What statin (if any) have you taken long term?

Posted by cantbelievethis @cantbelievethis, Jul 10, 2023

First off, I realize all stains have side effects so I am "not" asking for one with *no side effects*. I am wanting to know in general what people take.

What has been your history in taking them? Did you start with one then move on to another, etc.

My experience with them has been Lipitor a few years back. I felt aches and pains from it so it was discontinued. So then doctor tried Crestor. I am not the best person to be talking about statins because after taking the crestor, I eventually stopped taking it as taking a med every day was "getting to me". (notice no thought for my health, just the inconvenience of taking a med daily.)

I don't recall anything bad from the crestor but I didn't take it that long.

Which brings me to the present day. Cardiologist who I just started to see ....new to him and hadn't been under the care of one prior...primary care was ordering the statins, well the new cardiologist wants me on a statin and ordered Lipitor. I wish I had spoken up and told him I had been prescribed it in the past and it didn't work out too well but was nervous etc. during the appointment and thought "give it another try, maybe this time it will work". I just got the RX and haven't picked it up from the pharmacy yet.

So, what if any statin has worked best for you. What dose do you take?

Doctor said he is starting me off with 20 mgs a day.

Cholesterol level: 220.

Thank you!!

Cheers. 🙂

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The first and maybe the 2nd time I gave myself the injections I had a bad backache first day but that subsided and no I never had diarrhea or anything else. I’ve been taking it about 4-5 years now.

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@alaskat

I am taking Rosuvastatin. Started with 10mg. as soon as my PCP saw my CAC (almost 1600). Then cardiologist number two put me on 20mg. I have no side effects, a couple of people I know have joint and muscle discomfort so as per their Doctor they take CoQ10 (over the counter) + baby aspirin. I did all the tests but still angiogram was suggested. I found out had 60%-70% blockage on LAD artery. Decided NOT for a stent and just aggressive care management with my cardiologist.

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No side effect regimen. Lowered my LDL score in 1 year by 26 points while maintaining great my HDL by taking Q10 100 mg daily and Olive leaf extract 100mg daily. I also follow a good diet limiting sodium to 1000mg to 1750mg daily. Diet is high in fiber as well. Live well and prosper.

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I have a bottle of Rosuvastatin on my desk and have had it for a week and a half. I LOOK at it every day. It's only 5 mg and it's generic for Crestor and supposedly water soluble and "better tolerated", but I can't bring myself to start them.

The COMMON SIDE effect of muscle pain frightens me because at the age of nearly 75 I'm in a djembe (african drum) drumming orchestra and our gigs can go for a couple of hours at times and I am in the full orchestra (approximately 35 drummers AND in the smaller ensemble orchestra that does some of the more complex pieces at a faster clip...and even though we're seated in front of our drums the entire time, we use our hands and arms (and BRAINS!!) the whole time to play the fully arranged pieces we do.

So I'm going to start because at 5mg I'm really hoping that the side effects don't happen.

FYI I don't have high cholesterol. I've had 4 lipid panels since 2016 and every one of them has shown normal cholesterol in all of the metrix (trigylcerides, LDL HDL cholesterol and total non HDL cholesterol). THIS last one from 5/10/24 is the same although my HDL did drop slightly and LDL did go up slightly...the assessment is my cholesterol is NORMAL and I'm not at risk for a CVD.

HOWEVER: I recently had a Thoracolumbar Spine XRAY which was ordered due to some nasty lower back pain and muscle spasms around the lower back and glutes. That xray series uncovered ATHEROSCLEROTIC CALCIFICATIONS IN THE AORTA which prompted my DR to order the statins even though I have normal cholesterol.

SO now I sit staring at a bottle.

I have a friend who has been on 20 mg of Lipitor since 2021. I showed him a list of 12 COMMON SIDE EFFECTS of LIPITOR and he had 6 of them ongoing for years. Most troublesome was PHARYNGITIS - he said he's been to 6 doctors over the past couple of years and not one of them connected it to Lipitor. And when he wrote to his doctor showing him the common side effects which include NASOPHARYNGITIS and his doctors office replied that they weren't aware of that side effect and told him to stop lipitor for 2 weeks and if the condition improved to let them know and they'd prescribe a different statin.

So, as with pretty much EVERY lab created drug, there are side effects because the substances are not found in nature and the human body will not likely have been exposed to those substances in their lifetimes.

I'm NOT a fan of prescription meds other than antibiotics for infections and pain meds if necessary. But they aren't meant to be EVERY DAY FOR LIFE medications.

I have made it nearly 75 years without an ongoing prescription med. I'm a big researcher and have handled every malady that's arisen in my lifetime with a more natural approach. And it's worked out well for me. My blood panels including LIPID have shown all of my values within normal range - every single time.

So..I'm on the fence about the statin because I DO have plaque in my aorta DESPITE my normal cholesterol levels. My dr is on vacation and when she returns my first question will be "HOW DO I HAVE PLAQUE IN MY AORTA when I've never had anything other than normal cholesterol levels?"

