical companys have Lipitor listed as GENERIC this was not always the case with it tho that's why I stuck with LOVASTATIN for many years. Also having high Triglycerides on your blood test can be a result of drinking Alcohol I found out because it affects the blood test itself somehow, since ive stopped having Alcohol my Triglycerides are normal.

 

Different people, different results..and not just statins. My father for some reason never does well on generic meds regardless of the issue being treated.

 

My weird system requires time release medications. The result of regular is they are immedate and I burn through them in hours. Had a great doctor that fought for me to get two smaller dose per day meds. All my numbers fell with no other change after two years of being in the marginal range.

 

OP, your thread struck a chord with me. I was in for a physical about a year and a half ago, age 34, 6'2" and 237 lbs. The doctor told me I could stand to "lose some weight," but that I was healthy overall. After seeing blood test results, he mentioned that if my cholesterol didn't come down, he'd recommend a statin of some kind. At my age, and feeling relatively healthy, I found that to be utterly absurd.

Some background, I have no major medical history, and at the time was working out 3-4 days a week, felt pretty good and was just in for a routine physical. It served as a wake up call for me. I took stock of myself, noticed that I had developed the dreaded back fat, love handles, and had not increased strength in any of my major lifts, and my endurance was totally shot.

I changed my diet drastically, and strictly avoid processed foods. Anything originally from a box is out. High fructose corn syrup is out, refined carbs, out. No more restaurants (save for REALLY special occasions) and I stopped drinking. All I eat is meat and vegetables, with some fruits, and occasionally rice or oatmeal for sustained energy on heavy training days. I do monitor calories in vs. calories out, as this is the only way to ensure you're in a deficit, which is what you'll need to lose. I don't avoid fats, as fat is essential to hormone function (as several other posters mentioned previously) I also began following an intermittent fasting protocol of 16 hour fasts and 8 hour eating windows (reference leangains). Corrected form and went lighter on weight lifting to completely re-tool my program and I'm currently lifting heavier and for more sets than previously, and I have a lot more energy. Currently, I'm 36, 6'2" and 182 lbs. I'm calling for my next physical and I'll be interested to see what the blood tests show, but I have a suspicion that I won't be disappointed.

Be aware, I'm not a doctor, this is just they synopsis of my experience and a LOT of reading that I've done over the last year and a half to fix my situation.

I hope you find something of value in here, and best of luck

 

@PackCon that's a really wonderful bit of info you posted above. My hyper cholesterolemia was dx @ age TWO. IN 1964 by a very thorough, intelligent pediatrician. Somewhere around 2005, my PCP, a board certified internal medicine doctor pitched a fit and wanted me to go on a statin. My triglycerides suddenly skyrocketed to 954 for no apparent reason and he and his staff were concerned about spontaneous pancreatitis as a result. They said I had to take a statin right away. Which I did and it nearly killed me. Few if any doctors and NPs know or make the connection to patients who are deathly allergic to penicillin may also be deathly allergic to statins because statins are penicillin derivatives. My total cholesterol at the time was well over 500 but that may not even be accurate because once the TGDs are that high, the total cholesterol will never be accurate. The sudden spike in cholesterol and triglycerides was not diet related at all but did have an extraneous source.

 

Hey. im 54. colesterol was high. different statins affect people different. i found crestor 10 mg works for me with little side effects except some leg cramps. the generics didnt lower mine good enough and crestor now has generics so cost is minimal. also have afib but had ablasion in dec.17. adjust eating habits and drinking. moderation is key in my opinion. good luck

 

Most people don’t understand that LDL and HDL are not actually measurable in the blood. You can only measure their supposed carrier molecule (lipids need to be encased in a water soluable protien to travel in the blood).
There is actually no definitive way to determine that the carrier molecule is actually carrying LDL or HDL.
In addition, these carrier molecules can be manipulated by glucose in the blood so they can no longer give up the LDL or HDL they carry, requiring your body to create and transport more cholesterol. (Another reason why diabetes is horrific to have).

Its funny how much precident is placed on molecules that aren’t very easily measured.

Glad you were able to recover from that doctors mistake.

Also a good FYI since I have an allergy to penecillin derrivatives...
Although I plan on never taking a statin.

 

The only problem I had with Lipitor was some sleep issues.

 

I quite Crestor cause my insurance decided it wouldnt pay for it. fought my numbers for two years then crestor went generic. 6months later my numbers were great! have been ever since. 10 mg. maybe some leg cramps but nothin i cant deal with. to Hell with the insurance companys!!!

 

My cholesterol issue is the opposite of most. My LDL and overall numbers are normal, but my HDL level is very low (26 - 36 usually). My doctor many years ago decided that if he put me on a statin to force my overall cholesterol down to a very low number, then the "desired" ration of HDL:Overall of 1:4 could be acheived, since you can't affect HDL with meds. I was on the drug for about 4 years, it never made any differenece at all in my cholesterol numbers. However, I did have 3 fainting episodes. The most serious of which caused my ex-wife to call 911 and have me taken to our local hospital, where they kept me for 3 days, for intense observation. After they found absolutely nothing wrong with my heart or anything else, the doctors came to a theory that the cholesterol drugs I was on, being vaso-dialators, had occassionally caused my blood pressure to drop low enough that I fainted. I promptly stopped taking those drugs and have never taken any cholesterol med since, that was around 2009.

My mother-in-law (she's an RN), was taking a statin for a few years, and she was having back pain, memory issues, and a couple other monir side effects from the drug. She decided to stop taking whichever med she was on, and the side effects stopped.

 

Statin drugs are weird animals. My cholesterol was normal until I hit about 35, then boom in went sky high. I started taking lipitor and they god better. I quit smoking at 40, and started cycling. I was riding around 3k miles a year when I had to quit.(Bad Back) Funny thing was, at one point I was 5'8" tall and 170 lbs. was riding like a madman, and lifting weights. That year I rode somewhere around 2k miles and thought man my numbers should be great. had my blood work done, and there was not difference. All that exercise did't do shit for me, but I kept doing it. Some people like myself, have a family history of high cholesterol. I've been on 20mg of atorvastatin for years, and I'm 62, and keeping my numbers under 200, which is keeping my dr. happy. Now if I could just lose some weight. Good luck to all

 

I believe that statins are one of the most evil drugs on the market. For 3 years I was on atorvastatin (Lipitor), during which I dealt with increasingly bad leg cramps, followed by tendon and knee joint issues. The kicker was when I ended up in the emergency room with my lips and face all swollen when my body finally said enough to atorvastatin. The emergency room doctor treated me and the swelling went down. He mentioned that he had seen quite a few folks with reactions to atorvastatin and had me get off it. My regular doctor put me on another statins, but I discontinued it after I began getting leg cramp again. Muscle cramps, tendon issues and knee issues went right away. But that wasn't the end of the problems from the atorvastatin. - I also ended up with Lichen Planus from it. continuously peeling peeling lips and spots on my face. Turns out that statins (not just atorvastatin) can cause drug-induced skin reactions like lichen planus, (Lichenoid Drug Eruption) and the Lichen Planus doesn't just go right away. Not fun. So now I get to deal with this and I now also have sensitivity to the foods I used to enjoy, like my wifes' spicy Thai food, anything with tomato sauce, citrus fruits, and juices, etc. Statins = Evil.