The latest report from Dr Kendrick - it should be read. Excerpt:
Some of you may have seen a headline in the Sunday Express Newspaper ‘Statin, new safety checks.’ The subheading was ‘Oxford professor who championed controversial drug to reassess evidence of side effects.’
I always read Dr Kendrick's blog. His latest one is scary.
I suppose I'm one of the lucky people who can take high-dose statins after a heart attack, but without any side-effects (as far as I know). But this kind of behaviour in the "statin field" is mimicked very closely by the "experts" in the thyroid field. In that instructions to the general medical practitioners (and also possibly endocrinologists) are based on "evidence" that the authorities will not disclose as proof of their position but simply say that either "it has been shown that" or if they don't like it "there is insufficient evidence for ---". Who exactly has unequivocally "shown that" or are the deciders when "there is sufficient evidence for---" one can never tell. It seems to be an insidious creeping alteration in accepted views by the "establishment" when this occurs, with neither acknowledgement nor apology to anyone.
Diogenes, I'm glad that statins work for you after a heart attack.
It's when doctors prescribe statins willy/nilly due to a person's higher cholesterol level and that includes many hypo patients and the doctor should know (but doesn't) that it usually lowers when on an optimum replacement. I believe. Just as they prescribe anti-depressants when the patient continues to complain.
diogenes - am glad you are up and running after your heart attack.
Have you seen the book on Amazon - Thyroid and Heart Failure. A Compilation of research papers brought together by an Endocrinologist and a Cardiologist for the first time - or at that time in 2004. Things may have changed since then .....
You can look inside and see the contents. I actually saved up and bought the book - of course I mostly only read the Introductions and the Conclusions but it does make an interesting read and certainly shows the connections between the heart and the thyroid/endocrine system.
I listened to Rory Collins on radio 4. He clearly lives on a different planet to me. He said that anyone suffering myopathy could have a simple blood test to show enzymes in their blood. I suffered myopathy after taking levothyroxine and my GP sent me to Kings for an MRI, lumbar puncture and nerve tests but no diagnosis was found - despite the fact that muscle weakness is listed on the side effects in the leaflet, it was not considered. It took nearly two years of near death hell and my own deductions to stop taking the levo and find relief. Looking forward to the new BBC programme 'the doctor who gave up drugs' which I've just seen advertised!
They don't connect levothyroxine to 'problems' 'side effects' because they are told that's the only replacement to be prescribed for hypothyroidism - come what may. I'm glad you were able to find a way to find relief on your own.
At least they accepted my yellow card! There were comments on the statins blog that said they had refused to accept them.
Your original post links your myopathy to levothyroxine. I assume you meant to write statin. Do please tell me which it was.
No I had muscle weakness from taking levothyroxine - perhaps I shouldn't call it 'myopathy'? My point was although it says on the levo patient leaflet that muscle weakness is a possible side effect, my GP did not even think of it as a cause of my problem. Side effects don't necessarily develop quickly and it's very difficult to establish cause and effect. Rory Collins seemed to describe a quick and linear process - you take statins - you get muscle weakness - your GP will run a blood enzyme test (very funny) - you stop taking them. Just doesn't represent a real world scenario to me. My yellow card was on levothyroxine. On Dr Kendrick's blog some respondents mentioned that the MHRA had not accepted their yellow cards on statins.
Well, your "near death hell" must've been far worse than the upper arm weakness I've experienced when hyper and slightly over-treated for hypo.
I'm trying a different calcium channel blocker and, knowing the likely problems, have started on a quarter of the dose my GP thought was appropriate. I had a few days with a bit of angina, and was reminded of an earlier occurrence, when I'd stopped another calcium channel blocker. If I mention the angina, no doubt my lowish but in-range TSH would be hummed over, when I don't believe it has anything to do with it.
There's been no regular monitoring since I gave up taking a statin. Thankfully, my liver function quickly normalized.
Thanks for that Shaws. Most interesting. Personally I refuse to take statins.
Thanks for these two links ellismay. It's a ridiculous situation when we expect proper and honest reports.
Scary reading shaws - I think statins must be like antidepressants.......dished out willy-nilly to anyone - regardless of side effects- but making lots of money for pharmaceutical companies !!! CRAZY WORLD. 👹😈😈😈😈
When NHS adds up the cost of the 'extras' prescribed for the clinical symptoms of hypothyroidism it will probably cost more than adding some T3 to alleviate many symptoms. Plus some people unable to work due to their disabling symptoms. The only problem is the medical profession don't have a clue what a clinical symptom is so assume it's due to 'other' causes or depression and give anything but a decent thyroid hormone.
☺☺☺☺That sums it up perfectly shaws . Think a Thyroid Revolution would be in order. 🐰
Yes, it's another one of these drugs that doctors get paid to prescribe, which is why they dole them out like Smarties! My husband was on these bloody useless statins for years and has now, indeed, been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, which has been flagged up as one of the adverse reactions these damned things cause. Makes you wonder how much more stuff we're being encouraged to throw down our necks that are going to cause more problems down the line for which, of course, these bloody pharmaceutical companies will have a new (and expensive) solutions for, which in turn will cause more problems and so on down the line until they finally kill us!!! And even then, they'll find some way of screwing more money out of us!!!
Phew... and breathe... rant over.
The words you say are very true. The best way to make profits is to make people worse, so that they have to take more meds 
Hi Zephyrbear - so sorry your hubby ended up withType ll Diabetes. I think you have a very good reason to rant. ☺ I completely agree with what you say. It is nevertheless diabolical that this sitution is allowed to continue. In the meantime we battle on. 🐤🐤🐤🐤🐤
Do they prescribe statins to reduce cholesterol in the hope that adrenal hormone levels are reduced?? Does high stress cause all these extra aches and pains. Are high levels of cortisol corrosive.
I assume if someone has a higher cholesterol doctors automatically assume it's lifestyle (i.e. eating wrong food). They are unaware that it is a clinical symptom which, when on the optimum of hormones reduce without statins. I don't know any who've tested my cortisol levels.
Re cortisol, I think this link is a good explanation.
Off topic 
Off Topic - Dr Malcolm Kendrick interview
Off Topic - Gelbetia
Off topic -appalled
