I have just had a phone call from a lady at my GP surgery, saying my cholesterol is high and asking if I want to see a pharmacist at the surgery and go on statins or just want to receive a link to the NHS website re a healthy lifestyle.
Has anybody found that statins effect their asthma ?
I've had familial high cholesterol since my early fifties and have taken statins ever since - now over 70 & high BP. I haven't noticed a difference to my asthma. As my sister, our mother and both her parents had strokes, I believe I must take precautions.
PS it might be a good idea to check what you level is. I believe they flag it up if the bad cholesterol is 5.5 which if your good cholesterol is also high isn't so worrying. When I asked for mine to be tested at a very fit & slim 53 it was 8.3. A couple of years later a gp told me that it was highly likely that my offspring also had it & they should get tested too. Two out of three did measure highly, one in early 20s & one in early 30s.
Hi Homely2 I was diagnosed with High Cholesterol after a check up - my younger brother had had a heart attack and it was flagged up that I needed to be checked. I am over 70 now and very fit, eat a healthy diet and maintain my weight well within a healthy range. It seems that I have familial hypercholesterolaemia which had never been picked up as noone had ever thought to check my cholestrol levels before. I was put on atorvastatin immediately - the Dr phoned me at 8am to tell me to pick up the prescription and start immediately. I spoke to my asthma nurse and asked if I could just continue on my healthy diet and walking about 12 miles a day - but she said I could do a marathon every day for a year and my readings would come back the same, as obviously it wasn't my diet that was the problem. I can't say I noticed any problem with my asthma when I was put on atorvastatin but it had to be introduced gradually over about 6 to 8 weeks. My asthma has always been well controlled and the statins don't appear to have upset things over the last 18 months. Hope that helps - the only thing I miss is grapefruit, but I am still allowed it in small quantities. 👍🌈
I’ve been on atorvastatin a number of years now with no effect on my asthma.
My raised cholesterol is inherited too.statins don't seem to affect my asthma or lung conditions.i did decide aft nr 20yrs to have a month off them last year - cholesterol was raised as were triglycerides.i went straight back on them
can I ask how do you know if your cholesterol is high due to genetics or diet?
Personally, the gp told me based on my family history, my already very healthy diet, the fact that I was very fit (swam 25 lengths before work etc) and slim. Confirmed by the fact that two of my also fit & healthy offspring also had high cholesterol as did my two sisters.When first px statins I said I'd like to try to adjust my diet to get levels down first, they told me ok but a waste of time as for me it was hereditary. For six months I ate more oats, nuts & seeds, cut out the little alcohol I drank, changed dairy for soya and the level dropped by •1 to 8•2 so I reluctantly took the statins . My darling sister 5ft 2", very slim, very healthy diet indeed and very active was diagnosed with high cholesterol in her ate 50s (when my gp suggested my siblings & our offspring get blood tested) but she refused the statins, a few years older than me she 'didn't like taking tablets". She had a massive stroke at 75 in 2021, is still unable to weight bear & confined to wheel chair & bed. Statins are much maligned but personally I wouldn't be without my 40mgs.
Becsue91 There is a test they can do but I think they know when you tell them what you eat, what exercise you do and your weight and body build confirms it. It's a DNA test that is used. ❤️
Hi, I am very nearly 80 and similar to some of the other comments am slim and fit, no family history of diabetes but was checked in my 60's and it was thought that my cholesterol was a little high and that statins would help. I must say that I have noticed no issues of effects on my asthma and my cholesterol is fine. It does take a while to get the dose sorted to suit your blood test results so your GP should monitor your progress with blood tests at regular intervals.
So win win. Good luck and wish you well.
Hello. I was advised to go on Statins., as a way of preventing the risk to heart attack or a stroke, and I have severe copd and Asthma. I have found that I have no problems taking these Statins. Take them just before bedtime as advised by the pharmacy because they sometimes cause muscle pain, but I have not had that problem. Brian
Hello Homely 2 I was put on statins last September I didn't want them and was worried about side effects but I have to say I haven't had any at all
I just take my tablet every morning and don't think about it now
I think given your age though I would go for NHS website healthy lifestyle first
Good luck
Surprised you are taking them in the morning, were you advised to do so? Pharmacy said it is better to take then at night so the “magic” works.
Actually I don't think they ever said when to take them Thanks for that will change to the night then
Yes I take mine at night too. I think I asked and was told it didn't really matter but I googled and decided it could be better to take them at night. Something to do with cholesterol levels overnight, as I recall. Allbranuser and Cat33
Thank you all for your comments. I rang for my appointment as told to with the pharmacist, to be told she left last week.
So I have to join the scrum down at 11am for non urgent doctor appointments.
My asthma hasn't been affected by statins
Hi! I was put on Atorvastatin in May 2023. At first things were fine but after a couple of months changes happened. Cramp in my left calf went from sporadic to nightly, I started pulling muscles almost daily, I lost strength in my hands, arms & knees. I ended up with a pain akin to shin splints in my thighs & hair loss. I mentioned these things when I went for my annual check up in July 2024 and was told to stop for 10 days and the Dr would call for an update. After 2 days my mood had lifted and the cramps / muscle pulls had stopped, I hadn't realised it at the time but I had been under a black cloud since January. After 4 days I could walk up & down stairs without holding a rail... but what really got me was that my vocabulary came back. When my Dr called I was almost evangelical as I bounced around my kitchen and I was told to stop taking them until further notice. Basically everything, except the hair loss which is taking a bit longer, was rectified to a large extent inside 6 weeks. Be aware if you get put on statins and ask someone close to look out for changes, not immediately but over time.
But to answer the question, no, statins didn't affect my asthma... just everything else.
Inhalers per prescription
Doctors receptionist, shielding doctors
Confused re using blue inhaler 
