Statin results are in.

[Sharron1]

Results of blood test after three months on statins Liver function fine. Cholestrol numbers all good with total at 3.2. Bad cholestrol and trigs also well within normal range. No side effects . Ok, lost the Statins argument. Suppose I will just continue with them...

To celebrate, I will indulge in an Easter egg or two!

Happy holiday everyone.

 

[nonethewiser]

Pleased for you but not entirely surprised as statins are widely prescribed, well tolerated & do what they are supposed to do.

Have great Easter.

 

[Deb_l]

Do you mind me asking what your total result was before the statins? I'm still holding off taking them but my GP is 'recommending' but not 'pushing' just yet. My total cholesterol (at last test) was 5.5.

I'm hopeful it will have come down naturally next time, fingers crossed.

 

[Sharron1]

Toyal 7.2. High and increasing over time. Which is why I agreed to statins.

 

[Maz2]

Glad to hear you are getting on OK with statins. I know a few people who tolerate them well.

 

[Sussexmax]

That’s good news @Sharron1, and a significant reduction - well deserving of the Easter egg reward! Also encouraging that you’ve not had any side effects from the statins. I’m sure my GP will be having a conversation with me about them before long! How are you getting on with the sugar levels, didn’t you get your metformin dose reduced a while ago? Happy Easter holiday to you and others too…

 

[Sharron1]

That’s good news @Sharron1, and a significant reduction - well deserving of the Easter egg reward! Also encouraging that you’ve not had any side effects from the statins. I’m sure my GP will be having a conversation with me about them before long! How are you getting on with the sugar levels, didn’t you get your metformin dose reduced a while ago? Happy Easter holiday to you and others too…

It was all going so well until yesterday afternoon.Received a call from my surgery my liver enzyme things are slightly elevated and the perceived wisdom with no other usual liver symptoms is that the culprit are the statins. Told not to take them anymore, arrange another blood test to see if things return to normal. Will see where to go from here. Sigh

 

[Sussexmax]

It was all going so well until yesterday afternoon.Received a call from my surgery my liver enzyme things are slightly elevated and the perceived wisdom with no other usual liver symptoms is that the culprit are the statins. Told not to take them anymore, arrange another blood test to see if things return to normal. Will see where to go from here. Sigh

Sorry to hear that @Sharron1, especially as it sounded as if everything had gone to plan and you were getting on well with the medication. Hopefully it might just mean changing to a different statin, I suppose your surgery will explain all that when you go for your blood test. At least it sounds as if it’s the statin that’s the problem, so hope it doesn’t put a dampener on your holiday weekend. Fingers crossed for a swift resolution!

 

[Sharron1]

Sorry to hear that @Sharron1, especially as it sounded as if everything had gone to plan and you were getting on well with the medication. Hopefully it might just mean changing to a different statin, I suppose your surgery will explain all that when you go for your blood test. At least it sounds as if it’s the statin that’s the problem, so hope it doesn’t put a dampener on your holiday weekend. Fingers crossed for a swift resolution!

Many thanks. I will wait for test results before I make any decision re Statins but what I don't want to do is begin the Statin merry go round. I need a better understanding but my current thinking is that all Statins are from the same family surely my liver enzymes would react the same? Or would a lower dose be the answer? Unfortunately GP is rather unhelpful. Sigh. Meanwhile time to crack on (bad joke, I know)with my Easter treat...

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear that @Sharron1

Some statins do work differently I think? Rosuvastatin might be one with a different base as I think @Robin was saying something about it being more appropriate for her recently.

 

[Robin]

I was switched to Rosuvastatin after I’d tried a couple of others that had given me muscle aches, and I’ve been fine on it so far. I read somewhere that it’s one that doesn’t cross the blood brain barrier. I’m on the lowest possible dose, 5mg, I think, which probably also helps avoid side effects.

