levo with statin

[Abdullahdalmar]

Is it safe for me to use atorvastatin, a statin medication, to lower my cholesterol levels while also taking levothyroxine?

[greygoose]

Depends on your definition of 'safe'. Statins are not safe in themselves, and not even necessary. If your cholesterol is high, it's for a reason. The thing is to know why. And it's really not your diet, no matter what doctors might think. And it's not statin deficiency, either.

If you're hypo and taking levo, and have high cholesterol it's a pretty safe bet that you're either not taking enough levo, or you're a poor converter and your FT3 is low. Statins are not recommended for that. What you need to do is get your FT3 tested, and improve it if it's low.

High cholesterol is not a problem in and of itself. It is a symptom, not a disease, and won't do you any harm. Artificially reducing it can do more harm than good. So, I really wouldn't recommend you take statins at all.

[Maz-57 in reply to greygoose]

Hi GreygooseAre there any links with further info you could send me on the use of statins please?. I'm on statins and have an under active thyroid. I'm due for a blood test for both soon and would like to educate myself so I can discuss with the doctor. My liver function has not been tested in 18 months. My thyroid was tested a year ago.

[greygoose in reply to Maz-57]

I don't have any links, no. I think @SlowDragon has something from NICE guidelines she could post for you. But if you want to inform yourself further on the subject, google Dr Malcolm Hendrick who is an expert:

google.fr/search?q=dr+malco...

[Maz-57 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you I will. 👍

[Alanna012]

You ultimately have to make your own decision, no one on the board can tell you what to do in regards to opting for a certain treatment, but, anecdotally, I was told by a doctor specialising in thyroid never to take them. He had hypothyroidism himself.

One thing to consider is that statins can block the body's production of coenzyme Q10. Here's a quote from Nivea no less: 'The coenzyme Q10 (also called ubiquinone) is a vitamin-like substance. It occurs naturally in every cell of the body and makes a vital contribution there. It's essential for energy production to fulfil the skin's basic functions such as regeneration and repair.'

From a journal: Some studies have shown that statins decrease the concentration of CoQ10 in both muscle tissue and in the bloodstream. The hypothesis is that, if you decrease the CoQ10 levels, you reduce the production of energy in muscle cells and they won't function as well, leading to muscle aches, weakness or inflammation.

Being hypothyroid, your metabolism already tends toward 'go slow' especially if inadequately treated and your body requires more energy, not less. Vital organs like your heart require a lot of Q10. Coincidentally, the heart also needs a lot of T3. By taking statins you risk compounding your prevailing thyroid-related health issues.

I'm sure there's also some actual NHS or NICE guidance suggesting people with hypothyroidism not be given statins unless adequately treated. Perhaps another poster might elaborate.

You ultimately have to do your own research. Definitely do a search on the forum under cholesterol greygoose above had one recently linking to two very interesting articles.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Are you based in U.K.

how much levothyroxine are you taking

Do you always get same brand of levothyroxine at each prescription

Please add most recent thyroid results

TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 plus vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 results and ranges

[tattybogle]

nhs.uk/conditions/statins/c... nhs.uk/conditions/statins/considerations/

"If you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), treatment may be delayed until this problem is treated. This is because having an underactive thyroid can lead to an increased cholesterol level, and treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins. Statins are also more likely to cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid."

So the first thing to do is make sure your hypothyroidism is optimally treated ~ which usually means keeping TSH in the lower part of the range and for some people, slightly below range .

list of references here: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu.... -list-of-references-recommending-gps-keep-tsh-lower-in-range

[userotc]

Re statin safety, I suggest you view the FDAs own page on that which now includes high risk of insulin resistance alongside established safety risks eg liver damage. I can send.

Re liver damage, it could be argued that regular testing is done (often not). But I'd be amazed if IR testing is done at least by NHS.