Pravastatin Experience

[sebbins]

I was just wondering if any of you guys had had any bad/good experiences while taking pravastatin. I’m really nervous of starting this medication but have vascular problems with my legs and am being urged to take it. My reason for hesitancy is I have recently been told I have had extreme Lateral Hip Pain undiagnosed since 2014!! Already in much pain due to this.

[Hidden]

Do you mean you have Peripheral Artery Disease? if you give us a bit more of a clue as to your condition/age/medication some one might be able to help? Why are you nervous of starting taking it?

[sebbins in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for replying. All I have had is a very grumpy cardio vascular Dr tell me over the phone after a scan I have blocked arteries in my legs. I am in so much pain already with the hip pain I’m scared of any more to make me even more immobile. Physiotherapist advised it could take up to a year to improve hip pain.Pacemaker and ablation in Dec 2019 and not seen anyone from cardiology since.

[Hidden in reply to sebbins]

Sounds like it is PAD then. Like most on here I am not an expert, but I would imagine they are prescribing the statin to reduce you cholesterol and hopefully stop the blocked arteries in your legs getting worse, so if I were you I would definitely take them, why do you think they will cause more pain? Statins get a lot of bad press most people do not get side effects from them. What is causing the hip pain is that linked to your vascular problems?

[sebbins in reply to Hidden]

I think your comment is spot on, statins do get bad press and so hence my nervousness as I am unable to walk very far and would hate to make it worse. The physiotherapist has advised me that I have no muscle left on my left hip so that is the cause of the pain. I don’t know if it could be linked. My GP doesn’t seem to have time to discuss anything properly.

[Hidden in reply to sebbins]

Are you able to exercise? The pain is probably because you are compensating for the lack of strength so obviously you need to focus on that a as much as possible and try and walk just a little bit further in small steps, my Mother in law has been though similar and is much better now. I agree some GP's are making bad situations far worse by their ridiculous attitude to properly seeing patients something need to be done about them soon. However as to your main question like I say, take them they will more than likely help not hinder you.

[sebbins in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. I am so glad your mother in law is much better. Gives hope!!I had an X-ray in 2014 and because there was nothing showing as regard bone problems I was not investigated any further. I just put up with it and made myself go on our dog walks and just about collapsed in a chair after.

I have spoke to one of the gp’s 3 times this last year and a half and he was obviously using earphones and when he ended call had pressed button and gone in about 1/2 a second. Made me feel brill

Thanks again for your encouragement and I will start them!

Take care!!

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Apologies I am rather late on this. Reading through the replies and your comments I am 99.9% sure you have PAD (Peripheral Arterial Disease). I have a special interest in it as I was first diagnosed with it in 2010 and lost my lower left leg to it. In addition I think it is both under diagnosed and under treated in the UK resulting in a higher rate of amputation than in Western Europe and the USA. Rant over!

Have you had a Doppler and your ABPI (Ankle-Brachial Pressure Indices) measured? This compares the BP at your ankle with that at your upper arm. Anything below 0.9 needs checking out and below 0.5 probably intervention. I suspect this has not been done. If so pressurise your GP to have this tested ASAP and do let us know the results.

As regards a statin I think it is very important you take one. I changed from Simvastatin to Atorvastatin because of bad shoulder pains. You may have to try a few to find one that suits you. Also BP contr is important as elevated BP can cause further hardening of the arteries.

Please do let us know how it goes...

[sebbins in reply to MichaelJH]

Hi thanks so much for the reply. I haven’t heard of any of the info you have advised. I feel like many people that I am being ignored really. I keep sitting here and trying to formulate a plan for my health as I believe the longer all this goes on I will loose all my mobility and then need more medical attention. I’ve started a log of things so I don’t forget when I finally pin my GP down. Your information gives me much more to work with. Thanks so much again. New to all this forum stuff!!

[Bush73]

I agree with Michael H try and get a Doppler test to rule out PAD it only takes half an hour and will help in any decision and check your last cholesterol blood test so that you know your start point

Suggest you download the NHS app then ask your surgery to allow access to ALL your blood tests it’s real easy and will give an element of control over how body is doing

[sebbins in reply to Bush73]

Thank you for your reply. I have now got much more information to form a plan. I will check it all out.Feel a bit miffed again at GP’s as I found out from their resident pharmacist last week blood tests in January showed my cholesterol level was 5.7!! My GP who retired suddenly last year had told me it was under 4. Quite a shock and already have taken steps to reduce this. I am not overweight at all.

Thanks again for the further advice to add to MichaelJH’s a couple of days ago.

[Bush73 in reply to sebbins]

Ha I wrote to my GP cos I’m getting side effects from my meds following a heart attack last January and got a text to say the GP will give me a telephone call sometime on the afternoon of July 29th !!

Thank goodness it was only a heart attack be very worrying if it something serious hahah

You could not make it up

Anyway stay well and try not to stress but if you do decide to take a statin suggest you watch very carefully for side effects and take your own decisions

Kind regards

Vic

[sebbins in reply to Bush73]

Hi Bush73

Thanks for your reply. It’s getting really bad with GP’s

Must seem miles away to your appointment!

Really frustrating with Drs but I have started to stand up for myself a bit.

What meds are you having problems with?

Regards

Sebbins

[Bush73 in reply to sebbins]

HiAtorvastatin started @ 80 mg I reduced it to 40 mg then 20 mg but still had severe cramping and pins and needles so decided to stop taking the drug

Before heart attack no problems now persistent cramps and poor circulation

So may be just me as statins have good and bad press

But I certainly won’t be taking them again until I’m told by a consultant that this drug has not given a chronic condition

Hey I’m no doctor so statins may work for you without any side effects so it’s just something to consider

I’ll take my chances on cholesterol levels currently 5.0 against further ruining my metabolism

Feel free to keep in touch

[Bush73 in reply to Bush73]

BTWAtorvastatin did lower my cholesterol levels quite dramatically

But maybe at a price