 

[Mumpie_olgran]

I'm another that has switched to Rosuvastatin (from Atorvastatin). Chunkier dose for me at 40mg. So far side effects are much better (sleep patterns and head fuzziness). Next month will be the test of where the cholesterol numbers have gone mind

 

[Sharron1]

The GP kept on mentioning a drug called (i think?). Ezetimble (or sounding like that). While I am not averse to Statins, I am rather concerned I will begin a Statin merry go round. Surely if they are from the same family I will have a problem? I did wonder if a lower dose (10 or even 5 mg) might be the answer. I simply don't know enough and trust in the GP isn't great. No doubt that will be another fruitless conversation with the non listening or responding to queries GP. He was fixated on if I drink I don't, absolutely teetotal but he clearly thought I was a drinker ergo liver problems. He asked me three times in my 10 minute slot. Beginning to fully understand why people get so irratated.

 

[s'nic]

Before I decided to go the diet route I read up on statins and side effects, Ezetimibe (Zetia) seemed to have a shorter list of adverse side effects than others

 

[Sharron1]

Before I decided to go the diet route I read up on statins and side effects, Ezetimibe (Zetia) seemed to have a shorter list of adverse side effects than others

I have also read about Ezetimibe. Basically I think it is pot luck

 

[grovesy]

I have also read about Ezetimibe. Basically I think it is pot luck

I belive it is more expensive and that is why it is not more widely prescribed.

 

[s'nic]

I have also read about Ezetimibe. Basically I think it is pot luck

I was looking at it from a statistic viewpoint
If one medicine has 50 possible side effects, and another has 5 possible side effects, then statistically you are more likely to experience 1 of the 50 side effects, and less likely to experience 1 of the 5 side effects 😉

 

[Jasmin2000]

If the statin has done it's job and the only downside is some liver damage (that's what the liver enzymes are telling you) then just reduce the dose. You have a lot of room to play with, with those great cholesterol numbers.

 

[Sharron1]

On balance I would not rather have any liver damage but for some reason the GP didn't want to reduce the dosage, didn't give me any reason just kept banging on about Ezetimibe and told me stop taking the Statin that begins A, avosomething.

As well as organising a full liver panel test AND an ulltra sound. So, a little low grade panic from me. He was less that reassuring about it.Told me it was rather unusual to have elevated liver enzymes from Statins, but it is listed as one of the side effects for some people on the NHS webpage, British Heart Foundation and their cholestrol pages. There is a bit of me that eonders if i was too good to be true patient, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, eats a good diet good weight, good bp, good hba1c. Must be lying, hence elevated enzymes couldn't possibly be the Statin, all ok previously only change in last three months is the introduction of a Statin. He wasn't convinced.

My surgery isn't that great, all the decent GPs soon leave and the ones that stay, well work it out yourself.

 

[Jasmin2000]

On balance I would not rather have any liver damage but for some reason the GP didn't want to reduce the dosage, didn't give me any reason just kept banging on about Ezetimibe and told me stop taking the Statin that begins A, avosomething.

We have liver damage all the time, the liver is where all our food and toxins get shunted and it takes on all the nasty chemicals - damage is just collateral, some cells get leaky as a result and release those liver enzymes into our blood. That's why the liver is able to regenerate.
Elevations of liver enzymes by 2-3 times is a sign of some damage but wholly reversible if the cause is identified, greater elevations would probably get you into hospital for observation so I assume it's mild. Atorvastatin is definitely one of the statins that mildly elevates liver enzymes in 1/3000-5000 patients.

As well as organising a full liver panel test AND an ulltra sound. So, a little low grade panic from me. He was less that reassuring about it.Told me it was rather unusual to have elevated liver enzymes from Statins, but it is listed as one of the side effects for some people on the NHS webpage, British Heart Foundation and their cholestrol pages.

He's right to investigate but I'm unsure why he isn't stopping the statins for a while until the results come back and more importantly, checking to see if your liver enzymes return to normal - then you know it was the statins.

Ezetimibe is an interesting cholesterol drug as it blocks cholesterol uptake from foods, in contrast to statins which block cholesterol synthesis in the liver. Of course there are also side-effects but these don't include liver damage, so from a GP's perspective it makes sense.