Statins

[mariyn]

My gp has tried to put me on Statins but they make me zonked out . My pharmacist says I shouldn’t take Simvastin if I take Amlodopine which I do . Any advice would be appreciated. Marilyn

[Homely2 Administrator]

nhs.uk/medicines/simvastati...

The above link should take you to the NHS website page, which shows that simvastin and amlodipine are best not taken together.

Ring your GP reception, tell them the pharmacist has raised issues with you taking simvastin as it is contra indicated for your existing drugs and ask for an appointment with the GP to discuss.

If your GP reception is unhelpful I would ring 111 and ask for their advice.

[mariyn in reply to Homely2]

Thank you will do that Marilyn

[peege]

Eeeek, you'd think that prescribers would know better with two very commonly px meds.I shall be checking my leaflets for Ramiplril and Atvorstatin. I was only changed from Amlodopine because they made my ankles swell - which I was warned to watch out for. P

Thank you for tge link Homely2

[mariyn in reply to peege]

Good luck with your checking Marilyn

[Ern007 in reply to peege]

I used to take Atvorstatin with Ramipril peege - I had no problems at all, I was taken off Ramipril because it caused to low a blood pressure with my other heart meds, I have found Atorvastatin OK, no bad effects - Anne took Simvastin and had to come of it. made her ill., I refused it.

[mariyn in reply to Ern007]

Interesting but I tried Atorvastatin too and that was worse ! Thank you Marilyn

[Ern007 in reply to mariyn]

There are others beside statins that are safe, Anne (my wife) was given Fibrates as Simvastin made her ill. Statings have worked for me, but not for everyone. Fibrate take care of other body fats also, ask your GP about them.

[peege in reply to Ern007]

Thanks Ern007 👍

[peege in reply to peege]

Hi again, I want to add that I'm happy to take both a BP med and Statins just want to add . I've had hereditary high cholesterol since my 40s - I was fit, slim & energetic but got checked because my mother and both her parents had strokes . My grandparents fatally. My bad cholesterol was 8.4 at about 45 years. My sister has since had a massive stroke, still non weight bearing, some paralysis and lives in a wheelchair. Her husband cares for her. I live alone no-one woukd find me for weeks if I had one.

[Ern007 in reply to peege]

I like Ramapril it helped my breathing as well as lowering my blood pressure. Wow i did not know high cholesterol was hereditary . Sorry to here about your sister. I am in danger of a stroke I take Atvorstatin and blood thinners. My familily all went young, my dad 71 the eldest. I am well past that, rest on both sides of family in their 60s and even 50s. some did smoke though.

[peege in reply to Ern007]

It only can be hereditary or dietary. The main reason I got tested was on visiting a friend who'd move to Brittany, Northern France was she told me that on joining a GP practice over there they had to have a full medical. It came back that she'd got high cholesterol - she was even healthier than me, lifelong organic food etc. Her parents had died of stroke as had her older brother @ 65. She suggested I get tested as same family history. I couldn't believe mine came back 8.4. My GP told me I must get my grown up kids tested too as they now knew that hereditary high cholesterol shows at a much younger age than they ever thought. Yep, 2 of my 3 had high results in their 20s. At least they know so can adjust their diets and be monitored.

[Ern007 in reply to peege]

I take Atvorstatin and have done for years, I am also a vegitarian and often wonder how that affects my cholesterol . I have High Triglycerides and have had for years, they are higher than should be despite Atvorstatin - Touch would not at danger level yet, like they used to be.

[mariyn in reply to peege]

Thank peege Marilyn

[Patk1 in reply to peege]

Was yr sister on statins,peege x

[peege in reply to Patk1]

She was prescribed them Pat but she wouldn't take them, she 'didn't like taking tablets'. It's so sad because she was otherwise really, ate really healthily, weighed 8.5 stone, kept really active and busy. Now of course she's being fed loads of medication but she's got no idea what she's taking 😢. My younger sister is also on statins but she's quite overweight and has a rubbish diet - lots of cheese sandwiches, she's a vegetarian who doesn't like too many vegetables type 2 diabetes too.

[Patk1 in reply to peege]

Oh dear.i hope yr sister makes some recovery.ours is hereditary.my mum had a stroke at 47, but she had smoked frm being 14 and continued to but she eventually regained some mobility and speech.despited numerous heart attacks she lived til she was 82 xx

[peege in reply to Patk1]

Amazing! You must have been brought up in a smokey household as well.

Unfortunately my sis won't recover more now, she didn't get the clot busting infusion in time. Instead of sending her to Addenbrookes in Cambridge 26 miles away who do the stroke treatment 24/7 they sent her to London leaving at 5pm rush hour & arriving at 9pm (she had the stroke before noon) so too late. She speaks well but a lot of her is missing, she doesn't recognise her own house & can't weightbear at all. It breaks my heart but at least she is in her own home with her 78 yr old husband looking after her with carers 3 times daily.

