My cholesterol is within normal range but GP increased my dose from 5mg to 20mg today, and said this is increase is needed to prevent another stroke. I’m worried about side effects.
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I take 5mg, have done ever since first prescribed. But I am taking a load of other junk as well - Bisoprolol,Digoxin, Dapagliflozin and Apixaban. Maybe you have the higher dose because you aren’t taking anything else.
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Hello @Nanag im on atorvastatin,the side effects are generally mild the only one that bothers me is constipation and I take docusate for that,1 drug causes the need for another,it’s crazy that we become human pharmacies!I have familial hypocholestremia,and even though I NEVER eat meat or shellfish I have agreed to take statins after a discussion with a friend who is a doctor.
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Nanag - you ask an interesting question and it is understandable that you are worried about side effects.
I am going to try to respond to your post based on my understanding of what you are saying.
The key point here is to understand why your GP has increased the statin dose from 5mg to 20mg. This is a significant increase in one step (4 x) and seems “severe”.
The GP has said the increase is needed to prevent another stroke.
As you are worried about the side effects, it is absolutely reasonable for you to go back to the GP to discuss his action. You can ask why he believes the changes of stroke is high, so much so that he is increasing the dose.
The GP will have done this based on something they may have seen in your current medical condition and they may have used some sort of guideline to do what they have done.
There is something called the Nice Guideline (read about it here) which they may have used. I remember when I last saw my GP they used this to tell me my risk of cardiovascular disease e.g. stroke or heart attack was 20% (the figure may have been different but I use it to illustrate) higher than the general public. I asked him how this was determined and he said the tool (risk assessment) used various markers from my medical history, my age, weight etc.
For me, this is a conversation you should have with your GP because what others are taking is based on their perceived risk as determined by their medical history and current conditions. Of course we can always use this information as guidelines but when it comes to medicines in particular I believe it really has to be individually assessed, prescribed and followed.
Wishing you peace of mind.
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I was initially on 20mg, I think, went down to 10mg and now on 5mg. A recent study, partly funded, by the British Heart Foundation revealed that statins don’t cause the majority of side effects listed on the leaflets.
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I’m on 80mg of Atorvastatin a day, with total cholesterol of 3. It’s easy to forget that statins have an additional function beyond reducing cholesterol: they harden and stabilise arterial plaque, reducing the risk of bits breaking off and causing strokes or heart attacks. There is even some evidence of high doses leading to modest reversal of atherosclerosis. I don’t have any adverse effects so it’s quite an easy decision for me - one horse tablet a day to keep the atherosclerosis glued to the blood vessel where it’s doing less harm.
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10mg here and Dr happy with the dosage.
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My story is almost identical to @harimanjaro. I don’t have any aise effects that I know of so easy decision to keep taking it.
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I m going to get back to the GP as feel as all the progress I have made in the last 10 months has gone, feels like I am in fog and slept most of the day. Definitely would not drive like this!
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Sounds like you definitely need to revisit the GP if they’re making you feel like that. Hope it is sorted soon for you..
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It’s very rare for statins to cause drowsiness, could it be a nocebo or something else? Just throwing ideas out there. Or if it is medication related, take them at night. I know Clopidogrel is more effective and safer taken at night.
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I too am on the 80 mg horse pill of Atorvastatin but I also have 6 other meds to take, including the “wonder” drug Entresto for heart failure which has increased my ejection fraction from 35 back to a more normal 54 if anyone knows what I mean by that ha ha. I wouldn’t know re side effects which one was causing what, but luckily don’t seem to have any at the moment ( don’t speak too soon eh) ultimately I feel I have to “trust” the professionals if they say I shd take something for my own good….but realise this trust may not always be well founded…it’s all such a minefield and so individual
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My GP wants me to get to 40mg rosvustatin - he hasn’t explained why. A recent cholesterol test was 4.3. I’m taking 10mg at the moment. I dont think it is giving me side effects but I’m having other issues (giddiness etc) and would rather keep drug levels low until other issues sorted.
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I’m surprised that your GP hasn’t explained why they want to increase your meds. It’s your body and your decision to make, so you should ask the question and get them to explain. It’s part of their job!
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The neurologist said my LDL should be below 70 mg/dl for stroke prevention. I am on 10mg rosuvastatin and my LDL is 45 mg/dl. Did you have your LDL levels checked? If you do have arteriosclerosis elsewhere then the higher dose does stabilize the plaque as another post said so might be good. I take the supplement CoQ10 to prevent muscle pain from the statin. You can take the higher dose and see if you have any side effects.
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Sorry @Nanag i failed to tell you my dose,I’m on 20mg atorvastatin.
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My LDL in March was 1.3mmol/L, will try the CoQ10.
Update, I have appointment on Monday with GO, have asked if I can trial 10mg rosuvastatin together with ezetimibe, research says this is a good alternative with less side effects than 20mg rosuvastatin. Anyone else tried this?
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I had a stroke four years ago and was prescribed different statins but they all caused chest pains, quite severe at times and I have been to A&E because of them. I was recommended a book by my neighbour who was a medical researcher at Oxford University called “ The Clot Thickens” because I also have a heart condition called Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardio Myopathy ( HOCM). This book is written by a GP and explains in layman’s terms mostly what can cause heart problems and the role of cholesterol. After reading it I refused any more statins and no longer have chest pains. That was three years ago.
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You are perfectly entitled to know why the GP wants you to get to 40mg dose. Just ask them to explain and they are obliged to do so. You are on 10 mg and the GP wants to increase it 40mg - that is a four fold or 400% increase. This is not an insignificant amount.
You may not be having side effects, though you say you don’t think so does that mean you are not sure?
What is the cause of your other issues (giddiness etc.) and are you on medications for the other issues. If you are on a few medications, they may contribute to problems. Whilst a good doctor would check to make sure the medications are not adversely interacting, you cannot ever be sure and in any case not all patients will tolerate all the medications they are prescribed.
As individuals we must recognise what the medications do to our bodies and we must listen to our bodies. If in doubt, get it checked and always read the informational leaflets that come with medications.
And this is entirely your choice. The GP can recommend/prescribe but you are not obliged to follow their advice. It’s up to you to decide if the doctor fully understands your condition and concerns and if you are not happy you can ask for a second opionion.