Connect
Important information about statins that I’m going to ask my doc about
Just a bit of information I discovered last week. One of the side effects of taking "simvistatin" is temporary memory loss. It is the only statin that has this effect. I am going to talk to my .doctor about stopping it, with his guidance of course. I have had some short lapses in memory .... forgetting part of my phone number, etc.
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Aging Well Support Group.
Connect
I'd be interested to know what your cardiologist says about the score and your need for statins.
According to the info online, that appears like a really good number! Can't get lower than zero!
So are right, interesting stuff. Sometimes the numbers don't show the whole pictire. Good for you for investigating furthur.
Keep us posted.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionCantab,
Your post is most interesting. Have you had any positive results from taking Bergamot? Thanks.
I took Simvastatin 20mg for 14 years until last November when my doc switched me to Rosuvastatin 20 mg which is a bit more powerful (My LDL had gone up to 139). Over the winter I started getting pins/needles my fingers and toes. It got progressively worse until I was in agony and could barely walk. My feet also developed numbness along with the pins/needles, as well as numbness in my fingertips. The tip of my nose also had tingling and numbness which later was explained to me that all most distal nerves were affected.
Besides my familial hypercholesterolemia, I have always been a healthy and active person. I thought and thought about what could be causing my symptoms I finally thought that the only lifestyle change was my statin. I looked it up and bingo! I saw that Rosuvastatin could cause neuropathy. I contacted my doctor and showed her what I had found and told her I was going off the Rosuvastatin. She sent me for a slew of tests and nerve conduction studies (which were NO fun!). It was determined by a neurologist in Boston that I indeed developed Small Fiber Neuropathy (SFN) from Rosuvastatin. He assured me that over time my nerves would heal themselves and I’d be back to normal. Slowly I was able to walk, as well as use my hands again to pick up cold objects that I couldn’t with the SFN. Cold bothered the nerves in my fingers and most of my fingertips were numb. My feet, ironically, were susceptible to hot. My toes would be red and swollen and I had to sleep with my feet outside the covers.
I’m happy to say that it’s been 5 1/2 months since stopping the Rosuvastatin and I’m FINALLY back to normal, about the exact same time I took the Rosuvastatin. Hands, feet and nose are 100% fine.
Knowing I was not going to be on any statin until I healed, I made sure I ate extremely healthy! I didn’t want my numbers to get worse. Well wasn’t I surprised when I went back for my blood work and my total cholesterol was 359 and my LDL 240 in 5 1/2 months time! (My HDL was 94 and triglycerides 126, which are within normal range). My doc immediately put me back on my first statin, Simvastatin, since I had been taking it for years without complications. I’m hoping that’s the way it stays! I’ve only been taking the Simvastatin for 4 days now, but haven’t felt anything weird yet.
Moral of the story is 1) I’m a classic case of FH, familial hypercholesterolemia where left unchecked, my LDL and total cholesterol will go crazy high and
2) I can’t take Rosuvastatin because of the side effects I encountered with it.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
10 ReactionsI just started Rosuvastatin, but it's the lowest dose (5 mg), so hopefully I won't have the same experience. Good to know there are other choices.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
4 ReactionsI couldn’t take statins at all The pain and immobility was horrendous. The doctor put me on Repatha EpiPen, and no side effects. It has brought my LDL level down to about 20 now! Amazing.
My cardiologist is thinking of putting me on Repatha. I don't know if Medicare covers it.
I have Aetna Medicare advantage plan through a teacher retirement system and I only pay $25 per two injections. My numbers are so fantastic now and no side effects like the statins! My sinuses to get a little swollen and I have a runny nose at times but other than that it’s just great.
Since I've been on Medicare I have learned that it hardly covers any new drug at all. Or such a small part that it excludes me from getting any new drug.
Repatha is usually a "prior approval" medication in most Medicare plans. My doctor had to show I failed with at least 2 different statins, had increasing LDL, and either had or was at elevated risk of a heart attack. Now I get it but must pay $135 copay every 12 weeks.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI pay $25 for two EpiPen’s of it which last me one month.