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The Dangers of Statin Drugs

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Surprising side effects of cholesterol-lowering medications

Every action has a reaction, and the chemical effects of medications are no different. Statins, a classification of cholesterol-lowering medications, have a history of causing side effects that range from mild to severe. If you are taking a statin to reduce your blood cholesterol levels, or are thinking of talking to your doctor about starting statin therapy, consider the following known dangers of statin drugs.

Contents at a Glance

First things first - what are statins?
Which medications are classified as stat...
Danger: Gastrointestinal disturbances
Danger: Headache, dizziness, and sleep p...
Danger: Weakness
Danger: Rhabdomyolysis

Which medications are classified as statins?

The following medications are statin-based:

Atorvastatin - branded as Lipitor and Torvast
Cerivastatin - branded as Lipobay and Baycol. No longer on the market.
Fluvastatin - branded as Lescol and Lescol XL
Lovastatin - branded as Mevacor and Altocor
Mevastatin
Pitavastatin - branded as Livalo and Pitava
Pravastatin - branded as Pravachol, Selektine, and Lipostat
Rosuvastatin - branded as Crestor
Simvastatin - branded as Zocor and Lipex
Simvastatin+Ezetimibe - a combination drug branded as Vytorin
Lovastatin+Niacin extended-release - a combination drug branded as Advicor
Atorvastatin+Amlodipine Besylate - a combination drug branded as Caduet

Danger: Gastrointestinal disturbances

The most common side effects of statins are common to many drugs. Nausea, upset stomach, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, and gas can vary from patient to patient. This may be a reaction to a combination of medications being taken or to personal body chemistry. It may resolve in time, or another medication can be prescribed to offer better results.

Danger: Headache, dizziness, and sleep problems

Many of these symptoms disappear on their own as a patient gets used to taking a new medication. However patients taking statins may start experiencing these side effects suddenly, after several years with no problems.

Danger: Weakness

Statin users are at an increased risk of developing polyneuropathy, a neurological disorder which causes weakness, tingling and pain in the hands and feet, and difficulty walking. For patients taking a statin for several years, the chances of developing polyneuropathy increase dramatically to 26% and higher.

Researchers are starting to question whether an increase in driving accidents in the elderly may be related to the use of statins, as many older statin users have reported driving mishaps related to misuse of the gas and brake pedals.

Danger: Rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis is a serious side effect of statin use in which there is a rapid breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue. During the chemical necrosis of the muscles, the excretion of toxins into the body can cause kidney damage, disruptions in heart rhythm, and shock.

Danger: Acute pancreatitis

Some patients have developed severe pancreatic rot within weeks of starting a new statin therapy, or after several years of use. While the risk is increased for users of statins, developing it is still very rare.

Danger: Depression

One of the symptoms of having high cholesterol is that you feel good, and low cholesterol levels have been associated with depression and increased risk of suicide. Since statins reduce blood cholesterol levels, patients are more likely to be depressed and experience anxiety attacks.

Danger: Heart failure

The heart is a muscle, just like those in your legs and arms, and requires an enzyme called Co-Q10 to function. Co-Qu10 is used to convert food energy in our cells into energy for our body to use.

Statins create a block in the Co-Q10 development process at the same point where they inhibit the liver's ability to produce cholesterol. Without Co-Q10, heart muscle cells aren't able to produce energy, and a weak heart pumps blood less effectively.

Danger: Food and medication interactions

Several drugs and foods also interact with statins, causing severe side effects. Grapefruit, grapefruit juice, and some antibiotics inhibit the ability for statins to be metabolized, resulting in higher statin levels and increased risk of muscle damage. Taking anti-coagulants such as Coumadin or Warfarin with statins also increases the effectiveness of statins, which can speed damaging processes.

What can you do?

Being an informed patient is key to understanding how your medical therapies affect your health. Medications all come down to science at the cellular level, and understanding why medications can have such devastating effects on your body is important to understanding how to effectively, and safely, manage your health. Talk to your doctor about your concerns to see if switching medications may be an appropriate option.

Additional resources about the dangers of statins

Statins are drugs that can mean the difference between health and illness for millions of people. Before you swear them off, learn more about the risks and benefits of taking them, and discuss it with your doctor.

The Dangers of Statins: My original article on Helium.com.
Dangers of Statin Drugs: A through look at studies done on statin drugs, by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD.
Statin on Wikipedia: Includes scientific and chemical details of statins and related medical uses.

Learn more about cholesterol

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flinnie Mar 30, 2012 @ 8:52 pm | delete

Hi great info hear,I have high cholesterol and was taking a statins.Trying to improve my health.It hard when you have so many health problem.Thanks for sharing.

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xzanaith Aug 20, 2011 @ 5:52 am | delete

My darling AHole doctor waited untill my appt.today to tell me to stop taking simvastatin,I guess it was to much to ask someone in the office to warn me by phone sooner,its not enough that I already have Back,leg,and knee problems,or maybe he thought it didn't make any difference as i'm already screwed up!Im going to have my GP order some tests and talk to my neurologist if it turns out that this has made things worse I will sue the fool.

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valerie duncombe Mar 28, 2012 @ 4:40 pm | delete

have you ever tried using organic products? I was messed up from using medication from my doctor. I switched to all natural products it helped me with no side effects. There are lots of all natural products on the market. what i am using is from Ardyss International. If you would like you can check it out at www.ardysslife.com/yesynot if not these, I would suggest you try some sort of all natural products. good luck on your health, being healthy is so important.

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Dec 4, 2010 @ 9:02 pm | delete

My grandpa died of heart failure a year ago. He was diabetic and already sick but he was taking that drug Avandia, that I'm pretty sure played a role in his heart's deterioration.