I have been reading all of your Simvastatin experiences with high...

Just before I went to college, my father gave me a PDR (Physicians’ Desk Reference) and told me to read it before taking any medications. The PDR contains all the major drugs and their side effects. He told that I would have to make a decision in the future as to whether a particular medication was worth the risks of its side effects – sound counsel from a father who is a doctor. In addition, he told me that the so called doctors’ orders are only “recommendations” and nothing more.

My recommendations:
1. Take only medications that have a NNT (number needed to treat) value close to 1. Statins NNT values range from 100 to 500.
2. Stop taking Simvastatin and get a new doctor.

if you had problems with lipitor, you would certainly be expected to have problems with simvastatin or any other statin drugs. they are all of the same class and the only reason there are so many of them is so that different drug companies can all have their share of the pie- i.e., your wallet.
if you can't take one statin, you can't take any of them. and your doctor should know that. before he prescribes another statin, get a new doctor and get your cholesterol under control with diet

All statins can cause MANY side effects . . .the drs. and the drug co's are doing a SCAM on the anti-cholesterol drugs . . .it is all about big $$ business. In reality, your mind/body needs cholesterol to function properly. DON'T LET YOUR DR. TO CON YOU.

bradford . . . . .you are lucky, your father is very wise. Unfortunately, so many people trust drs. and then have to deal with side effects . . . .like me. I learned the hard way.

I am surprised that there are mainly negative comments about simvastatins. The medical community does know that cholesterol below 200 makes for a healthier human and research more and more is showing that statins appear to reduce inflammation in the body which may ultimately be the reason it is heart healthy. The quandary is that only half the people that have heart attacks have high cholesterol, so surely cholesterol is not the whole picture. So, taking simvastatins is kind of a leap of faith. If you have no or few side effects, it is probably a healthful drug, but if you are suffering from taking it, then it needs to be discontinued or tweaked.

I took Lipitor several years ago (lowest dose) and after a few weeks I experienced severe dizzy spells that lasted upwards of 1/2 hour. At the time, I was taking a couple meds that I had taken for years, so it was easy to know that the Lipitor was to blame and I went off it immediately. Then I tried Zocor and now take a generic simvastatin (40 mg.) which I have taken for 7 years. I don't have any of the pains people are speaking about, but I do experience dizziness about 5 or 6 times a year. They only last from 5-10 seconds, so if they are caused by the statins, I am willing to suffer this.

The reason your posting stood out is because when I was 53 (55 now), I also began feeling tired, fell asleep every time I sat down, seemed like I had to drag myself to do anything, absolutely none of my regular motivation. My nails were often splitting, my nostrils were painful due to dryness and much more hair than usual was falling out. I went to my doctor and she said to use petroleum jelly in my nose and don't overeat so I won't fall asleep. My blood tests were normal. I suffered 1/1/2 years with this. Finally, my annual blood work came back with low thyroid. I began medication and got my life back 100%. In hindsight, I wish she had medicated me based on my symptoms, but perhaps that would have been unethical from her point of view. Hypothyroidism is more common in middle-aged/older women, but men certainly get it as well. In fact, hormone levels of all type tend to wane as we age. Hormones are responsible for running your body, you cannot function well without adequate hormone levels. Why not try a visit to an endocrinologist? Even if your blood levels are only slightly low, you may find a Dr. that will prescribe meds that will alleviate your symptoms. In men, testosterone levels start to decline in the 50s; this can also cause depression. This isn't in your head and I doubt it is the simvastin.

i don't think that medical science can state with any certainty that "cholesterol below 200 makes for a healthier human"

reductionist research (science that looks at one factor in isolation from all others, which is what western medicine does) jumped on cholesterol because they need a likely villan that they can target with drug therapy. much like the serotonin theory of depression, it's pretty muc an advertising ploy

there are many cultures where people live into their 90's and 100's without ever seeing a doctor, having a cholesterol test or taking a statin. if these drugs were any good, the USA as a whole would be in better health. everyone is on a myriad of drugs and everyone is sick and miserable. what does that tell you?

even now they are looking into a link between statins and the uptick in ASL cases. what about early alzheimer's, a disease formerly of the very old (and not even so old considering that 100 yr olds living on greek islands don't get it) that is now affecting 40 yr olds?

someday they'll figure out that cholesterol is essential for memory and brain function and that these drugs plunged a lot of people into early dementia. in the meantime, the drug company will make billions off you, helping you get rid of something that A) your body makes becasue it needs it! and B) if you have too much you can control it with diet and exercise

ok, i realize that low thyroid is a culprit in many cases but there are way too many people who felt fine before they went on statins and now they feel terrible. i have an employee who is exactly my age to the day. her doctor put her on statins. she says "the lipitor, it killed me." she stopped taking it and feels better

lovemyhormones . . .. Sooner or later, most people will have numerous side effects from statins. I stopped taking Lipitor (POISON) on 2-08 and I still have numerous problems, even though I take many supplements. . . my previous dr. wanted me to take another statins . . .although I told him about the side effects. Drs. and drug co's are doing a HUGE racket on the anti-cholesterol drugs . . . it is all about $$$ . . .while people SUFFER.

777- No doubt doctors have a monetary stake in the RX business, but in the case of simvastatins- the generic costs me $30.00 for a year supply. This is not making anyone rich.

lovemyhormones-
while it may be true that a year's supply of generic simvastatin costs YOU $30.00, i assume you have insurance and that figure is your co-pay. the pprice you pay for drugs should not be mistaken for the price of the drugs that is charged against your insurance.
one of the big troubles with the american health care/ insurance system is that we, the consumers/ patients really have no clue what our care actually costs

lovemyhormones . . . . It is certainly your choice to defend the drs. and the drug co's. . . . . I am concerned about the millions of people that take statins and other unnecessary drugs and suffer with the side effects. . . . I agree with "propsguy" with his posts.