How do I know if my statin is working? You'll need a blood test to check that your blood cholesterol level has come down. After starting a statin, it takes about six weeks for cholesterol levels to stabilise, so most doctors would re-check your cholesterol after about eight weeks.
Statins help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol, in the blood. They draw cholesterol out of plaque and stabilize plaque, Blaha says.
You should see major changes in your cholesterol levels within two to four weeks after starting treatment. When you take a statin, you do more than improve your cholesterol levels. They also reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, and other heart problems.
Statins work by reducing the amount of cholesterol made by the liver and helping the liver remove cholesterol that is already in the blood. Statins may also reduce inflammation in the artery walls. This can lead to blockages that damage organs such as the heart and brain.
Muscle pain and damage
One of the most common complaints of people taking statins is muscle pain. You may feel this pain as a soreness, tiredness or weakness in your muscles. The pain can be a mild discomfort, or it can be severe enough to make your daily activities difficult.
Research suggests that statins may cause you to feel tired because they play a role in decreasing the amount of energy provided to the cells in your muscles.
Muscle pain usually goes away within 1 to 2 weeks after you stop taking a statin.
dizziness. feeling sick. feeling unusually tired or physically weak. digestive system problems, such as constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion or farting.
Statin use is associated with increased calorie intake and consequent weight gain.
Like all drugs, statins bring the risk of side effects. Muscle pain, liver damage, increased blood sugar, and fuzzy thinking are the most common – which can scare some candidates off.
Many statins work more effectively when they are taken at night. This is because the enzyme which makes the cholesterol is more active at night. Also, the half-life, or the amount of time it takes for half the dose to leave your body, of some statins is short.
If you're taking a statin medication to lower your cholesterol, you will need to keep taking your prescription, or your cholesterol will likely go back up. Stopping your statin can put you at risk of having heart disease and other preventable health problems like stroke and heart attack from high cholesterol.
These prescription drugs lower your risk for heart disease by blocking a substance your body uses to make cholesterol. But statins aren't always enough. One study says that half of people who take statins don't get their cholesterol down to a healthy level after 2 years.
Conversely, pathological studies have documented statin-induced changes in plaque composition as early as 3 months after therapy initiation.
The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association developed some prescription guidelines. Typically, if a person's LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) is 190 or higher, they're often advised to start a statin.
You can “unclog” your arteries with natural methods, including diet, exercise, and stress management. Quitting smoking, if you smoke, can also help reverse plaque.
People who did take statins consumed more calories and fat over time, and gained more weight. The study also showed that statin users had a faster increase in body mass index (BMI) than those who didn't use statins.
“We found that statins lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and that the effect extends to patients with pre-hypertension, those with normal blood pressure and persons not on blood-pressure lowering medications,” said Golomb.
Swollen feet and ankles (fluid retention) Fatigue and drowsiness. Shortness of breath.
Statin-related muscle pain, if it happens at all, usually happens within the first few months after you start the drug or raise the dose. You may feel a constant soreness or weakness in your shoulders, thighs, hips, or calves. If you're like most people, it'll affect both sides of your body equally.
Psychiatric adverse effects, altering mood, personality, and behavior, sometimes arise in patients receiving statins. Statin psychiatric effects can include irritability/aggression, anxiety or depressed mood, violent ideation, sleep problems including nightmares, and possibly suicide attempt and completion.
After starting a statin, it takes about six weeks for cholesterol levels to stabilise, so most doctors would re-check your cholesterol after about eight weeks. You should have a check-up at least once a year or more often if your doctor thinks it is necessary.
These statins, including atorvastatin (Lipitor®), simvastatin (Zocor®) and fluvastatin (Lescol®), are more likely to cause muscle aches. The hydrophilic statins, including rosuvastatin (Crestor®) and pravastatin (Pravachol®), have to be actively transported and cause fewer muscle aches.
Simvastatin was associated with the highest risk of muscle pain (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.29, vs. pravastatin), followed by atorvastatin (OR 1.28, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.60, vs. pravastatin). Fluvastatin was associated with the lowest risk of muscular symptoms (OR 0.33, 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.42).