My Cholesterol was 7.8 and I was put on Statins 3 years ago. Because they gave me pains in my legs and other areas I stopped them.
A year ago my Cholesterol was still high and I had changed doctors and was prescribed Atorvastatin 10mg after 2 months my doctor sent me for blood tests and in a phone call when I was at work he told me that Atorvastatin had caused Liver damage. He said I should stop taking the tablets immediately, pity this advice was not put on my notes so that when I phoned for my blood results a week earlier the receptionist could inform me to stop Atorvastatin. She just said Doctor will be in touch via phone call next week.
He referred me to a Liver Specialist.
I went to see Liver Specialist after having Liver Ultrasound. Fatty liver was diagnosed and Liver Specialist promptly put me back on Atorvastatin claiming this would help my fatty liver. I couldn't believe it but what could I do?
Local GP had advised me to have bloods done again after being on tablets for 2 months. When my results came back the Locum doctor I saw said "whoa your Liver is not happy" STOP the tablets and have a blood test in 2 weeks.
2 weeks later Liver levels are coming down so thats a good direction. Dilemma is I have to see my Liver Consultant 16 June 2015. Wish me luck!
So sorry to hear about your liver Kipperade. The one thing that puzzles me is when you say is "I couldn't believe it but what can I do" Why don't you find out as much as you can about Statins and then make your own decision on whether to take them or not. Surely we are all responsible for our own health, so why hand that responsibility to someone else, even if they are medically trained? I know that sounds harsh, and I honestly don't mean it to be - I just hate to hear of anyone in your position. Have you told your consultant about what your GP said and your concerns about Statins? Just remember, we all have the choice to do what we feel is best for us.
I do indeed wish you luck with your consultant.... But I know what I would do.... I would tell him where to put his statins - where the sun does not shine!
IF as you say the liver damage has been proved to be due to the statins - then why risk your life by taking any more of them.... I sure would not... liver damage is a well-known side-effect..... along with many others of course, as you will find when you read more of the posts on this forum.
Happily my own LFTs have been entirely normal nevertheless you have my sympathies but a "fatty liver" can be reversed....
Your consultant will advise of course - that you don't drink are not overweight and that you take plenty exercise....the usual guff!
I do believe that Ubiquinol ie Co enzyme 10 will help to speed up your recovery as well. I will be interested to hear how you get on so please keep us posted ...as I always say we like to find out how our fellow sufferers get on!
No, I'll wish him luck for when you give him your opinion of his expertise.
Liver damage is nothing to treat lightly. My dad had esophagus cancer that metasticized to his liver and was gone within the year. A dear lover I wanted to try and have a life with had breast cancer that went to her liver after chemo. She lasted about the same time before she was taken from me too.
Don't mess around with anything involving liver damage!
the mind boggles ...I can't understand why the liver specialist would tell you to go back on statins.....surely he would know what they can do to the liver,,,,ask questions.....tell him what your g p said....and read up on what statins can do....you have a choice..
More evidence (as if we needed it) that statins are very risky drugs. I assume you tried to get your cholesterol down with diet and exercise?
Good luck, try not to worry for the next month and please let this forum know how you get on
we put our lives in their hands! it's so confusing when you get conflicting medical views and it's very difficult to argue the case against highly trained and highly skilled (we hope) medical professionals, particularly specialists who usually have an air of superiority and arrogance about them. A fatty liver can obviously be due to being overweight etc. with cholesterol issues resulting from poor diet and so on, but in your case your gp has given their opinion that you are experiencing liver damage from statins and to stop taking the poison that caused you liver damage in the first place - to be honest i'd say sod off to the 'specialist' and listen to the GPs - more than one has given you good advice - flush the statins and repair your liver.
Change liver specialists and interview each one before you change. I am firmly convinced that many doctors don't spend adequate time learning everything, and as such some have great holes in their learning. Much like my memory gets when on the statins. A patchwork quilt with pieces missing.
I doubt your current liver specialist is up on what kind of damage these statins do. Surf this site and get a volume of printed-out data you can find here and take it with you to your appt. on June 15, if you still want to go with this present specialist. That's what I did with my cardiologist and when I decided to go off the statins he didn't say a word. I still don't think he's actually done research on what the side effects of statins are, because as always, all he says about side effects - at all - is that all drugs have them. He didn't even comment on the papers I had left for him. but he did not protest when I told him I was going off of them.
You DEFINITELY need a second opinion, here. That's what second opinions are for, and it's been my experience that insurance usually pays for them. Test comprise some of the primary expenses in health care, and they don't need to be repeated when a second opinion is all that's needed.
Sorry, "tests comprise"...