Statins and iBS

[Rowyew]

Hi, I wonder if anyone takes statins and if they make your IBS worse. My GP wants me to take them but i tried for a week and my tum was really gripey so I stopped them. Do the effects wear off? Otherwise my IBS is more important.

[Catatvet05]

Hi, I have not take Statins but do take mebeverine. It’s okay but am experiencing adverse effects like heartburn and headaches. I haven’t officially been diagnosed with IBS just have terrible bloating and pains, etc.

[Hidden]

Statins like a lot of medication you take time to adjust to them. That is not to say you can tolerate any particular one or not. Statins are used for more than one reason, why are you on them?

[Rowyew in reply to Hidden]

Hi, thanks for your reply. They are to lower my cholesterol because it is a bit high genetically, not due to my diet. Maybe I should give them a bit longer....

[Hidden in reply to Rowyew]

I have lived for 30 plus years at 9.8 cholesterol level. I had always eaten what was apparently the appropriate diet for high cholesterol. Nothing ever changed it much not even medication until I was told I had CKD and diabetes. After a year of diet and lifestyle changes for these conditions suddenly my cholesterol has dropped to 6.4. A nice surprise. There is no "normal" for cholesterol levels, some can live with high levels and some can't.

[Rowyew in reply to Hidden]

I'm thinking that too. My diet and lifestyle are really healthy (apart from being a bit lazy) so I think I'll risk it. I'm hoping my diet for low thyroxine will help too - apparently the two can be linked. A bit like you with the CKD and diabetes. I really hope you've got those under control. Thank you so much for sharing that with me. All the best

[Hidden in reply to Rowyew]

With CKD statins are a definite no no unless you are prepared to sacrifice some kidney function, this is what DR's do, mitigate without consulting you. I only take vitamin D now and have stopped all medication in favour trying to stabilise my kidneys. Mostly working for me but the downside is I have to suck up a lot of pain. Anything but opioid based painkillers will eat away at kidney function. Eventually I may have to mitigate, but not yet. My major step forward was getting off man made foods, salt, sugar and any substitutes, cut down red meat and only drink water or the good old cuppa tea. Keep it fresh and natural and the cholesterol suddenly dropped. The upside has been I feel better generally. Had I not had the slap in the face with my declining health I would still be chewing through what is generally an acceptable diet for high cholesterol. It was never my intention to do something about my cholesterol levels, it was/ is all about my kidneys and diabetes. The cholesterol level is a bonus. Makes me more resolute to stick with what is working for me.

[Rowyew in reply to Hidden]

I agree about the 'natural' foods. I was already vegetarian and ate what I thought was a healthy diet. Now, like you I'm REALLY going back to basics - drinking lots of water , fresh food etc. Just hope it helps. Glad it did for you.All the best.

[Inksplat]

I take statins but never noticed a connection with IVS. In terms of what’s more important- IBS is not life threatening- heart disease is. But you could ask Doc to try you on a different type, there are several and they all do the same job.

[Rowyew in reply to Inksplat]

Hi, thanks for your reply. Maybe I'm imagining the connection and being a bit paranoid! I get very bad IBS attacks sometimes and just want to eliminate anything that might bring one on. I know IBS won't kill me but it definitely spoils the quality of lfe.

[Inksplat in reply to Rowyew]

Yes, IBS is pretty horrible, though I think the GPS resist statins and get you to try diet and lifestyle changes first. I had to take statins in the end and cholesterol came down to within safe limits. I had a problem with my eyes and didn’t want to lose my sight so that was a big incentive!

[Rowyew in reply to Inksplat]

Hi, thanks for your reply. Already tried diet and lifestyle but didn't make a difference. It seems i have got what they call the 'familial' version so not much I can do. Looks like I'll have to go with the statins. One doctor did say they were often effective if you just took them twice a week. Any good for you?

[Inksplat in reply to Rowyew]

No, I tried stretching them out, but the cholesterol didn’t come down very much... I had to do the full dose to see results... I take simvastatin

[Rowyew in reply to Inksplat]

Thanks for sharing that. They want to put me on Atorvastatin.I think I've made my mind up now. Statins and managing IBS just seems too much.

[Ellie-Louise]

Don’t take statins, terrible things. I reduced my cholesterol by eating foods that lower it naturally such as oats. Do your research.

[Hidden in reply to Ellie-Louise]

Statins revolving door thing as take them lowers it but then makes your hormones wrong which body needs to remake Cholesterol to rebalance. Increase Vits like D and others

[Rowyew in reply to Ellie-Louise]

Hi, thanks for your reply. Tried all the dietary stuff and done loads of research. Nothing helps cos it's apparently 'familial'. I don't like the idea of stains but looks like I'm running out of options....

