statins

[jdcj]

I have had a takotsubo heart attack and have been put on statins even though my arteries were clear. I was wondering if statins can make you extremely tired and brain fog which is what i am having.

[Heyjude31]

Hello jdcj, welcome to the hearties forum. I am naturally only speaking from personal experience as we are not medically qualified. I have certainly experienced tiredness and muscle weakness in taking statins, which I have done for a year now. I have tried different ones through discussion with my GP, so it is a case of giving it a good go, and then if this is not suiting you, see what alternatives there are.

I do hope you are okay, and recovering well. Take care, Judi

[Jetcat in reply to Heyjude31]

No wonder I could sleep on a bucking porcupine sometimes then.???I’m taking bisoprolol and statins.!!

Either one can make you tired Iv read.😳!!!

[Wooodsie]

Hi JDCJ, I too am not medically qualified, so this is only my opinion. Based on a recent survey (can't find a copy sadly), statins have little or no side affects, especially the muscle pain reported by many. The report said that in a trial 50% had placebo and the other 50% had a statin. Both groups reported the same amount of muscle pain. As regards tiredness and brain fog, could that be a result of your heart attack?

[Heyjude31 in reply to Wooodsie]

Hi Wooodsie, I have read that too. I would like to think the survey is correct but so many people seem to have reported muscle weakness which had stopped when they have stopped taking the statins, so I am not sure. I have trying to convince my mind that the survey is correct so I will stop getting some of the aches and pains! I have tried a few statins now so we shall see. Take care, Judi

[MWIC in reply to Wooodsie]

Look- issues with muscle pain have been talked about for years - my experience : some years ago was prescribed simvastain and after several months muscle pain but also loss of flexibility in the shoulders resulted in me stopping (stupidly I have to say) - ** I should also say that at the time the doctor told me I was talking nonsense when I reported the muscle pain ** many years later and prescribed Atorvastatin (20mg) and agreed to see how it would go - no problem at all to my surprise and no muscle pain - year later post HA upper Atorvastatin to 80mg - then different story altogether - muscle pain began slowly and now I can physically only life right arm shoulder height - left arm and shoulder not affected at all - this time I’ll be asking to see if I can try another/ reduce the dose as I do believe that the advantages of statins out balance the negatives but there are options and I don’t want to continue with this loss of flexibility (the pain I can handle)

[Wooodsie in reply to MWIC]

I don't disagree I did seem to have some issues until I changed to rosuvastatin. I'm not sure if it is the placebo affect or actually the statin 🤷‍♂️. You are right, the benefits to outweigh the disbenefits, so I do keep taking them.

I'm in agony at the mo with my right leg, not sure the cause, could just be the arthritis. Was prescribed naproxen which do the trick, I almost feel young again 😂. But they appear to have so many disbenefits, that I stopped them. I'm on holiday and the pain was back in a shot, I'll take them till I get home 🙄😂😂😂😎😎

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Wooodsie]

Here's the orginal research article, think you maybe referring to.

thelancet.com/journals/lanc...

With everything in life, it's a balance bewteen benefits and risks.

What perhaps is lacking is being able to have a big grown up conversation without bias about statins with your doctor.

Let's hope people can make a decision that is best for them as an individual based on evidence rather than hear say or gut reaction.

[Wooodsie in reply to Milkfairy]

Thank you. Hope you are keeping well 😊

BTW, wasn't that one, but yours is better 👍👏👏

[Petercat1 in reply to Milkfairy]

Hi.I was put on Avortastatin 40mg after a mild stroke which I took in the evening, I was really ill the next morning and my dr said he didn t think it was the statin and more likely I'd picked up a virus. He said it was totally my choice to take statins but he wouldn't recommend that I didn't. He changed me to Rosuvastatin 10mg for one month then raised the dose to 20mg after that.

I think the drs favourite is statins - I wasn't offered an alternative.

I take bisoprolol, losartan, clopidogrel and paracetamol plus Lansoprazole if I need it, for acid reflux. I always feel tired, in fact I very often nap in the day, I don't sleep well at night! Who can say if it is my medication, my age (72) or my condition after an aortic dissection and valve replacement 5 years ago plus the mini stroke 2 months ago? I just go with the flow haha.

Best wishes

Denise

[Silvertail]

Hi there jdcj. I've read that many people have muscle aches and pains from statins. I can't answer that entirely, because I am on quite a lot of tablets and feel tired all the time. I can't pin it to any one in particular but I think it is the combination. Interesting to see you have had takotsubo cardiomyopathy. I've had four episodes - two from severe emotional stress and two from bad falls hitting my face on concrete. I hope your body gets used to them. I've found that originally I used to feel dizzy and sick, however my body has got used to them to a certain degree. Take care.

[statinsinthebin]

the quick answer to both your questions is yes,these are both side effects of taking statins.take a couple of hours to do some research on statins and make your own decision,its quite an interesting and divisive topic.

