Hello Norfolk Gal and Colin S.
I have now been OFF statins since last January (especially Simvastatin). As someone pointed out earlier, ALL statins have basically the same side effects, so if you are sensitive to any of the side effects the statins bring with them, then it won't matter which specific statins you are taking - you will be hit by the side effects.
Like many other people, I am affected by (crippling) muscle and joint pains and dysfunction. I fully discussed my reservations with my GP ( about 3 weeks after stopping Simvastatin). I also told him how I had researched dietary changes and alternatives and that - initially - I wanted to go down that route. I also found in my research that, statins are not perhaps all that , that '' they are cracked up to be''. However, Big Pharma earns an awful lot of money by pushing these drugs. They also pay GPs bonuses for the prescriptions.....
As a result of the open and frank discussion, my GP (whom I trust) sent me off for a blood test, looking for multitudinous scenarios, including any sign of artheritus or rheumatoid artheritus ( there were none!). My cholesteral level were slightly higher than it should have been - but then - after all, I had only just started tweaking / changing my diet.
I started off by changing from eating red meat to eating more fish, especially oily fish (fish, green salad and raw coloured vegetables for breakfast with black rye bread, followed by a banana and / or a plain youghourt with honey). I have added cholesteral-lowering food to my diet from there. You can change your cholesterol level by the food you eat!
For me, this has meant that I can now put my socks and shoes on in the morning again, bend down to pick things off the floor again, walk to the PO Box in the village again , take the dog out for his twice daily 40 minute walks again, do gardening again and go on walks and hikes and start cycling again, stroll around our local little market town on market days for a couple of hours hunting for bargains again.
There IS something true in the saying ''You Are What You Eat''.
Changing a GP is not always the answer. Do your home work and then make sure your GP knows what you want and engage him / her in a frank and honest discussion. Make and bring (short!) notes with you to your appointment from your research and own experiences.
Another benefit of changing my diet has been, that I have also lost weight quite naturally ( for my height and build I carried about 5 kgs excess weight) I have one kg more to go.....
I will be very interested in hearing from people who have travelled a similar ''journey'' to myself and will be quite happy to share my own experiences with anyone keen (as I was) to try and take My health a little bit more into my own hands and not to be so daunted by GPs and Big Pharma....
Hope I have posted something POSITIVE!
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