Then I'll tell her that I'm willing to do this low dose of Crestor generic unless I end up with a side effect that prevents me from completed my summer performance schedule. But I ALSO don't want MORE plaque in my arteries and perhaps die of an embolism or heart attack.

I also have been doing OSTEOSTRONG for 2 years at a cost of $200/month and one 1/2 hour visit a week. AND it has resulted in a large increase in my spine bones. WITHOUT DRUGS ! But I've read that statins can suppress VIT D synthesis and can cause bone loss...SO ALL of the money and time might be undone by the statins.

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A lot to unwrap, mariegroh.

Great on you for the drum group work!!

"Normal" means different things ... can you post your lipid numbers? Have you had an advanced lipids panel - if not, you should.

Many have cholesterol buildup with perfect diets, marathoner workouts ... welcome to genetic predispositions.

My sense is that your distrust of life saving meds is an issue - and potentially dangerous. Medical science shows you should reduce your built up cholesterol ... since there no reasonable way to do that, medical science developed statins (and other injectables) to significantly reduce LDL and triglycerides to reduce the rate at which the cholesterols build up - another effect of statins is the calcification of those soft plaques already present - reducing the likelihood of those plaques breaking off.

I am not a medical professional, but scientific medicine (pretty much the entire community) knows so much more than you or I. I recommend you listen to them vs guessing at your care needs.

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@mariegroh

I have a bottle of Rosuvastatin on my desk and have had it for a week and a half. I LOOK at it every day. It's only 5 mg and it's generic for Crestor and supposedly water soluble and "better tolerated", but I can't bring myself to start them.

The COMMON SIDE effect of muscle pain frightens me because at the age of nearly 75 I'm in a djembe (african drum) drumming orchestra and our gigs can go for a couple of hours at times and I am in the full orchestra (approximately 35 drummers AND in the smaller ensemble orchestra that does some of the more complex pieces at a faster clip...and even though we're seated in front of our drums the entire time, we use our hands and arms (and BRAINS!!) the whole time to play the fully arranged pieces we do.

So I'm going to start because at 5mg I'm really hoping that the side effects don't happen.

FYI I don't have high cholesterol. I've had 4 lipid panels since 2016 and every one of them has shown normal cholesterol in all of the metrix (trigylcerides, LDL HDL cholesterol and total non HDL cholesterol). THIS last one from 5/10/24 is the same although my HDL did drop slightly and LDL did go up slightly...the assessment is my cholesterol is NORMAL and I'm not at risk for a CVD.

HOWEVER: I recently had a Thoracolumbar Spine XRAY which was ordered due to some nasty lower back pain and muscle spasms around the lower back and glutes. That xray series uncovered ATHEROSCLEROTIC CALCIFICATIONS IN THE AORTA which prompted my DR to order the statins even though I have normal cholesterol.

SO now I sit staring at a bottle.

I have a friend who has been on 20 mg of Lipitor since 2021. I showed him a list of 12 COMMON SIDE EFFECTS of LIPITOR and he had 6 of them ongoing for years. Most troublesome was PHARYNGITIS - he said he's been to 6 doctors over the past couple of years and not one of them connected it to Lipitor. And when he wrote to his doctor showing him the common side effects which include NASOPHARYNGITIS and his doctors office replied that they weren't aware of that side effect and told him to stop lipitor for 2 weeks and if the condition improved to let them know and they'd prescribe a different statin.

So, as with pretty much EVERY lab created drug, there are side effects because the substances are not found in nature and the human body will not likely have been exposed to those substances in their lifetimes.

I'm NOT a fan of prescription meds other than antibiotics for infections and pain meds if necessary. But they aren't meant to be EVERY DAY FOR LIFE medications.

I have made it nearly 75 years without an ongoing prescription med. I'm a big researcher and have handled every malady that's arisen in my lifetime with a more natural approach. And it's worked out well for me. My blood panels including LIPID have shown all of my values within normal range - every single time.

So..I'm on the fence about the statin because I DO have plaque in my aorta DESPITE my normal cholesterol levels. My dr is on vacation and when she returns my first question will be "HOW DO I HAVE PLAQUE IN MY AORTA when I've never had anything other than normal cholesterol levels?"

Then I'll tell her that I'm willing to do this low dose of Crestor generic unless I end up with a side effect that prevents me from completed my summer performance schedule. But I ALSO don't want MORE plaque in my arteries and perhaps die of an embolism or heart attack.

I also have been doing OSTEOSTRONG for 2 years at a cost of $200/month and one 1/2 hour visit a week. AND it has resulted in a large increase in my spine bones. WITHOUT DRUGS ! But I've read that statins can suppress VIT D synthesis and can cause bone loss...SO ALL of the money and time might be undone by the statins.

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A 5 mg dosage is the lowest dose available. I was also resistant but about 5 years ago but went on low dose Atorvastatin and no issues, This is better than stroke or heart attack.

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@swilkins1974

So you had no side effects from the Repatha? I hear it can give you diarrhea.

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I've been on atorvastatin (Lipitor) for 25 years (80 mg), Zetia for at least 15, with no side effects. I added the Repatha injection last October with no side effect other than reducing my LDL from 109 (with the other drugs) down to 27.