[Hidden in reply to statinsinthebin]

I would be interested to find out from you which medical research has established that being 'extremely tired' (that is not related to muscle fatigue) and having 'brain fog' are direct side effects from taking statins.

[statinsinthebin in reply to Hidden]

i would assume muscle fatigue and being Extremely tired to be the same thing,is it not?health.ucsd.edu/news/releas....

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to statinsinthebin]

No I don't think do.

I am exhausted and fatigued today because I have been awake most of the night.

However my muscles aren't affected.

Here's the very latest research published by an Oxford University team suggesting that statins are ot responsible for muscle pain in 90% of patients.

ox.ac.uk/news/2022-08-30-ne...

The article you posted is 10 years old.

[statinsinthebin in reply to Milkfairy]

sorry i thought you needed muscles to actually move anyway the NHS website says sleep problems are a common side effect of statins.nhs.uk/conditions/statins/s...

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to statinsinthebin]

See my addition.

The article you posted is 10 years old.

The latest research suggests that muscle pain is not due to statins in 90% of patients.

ox.ac.uk/news/2022-08-30-ne...

I don't sleep because of my coronary vasospasms. A common symptom of vasospastic angina is chest pain at night or at rest.

[statinsinthebin in reply to Milkfairy]

statin research at oxford university is all funded in one way or another by big pharma,i would take it all with a massive pinch of salt.if you feel benefit from taking them fine.

i and countless others dont,the downsides massively outweigh the positives.

the cardiac wards are full of patients on statins with low LDL.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to statinsinthebin]

Would you please provide the evidence to support your belief about big pharma?

It's your choice whether you decide to take statins however I am not sure if it is appropriate to suggest that BHF funded research is false

[Wooodsie in reply to statinsinthebin]

Oh, who normally funds medical research then?

I'm never going to take another tablet 🤬

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Wooodsie]

BHF

Medical Research Council

National Institute for Healthcare Research

Wellcome Trust

Universities

Individual benefactors

Heart Research UK

Hospital charities

Are just a few funders of research.

[Wooodsie in reply to statinsinthebin]

Just love the name, statinsinthebin 😂😂😂

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

Hello,

Statins unfortunately get a bad press.

Statins in recent research have been found not to be the cause of muscle pain.

bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-...

I am prescribed statins even though I have unobstructed coronary arteries too. My vasospastic angina is thought to be caused by endothelial dysfunction.

The endothelium the inner lining of the blood vessels has an important role in keeping our blood vessels healthy and working properly.

Statins also reduce inflammation and stabilise even small areas of plaque.

Are you aware of the Facebook support group for people living with Takostubo syndrome?

facebook.com/groups/Takotsu...

You'll find more information here too.

Takostubo syndrome is an acute form of heart failure that most people recover from over time. It not considered to be a heart attack.

cardiomyopathy.org/about-ca...

[Heartattackvictim]

I've been on the highest dose of statins after the first of my two NSTEMIS. I have never felt any bad side effects from taking them (for 3 years now) The research link posted by Milkfairy sets out the research which suggests/shows the NOCEBO effect of statins - that is (as listed in the leaflet in the box of tablets) that statins can cause muscle tiredness and therefore folk then think any muscle tiredness is due to the statin.

[Wooodsie in reply to Heartattackvictim]

The research I was referring to suggests that 'muscle pain and fatigue' indices should be removed from the box. It plainly isn't true, but MAY be the cause of people thinking they have it. Auto suggestion me thinks.

[Silvasava]

I was put on 40mg of Atorvastatin automatically after a stroke. My cholesterol levels were good. I subsequently developed pain in my left wrist and hip. Statins have other benefits to heart issues apart from cholesterol and after a chat with my doctor we reduced the dose to 20mg. Not had the issue since. HTH

[Thongchuay]

My husband was recommend for many years by his doctor to take statins because of high cholesterol levels. He never had a problem though, slept around 8 hours every night - but finally after about 10 years he agreed and took Rosuvastatin. Within two days he got cramps in his legs at night time, his shoulders and legs hurt. Sharp pains occured in several finger joints; he no longer could play the guitar. But worst of all he had problems to fall asleep, woke up at 3 AM and could not sleep again. So he stopped after three weeks taking statins and the cramps and pains subseeded within a few days. But the sleep disturbances lasted for two month and this caused fatigue and dizzyness in daytime.

His doctor told him that by his experience about 20% of persons have slight to bad sideeffects when taking statins, mainly muscle pain, cramps and insomnia. He is aware of the nocebo-effect, but he knows his patients well enough to see that they are not complaining about something imaginary. He mentioned that it makes little sense to insist on statins for elder persons after 70 if they experience related loss of life quality.

Me I had a bypass two years ago and take 10 mg Rosuvastatin every day. In fact I started on Simvastatin a few years before my heart problems. And I never had any sideeffects nor pain related to statins. Furthermore statins are very important fo us hearties to keep going on.