Stroke can be so awful. ××

[Patk1 in reply to peege]

Xxx

[Patk1 in reply to peege]

Yes smokey plus coal fire and paraffin heaters.different times.hopefully generations behind us won't suffer aswell have although my sons+ grandson are asthmatic. The climate in nw england isn't best,last cpl of yrs especially.Such a shame for Yr sister,worrying for you.gd that hubby& carers are able to keep her at home x

[lakelover]

I take Amlodipine. They put me on Atorvastatin 20mg a day. I was exhausted but I persevered. It sounds daft, but I couldn't walk past a chair without sitting down on it. They gave me a blood test & my lipids (I think it was) were all over the place. They reduced the dose to 10mg a day. I was still tired, but could live with it. At the next blood test my results were improved but still bad, but they said to carry on. The results at the next blood test were bad so I am now on 10 mg, 3 times a week. Recently I was sent for a blood test for something else, the lipid results were poor & they dicovered cysts on my liver. I was sent for an ultrasound. A Dr. at my surgery was not happy with it so I've been referred to the hospital & am waiting for a further ultrasound. I feel fine but frustrated. I just wish they'd just take me off the statins. My GP notes mention my reaction to statins, but not one in particular.

[mariyn]

Thank you, hope you feel better soon Marilyn

[L8Again]

Contact your GP surgery’s medicines team. This is really a conversation that they should be having with the pharmacist.

My wife was recently prescribed Atorvastatin by a practice nurse. When she read the PIL and NHS website, she noticed that one of the known side effects is nosebleeds. As she is on Edoxaban, she contacted our GP surgery’s medicine team and she suggested that this might not be the best statin for someone with her medical history. They changed her prescription to Rosuvastatin. Issues like this do not need to be discussed with a GP.

[Snoopy99 in reply to L8Again]

I think that they do. Not all surgeries have the same setup.

[L8Again in reply to Snoopy99]

All GP surgeries in England can now access NHS Funding to employ a clinical pharmacist. Our single town GP surgery now uses the Total Triage model for advice and all appointments via EConsult. A patient has to be close to death to talk to an actual GP. Patient requests are now dealt with by practice nurses; the medicines team et al who then decide whether GP referral is needed. My wife and I, both in our 70s, have no complaints.

[Snoopy99 in reply to L8Again]

As I said, not all the same. I've spoken to a GP once on the phone and had two practice visits with a GP in the past three weeks. I assure you I'm not close to death.

[Evie3]

I am on amlodopine and take Atorvastatin 20mg…they do a 10mg too

[Troilus]

Hi Marilyn. I was put on Atorvastatin and it had the same effect on me - no energy whatsoever - but I didn’t associate it with the tablet. For some reason I forgot to take it for a few nights and I felt fine. Restarted atorvastatin and back to being a zombie. The G.P. moved me on to Simvastatin and I have been fine.

(As a side note, there was another newish tablet for cholesterol that I tried - can’t remember the name - but it worked by stopping cholesterol getting into you blood stream - that had the same draining affect)

[Scrofulous]

I take both, but had to lower the dose of one of them. I can't remember which, as it was a long time ago. If you take your statin at night, which is how it's meant to be taken, you won't feel zonked, as you'll be asleep.

[mariyn in reply to Scrofulous]

Thank you . I take at night and feel zonked the following morning ! Marilyn

[Sueafloat]

You need to speak with your GP seriously .. better still.l .. try to become 'best friends' with your GP over your medications. I generally find trying to be more cheerful and jokey about my issue .. often helps a lot more overall rather than possibly sounding like moaning or complaining (I'm not suggesting that you are doing this in any way .. but they do get a lot of that on a day to day basis and I find the really cheerful method tends to work better). I used to work as a Specialist's clerk in a London Hospt and soon learnt that a laugh and a joke goes a long way with tired and over worked medics medic of all kinds! Sometimes we need to cheer cheer them up a bit?

I was originally put on Simvastatin but they made me dopey and I felt nauseous on an almost daily basis a couple of hours after taking it! Then they changed me to Rampiril (where I literally, became a zombie for 3 months when in combination of my CFS/ME and other meds taken to control that and other illnesses). The change which zonked me out totally .. I spent over a month in bed/on the sofa.

They then took me through various "other statins" over about two years (of about/at least 3 months of trial and with me writing daily notes as to how they affected me/I felt/ was able to do/cope with etc .. each new statin). .. of which I can not remember all their names.

We finally came to 'Atorvastatin' which whilst not perfect it was livable with for me! I currently take 150mg per day (the last 10 or so years .. I've Ive had 5 Heart Attacks now and now (5 Atereal Infarctions .. I have 5 stents and go by the name of Metal Micky or ithe Bionic Woman depending on how I feel that day) and was changed to taking this med in the evening rather than morning (usually around 7 to 8pm along with my evening meal) now. This one does not make me so nausious .. (the odd occasion per year only).Also, if it does start to make me 🥱 😴 sleepy then .. I am off to bed shortly .. anyway! 😴 😴 💤 Zz.

It pays to ask to "make adjustments" as they do not have to be taken during the day and yes "It can work!" But needs patience. I have CFS/ME so "any" pills adding to that issue and making life worse .. has to be looked at and discussed with your medicals teams re-contradictionary meds adversities! Be a trooper and if your normal GP is not helpful about this (and unhappily some are not) .. ask for a change change of GP to one "who will listen to all of your concerns .. it is important to you, your health and them at the end of the day. I've Done that too by asking to see the heart specialist within your surgery/Health Centre!

[mariyn in reply to Sueafloat]

Thanks , you have put up with so much. I’m thinking of some jokes to to tell my doctor! Marilyn

[Patk1]

I've been on statins for 20yrs ( simvastatin)but recently decided to stop them,having read and watched alternative views on them.im due bloodtests so I'll see how my cholesterol levels are to decide whether to restart them,or not x