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I took simvastatin for a while and I had muscle cramps in my legs. When they happen I just stood up (usually they happen when lying down) and they would stop. I jI was taken off of them during my heart Transplant and then I was put back on them them after, first at 10 mg then uped to 20 mg. (I was raised not because of my numbers which were good but just because the doctor wanted me on them) which is 20 mgs of Atovastin. I have been on it for about 6 years now and don't seem to have any issues

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@shelby29

80 MG atorvastatin and 10 Zetia per day.

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Atorvastatin 40mg, 15 yes. It's working ok.

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@mariegroh

I have a bottle of Rosuvastatin on my desk and have had it for a week and a half. I LOOK at it every day. It's only 5 mg and it's generic for Crestor and supposedly water soluble and "better tolerated", but I can't bring myself to start them.

The COMMON SIDE effect of muscle pain frightens me because at the age of nearly 75 I'm in a djembe (african drum) drumming orchestra and our gigs can go for a couple of hours at times and I am in the full orchestra (approximately 35 drummers AND in the smaller ensemble orchestra that does some of the more complex pieces at a faster clip...and even though we're seated in front of our drums the entire time, we use our hands and arms (and BRAINS!!) the whole time to play the fully arranged pieces we do.

So I'm going to start because at 5mg I'm really hoping that the side effects don't happen.

FYI I don't have high cholesterol. I've had 4 lipid panels since 2016 and every one of them has shown normal cholesterol in all of the metrix (trigylcerides, LDL HDL cholesterol and total non HDL cholesterol). THIS last one from 5/10/24 is the same although my HDL did drop slightly and LDL did go up slightly...the assessment is my cholesterol is NORMAL and I'm not at risk for a CVD.

HOWEVER: I recently had a Thoracolumbar Spine XRAY which was ordered due to some nasty lower back pain and muscle spasms around the lower back and glutes. That xray series uncovered ATHEROSCLEROTIC CALCIFICATIONS IN THE AORTA which prompted my DR to order the statins even though I have normal cholesterol.

SO now I sit staring at a bottle.

I have a friend who has been on 20 mg of Lipitor since 2021. I showed him a list of 12 COMMON SIDE EFFECTS of LIPITOR and he had 6 of them ongoing for years. Most troublesome was PHARYNGITIS - he said he's been to 6 doctors over the past couple of years and not one of them connected it to Lipitor. And when he wrote to his doctor showing him the common side effects which include NASOPHARYNGITIS and his doctors office replied that they weren't aware of that side effect and told him to stop lipitor for 2 weeks and if the condition improved to let them know and they'd prescribe a different statin.

So, as with pretty much EVERY lab created drug, there are side effects because the substances are not found in nature and the human body will not likely have been exposed to those substances in their lifetimes.

I'm NOT a fan of prescription meds other than antibiotics for infections and pain meds if necessary. But they aren't meant to be EVERY DAY FOR LIFE medications.

I have made it nearly 75 years without an ongoing prescription med. I'm a big researcher and have handled every malady that's arisen in my lifetime with a more natural approach. And it's worked out well for me. My blood panels including LIPID have shown all of my values within normal range - every single time.

So..I'm on the fence about the statin because I DO have plaque in my aorta DESPITE my normal cholesterol levels. My dr is on vacation and when she returns my first question will be "HOW DO I HAVE PLAQUE IN MY AORTA when I've never had anything other than normal cholesterol levels?"

Then I'll tell her that I'm willing to do this low dose of Crestor generic unless I end up with a side effect that prevents me from completed my summer performance schedule. But I ALSO don't want MORE plaque in my arteries and perhaps die of an embolism or heart attack.

I also have been doing OSTEOSTRONG for 2 years at a cost of $200/month and one 1/2 hour visit a week. AND it has resulted in a large increase in my spine bones. WITHOUT DRUGS ! But I've read that statins can suppress VIT D synthesis and can cause bone loss...SO ALL of the money and time might be undone by the statins.

Jump to this post

I understand your concern.
First who is your doctor? To interpret your cholesterol values against your clinical profile, it is important to have the right specialist. I had "normal" values and was taking statins for many years without problem (simvastatin and then atorvastatin). Then one day I had numb feet, went to ER and blood work showed elevated troponin, and angiograph showed 70% blockage. They put in a cardiac stent. With a stent they want LDL below 70. They increased my atorvastatin from 40mg to 80mg/day. That did not bring my LDL down. So new cardiologist prescribed Rosuvastatin Calcium 20mg + Ezetimibe 10mg and that brought it down below 70. I also have to take aspirin every day for the stent. I have not had any issues with the Statin drugs.
These drugs are life savers for who needs them. About "natural" cures, remember snake venom is also natural but not good for you.
Be informed and ask questions and seek out the best experts. Then follow their advice.

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@agb

I've been on atorvastatin (Lipitor) for 25 years (80 mg), Zetia for at least 15, with no side effects. I added the Repatha injection last October with no side effect other than reducing my LDL from 109 (with the other drugs) down to 27.

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How did you find using Repatha Did you experience any side effects other than skin irritation...?

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