Are statins for colesterol bad for us

[whiteley]

Been put on simvastatin for high colesterol 7.9 on 125mg thyroxine and also vit d my post are on this web site as I have been hypo for 7years but really ill for the last 2years going to see dr p in July trying g to get some answers to why I feel so ill when test show levels are normal .shoul I take the statins given today as there is a mention of them effecting thyroid if not on meds

[carlyle35]

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[helvella Administrator]

The Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) for Simvastatin says:

You may have a greater risk of muscle breakdown at higher doses of simvastatin, particularly the 80mg dose. The risk of muscle breakdown is also greater in certain patients. Talk with your doctor if any of the following applies to you:

• you are more than 65 years old

• you have kidney problems

• you have thyroid problems

• you or close family members have a hereditary muscle disorder

• you are female

• you have ever had muscle problems during treatment with cholesterol-lowering medicines called ‘statins’ or fibrates

• if you consume large amounts of alcohol

medicines.org.uk/emc/medici...

The Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) says this:

Before the treatment

All patients starting therapy with simvastatin, or whose dose of simvastatin is being increased, should be advised of the risk of myopathy and told to report promptly any unexplained muscle pain, tenderness or weakness.

Caution should be exercised in patients with pre-disposing factors for rhabdomyolysis. In order to establish a reference baseline value, a CK level should be measured before starting a treatment in the following situations:

• Elderly (age > 65 years)

• Female gender

• Renal impairment

• Uncontrolled hypothyroidism

• Personal or familial history of hereditary muscular disorders

• Previous history of muscular toxicity with a statin or fibrate

• Alcohol abuse.

In such situations, the risk of treatment should be considered in relation to possible benefit, and clinical monitoring is recommended. If a patient has previously experienced a muscle disorder on a fibrate or a statin, treatment with a different member of the class should only be initiated with caution. If CK levels are significantly elevated at baseline (> 5 x ULN), treatment should not be started.

medicines.org.uk/emc/medici...

Has your Creatine Kinase (CK) level been tested?

Rod

[whiteley in reply to helvella]

No nothing like that was done had colesterol test 6months ago then 5.2 know done 7.9 .not over weight eat health early gp just said statins wre the only way to go

[newcanada in reply to whiteley]

I am in thiroxin and have not felt well for some time weight gain ,high cholesterol 5.9,musel pain ,kidney stones only to be told my TSH is within normal range ,it's not feeling normal. They want me to take statins . Dr not pleased that I am no going to take them.this blog has given me some questions to ask my go next time I go. Thank you to you all

[marram]

Hello Whiteley

It does say in the patient Information Leaflet that untreated thyroid problems mean you should not take them. If you have enough thyroid medication you could probably take them as safely as anyone else, but very few people are being given enough thyroxine to make them well, they are being given enough to 'normalise' their TSH and then the doctor tells them they are fine.

In most cases they are NOT fine, they still have symptoms such as extreme tiredness, depression, inability to sleep, constant pain, and -wait for it - high cholesterol. Yes, high cholesterol is a sign of an inadequately treated thyroid condition.

I will quote my own case, and I am sure there are many more. I was being properly treated on 150mcg of Levothyroxine. My cholesterol was 4.7. Then the doctor tested my TSH. It came back low. He insisted I reduce my thyroxine from 150 to 100. Within 7 weeks my cholesterol was 9.7 and the doctor refused to accept it was the thyroxine reduction which was the cause. He prescribed Simvastatin (several others did not work). The simvastatin worked - brought it down to 4.8! I kept saying - but, doctor, it was 4.7 when I was taking 150 Levo!

Actually the Simvastatin made me almost into a cripple - I could barely walk. I had to stop them. Of course, as soon as I stopped them, my cholesterol soared - to over 10.

Eventually I found Thyroid UK and it gave me the confidence to insist on increasing my thyroxine, and last December I started taking 125. In March I had a cholesterol test. My cholesterol had already started falling - down to 8 in three months. I am now back to 150 and I am having a test soon - I can't wait to find out what it is now.

The moral of this story is - make sure that your thyroid is being properly treated first. That means the Free T3 should be in the upper part of the range, regardless of the TSH.

If after your thyroid is being optimally treated, your cholesterol is still too high, then at least you know you have looked at your thyroid first. And you will be better able to cope with the statins, too, because you will be no longer suffering hypo symptoms, thanks to the correct treatment.

Marie XX

[whiteley in reply to marram]

My gp has just reduced my meds from 125to100because my levels he said was board erring on hypo 0.36 Cannot remember the other one funnily enough it was 3moths ago I don't thick I'm being med properly but every time meds are altered my levels go haywire

[Stourie in reply to whiteley]

I would either be upping my meds myself or going back to the dr and asking him to do it. 0.36 is not going hypo if you felt alright. Mines is 0.01 and I'm fine and dr is happy.

Jo xx

[shaws Administrator in reply to whiteley]

Cursor to answer dated July 15, 2006

web.archive.org/web/2010122...

[Piedo]

Hi I found this question very interesting I too have been diagnosed with high cholesterol since I had my thyroid removed no history before I am slim and active.I have refused statins. Last blood test showed I had lowT3so Dr wants to reduce my thyroxine to 75 from100 Just had another blood test results will be interesting. what to do next?

Piedo

[Stourie in reply to Piedo]

Why on earth would he want to lower your t4 because your t3 is low. He obviously hasn't a clue what he is doing. You should be upping your meds . Your dr is an idiot.

Jo xx

[shaws Administrator in reply to Piedo]

Cursor to the question dated July 15, 2006

web.archive.org/web/2010122...

[Hidden]

There are many who believe that the whole high cholesterol / heart disease theory is a complete con. I would recommend looking up the following -

The Statin Nation: The Great Cholesterol Cover-Up - statinnation.net/ Also on YouTube - youtube.com/watch?v=Ry1Z8bu...(Not working as expected?)

There was an interesting article in the Daily Mail a couple of months ago – “Ignore the finger-waggers. You should go to work on an egg” - dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...

Some further website and books that might be of interest are -

Websites include -

Cholesterol And Health – The Truth About Cholesterol

cholesterol-and-health.org.uk/

Second Opinions

second-opinions.co.uk/

Books –

The Statin Damage Crisis by Dr Duane Graveline

amazon.co.uk/Statin-Damage-...

The Great Cholesterol Con by Dr Malcolm Kendrick

amazon.co.uk/Great-Choleste...

Fat And Cholesterol Are Good For You by Dr Uffe Ravnskov

amazon.co.uk/Fat-Cholestero...

Ignore The Awkward by Dr Uffe Ravnskov

amazon.co.uk/Ignore-Awkward...

Trick And Treat: How Healthy Eating Is Making Us Ill by Barry Groves

amazon.co.uk/Trick-Treat-He...

Hazel.

oneagleswings.me.uk

oneagleswingsme.blogspot.com/

[Stourie in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Eagles, that was very interesting. Everybody in the country should see that and stop the statins and stop worrying about cholesterol. It is good for us.

Jo xx

[hairyfairy]

I was put on Simvastatin last year, & although it brought my cholesterol down, it made me so exhuasted all the time that i just had to stop taking it. My doctor is stiil trying to bully me into going back on them.

[Hidden]

Check this link and I hope you'd perhaps get some good news and a step forward towards understanding why you are not feeling well.

drcarolyndean.com/magnesium...