Important information about statins that I’m going to ask my doc about

@woondogger I was on metformin for a while and the only good thing about it was that I started to eat fermented foods to stop the bathroom issues. Ii stopped the medication but still eat a fermented food every day for my gut health.

Back in 2016 I was prescribed a statin for elevated Cholesterol. I tried taking it for a few months until the muscle pain in my shoulders suggested I stop. My physician recommended another manufacturer (don't recall either) and I refused. He knew I knew my body and agreed, suggested we check bloodwork more frequently. Several months later I was diagnosed with "pre diabetes" and the good doc prescribed Metformin. I tried that for one month and when I could finally "exit our bathroom 🙂 " stopped taking it. Joined a Facebook group all about reversing diabetes, totally restructured my diet, lost 40 pounds in six months, learned how to calculate my cholesterol numbers which are in healthy range (a bit over the norm) my A1c dropped into normal range. I realize there are many who must be prescribed a statin and a diabetes med for all the right medical reasons ~ Just wanted to share my journey. A decade later and still going strong at 84.

@livotimarilyn65 Trust your instincts, I think. Our bodies are each unique and could very well be the statin even if that is not a "common" side effect. Lower dose or another brand are good options; so is seeing the urologist. Maybe just do one thing at a time so you can decipher what change helped?

@nekosuki As a person who has all kinds of weird side effects and find meds very difficult to tolerate, I empathize your experience. I've had "borderline high cholesterol" for years and years. Diet didn't help me either. Changing to olive oil did nothing. One thing that made a difference was yoga and meditation. I think it was the meditation actually although those yoga poses made my heart pound so it was a good workout. Lowest my cholesterol/trig levels ever were. I haven't practice either for a number of years, but feeling the need to resume at least the deep breathing/meditation. I now walk and use resistance training for exercise instead of yoga poses. The teacher I had back then had healed himself of a brain tumor by both of these practices...amazing testimony. Stress affects our bodies in so many many ways, and our lives are fast-paced. We don't realize it until we can really slow down and stop the chatter in our heads too. Wishing you success in your quest to find an answer for you!

@kdoll Doctor started me on 40mg. The only problem i have is peeling at night. I go to the bathroom at least 7 times a night. Doctor told me its not the statin. So I stopped taking it for 3 days and use bathroom 2×. He wants me to go to urologist. I know its the statin. Way to strong 40mg. Lower med or change brand??

Actually I think atorvastatin does the same thing. I am speaking from experience. Since I stopped taking that, along with other meds with serious side effects, I don't find myself saying "now what was I saying?" anymore!

@colleenyoung
After decades of various statins reducing my LDL/triglycerides but not sufficiently, and having no improvement on HDL, I was prescribed Repatha. For the first several months it worked! My numbers improved dramatically. Then everything veered southward, horribly so. I read as much medical literature as I could find. I contacted Amgen. One of the nurses answering the help line referenced a study in which a fraction of a percent of people involved in the initial drug trial developed antibodies to Repatha. I'm sadly assuming I must be in this group of unfortunates. Given the $$$ price this med costs, even with insurance, this is very frustrating. I'm at my wit's end. My doctors have no suggestions. Amgen has no suggestions. Btw, when I was first diagnosed with rotten chol/tri, I engaged in a vegan diet for several months. My chol numbers dropped by only six points. So please don't suggest changes to diet - I've already tried that.

I fought and fought not to be on a statin as years ago it made every muscle in my body ache. Until, my PA showed me the bloodwork and stated “ this is why”! Now I have accepted that I trurly need to be on one’. It’s not Thai I did anything wrong to my body—- my body chose to need help’. Acceptance! Better than the alternative!

You have many of my same issues like the aortic atherosclerosis and psoriatic arthritis. Thank you for this. Have a blessed day and live to see many more truly blessed days. Thanks for being a blessing.

This article from Mayo Clinic offers information that can help with the decision making

- Statins: Are these cholesterol-lowering drugs right for you? https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/statins/art-20045772