[Ellie-Louise in reply to Rowyew]

I had an aunt who lived well into her 80’s with very high, and I mean high teens figure, natural cholesterol. She was fine and dandy and never looked ill.She probably inherited it through her genes or wherever it comes from and said her doctor wasn’t worried about her.

My brother came off Statins when they practically made him disabled enough to be unable to walk through muscle weakness and pain. He came off them himself after refusing to take any more and was much better.

[Rowyew in reply to Ellie-Louise]

Hi and thanks for the encouraging stuff about your aunt. And the warn i ng about your brother. I think if I stick to a sensible diet (but can be difficult when you're doing FODMAP too!) and lifestyle, I'll be fine, at least for the time being. My cholesterol is only about 6. Your message has given me a boost - thanks again.

[Ellie-Louise in reply to Rowyew]

You’ll be fine, mine isn’t much different to yours now. All the best xx

[Rowyew in reply to Ellie-Louise]

All the best to you too X

[BabsyWabsy in reply to Ellie-Louise]

My OH came off statins for similar reasons a few years ago. His cholesterol has been Ok in the last few years without them. I have to question the rationale for prescribing them in the first place. Often on the basis of one test.

[Rowyew in reply to BabsyWabsy]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, i think GPs are maybe a bit overcautious and overprescribe. Glad your OH is doing fine without them and I think I'll do the same.

[Hidden in reply to BabsyWabsy]

For the £60 they get plus kick backs for prescribing them!

[BabsyWabsy]

I get a call every year from my GP asking me to take a statin even though my HDL:LDL ratio is fine. He then says he has to call me even though they would not consider my cholesterol to be a problem normally. I remind him that statins were never tested on women, and he replies, he wouldn't have prescribed them any way. This suggests to me that GPs get a premium for getting people to take statins, otherwise, why bother prescribing them for healthy people? Yes, I admit, I am very cynical.

[Hidden in reply to BabsyWabsy]

£60 and a kick back is why! Med .co want all on them big money spinner

[BabsyWabsy]

As I suspected. It is pretty telling that they keep pushing statins at all and sundry. I'll keep my cholesterol to feed my brain thanks. You sound like you have some background/inside knowledge Oscarbravo. And while we are at it, sort out the flippin 'Eat Badly Plate' and stop peddling poor nutrition. I'll put my soap box away now.

[Hosers2]

2013: Age 64. Dr put me on Simvistatin for high cholesterol. During that year, I developed rotator cuff problems in my right shoulder. It lasted the entire year. The doctors recommended surgery.2014: Age 65. Pain subsided in my right shoulder, only to find its way to my left shoulder. Again, rotator cuff surgery was recommended. Additionally, I started having stiff wrists and “frozen fingers.

2015: Age 66. Constant pain and stiffness now in both shoulders, plus hips weakening and hurting, to the point that I needed help to stand. Two separate physicians suggested that I might need hip replacement surgery. Another definitely recommended I get Carpal Tunnel surgery for my now, useless hands.

I finally started to investigate all of the medications I was being prescribed. I read many blogs, most promoting Simvistatin, all with cheery comments about how good and helpful Simvistatin was. (I suspect these blogs were promoted by the Pharmaceutical manufacturers).

Then I found a blog (since has been removed by some entity) where other men were experiencing the SAME problems I was. Men who were no longer able to hold onto a drill. Who felt like someone had taken a sledge hammer to their wrists while they were asleep. Who could not take the cap off of a bottle. Who had been perfectly healthy when their doc insisted they take statin for their high cholesterol.

Almost on the verge of being an invalid, I immediately quit, cold turkey. I didn’t even notify my doctor. Within the month, I was almost normal again. I wasn’t going the have to close down my construction business after all! And NO surgeries were necessary either!

My father and mother both had high cholesterol with numbers similar to mine. Both lived way into their 90’s. All without taking statins. My cholesterol numbers reduced from 240 HDL to 235 over the three year period of my suffering.

Additionally, my 40 yo daughter has a 235 cholesterol. She does Half Ironman competitions and marathons. Her body fat index is below 3. So I am assuming the high cholesterol runs in the family.

June 2021 Fathers Day: Age 71. I awoke to every single pain identical to my Simvistatin days. All at once! Eight weeks later I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR).

Did Simvistatin cause this? You be the judge! I know that I will spend the rest of my life telling people about the evils of statins, especially Simvistatin.

[Rowyew in reply to Hosers2]

Thanks so much for sharing that. So very sorry to hear about all the misery the statins have caused you. It's made me more determined to avoid them now, so thanks.

I hope you have a way of controlling the PMR - it isn't something I know much about.

All the very be s t.

[Purplerainwithcat]

Don’t know if this thread is still ongoing but I have just stopped taking statins as I realised they were making my ibs worse stomach pain after taking them and a rash After a week without them my symptoms have gone and my ibs is much better I have started taking plant sterols from Heathspan to keep my cholesterol numbers down