Statins

[Hillbark]

Hello, I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. I am 66 and I have suffered with tinnitus since 2018 and have hearing aids. I have been taking Atotvastatin since September 2023 as my cholesterol was 7.9. I had been experiencing Angina symptoms. My T was bearable, a slight ringing noise and I learned to live with it. However in the last few months it has changed significantly, a loud buzzing noise which is there all the time. I'm finding it difficult to sleep. I have read that T can be a side affect of taking statins, or is this just a coincidein my case? I'm thinking of stopping the statins as I'd rather risk a heart attack or stroke than live like this. Has anyone else experienced this?

[Fridays_Child_62]

I have no experience of taking Atovastatin but... when I (briefly) went onto statins a few years ago, I first checked whether they were ototoxic and found Atovastatin in an article from Tinnitus Today (Summer 2018 edition) that listed the Top 20 drugs linked to tinnitus. I therefore requested an alternative statin - I think the one I chose was Rosuvastatin, as I could not find any mention of it linked to tinnitus. Perhaps you should ask your doctor to change your prescription.

[Hillbark in reply to Fridays_Child_62]

Many thanks for the advice , I'll try and get an appointment with my GP 🤞

[PABLR]

I take it and have noticed no worsening of my tinnitus. Unfortunately tinnitus is so individual it's hard to extrapolate from other's experience. But I would try a different statin if possible.

[Hillbark in reply to PABLR]

Thank you, I'll contact my GP

[hhr2]

I took the same statin prescription you are taking and yes, I absolutely believe it made my pulsatile tinnitus worse. My doctor then prescribed a different one (would have to look up the name if you're interested) but it had the same effect. Not to mention that both prescriptions made me feel horribly sick and queasy, even after taking them for weeks.

I had been told by a GP that I was a "stroke waiting to happen" and needed the statins. Then I had a long awaited appointment with a neurologist at a heart and stroke clinic. We looked at my MRI and scan results on her computer screen. I told her I was having a terrible time with the statins and they were making me miserable. So she replied , "stop taking them then!" She told me to take Magnesium, but of course, that could pertain only to my condition. (BTW, large doses of magnesium made the tinnitus worse too!)

Sometimes I think it just depends who you talk to. After a period of time without taking ANYTHING except my blood pressure pills the PT seems to be back to 'normal'. We sometimes have to make our own decisions on what make life livable.

[Hillbark in reply to hhr2]

Many thanks for your reply. I also started taking Magnesium a few months ago because I suffer with restless legs and heard this may help, so maybe this affected my tinnitus? I've recently stopped though because it didn't seem make any difference.

[Hillbark in reply to hhr2]

I also started taking Magnesium a few months ago because I suffer with restless legs and read this my help. I stopped recently though because there was no improvement. Maybe this affected my tinnitus? We shall see .........

[Fencefixer]

I was already taking statins before I noticed I had tinnitus and agreed with GP to stop the statins for 3 months to see if any effect. There was no difference in my tinnatus (generally moderate, always present, noiser at times), but asked to reduce the dose to the minimum as some sort of compromise as nothing seems conclusive! That was over 10 years ago and apart from a couple of very recent spikes (cause unknown) the tinnitus had stayed the same. I'm on Rosuvastatin but, like you, would take the elevated risk of a bit higher cholesterol if it meant no tinnitus.