What You Need To Know About the Problems with Statin Drugs

Statin is prescribed to people who have high cholesterols. The aim of this drug is to lower cholesterol and reduce the chances of experiencing heart related issues such as a heart attack. The statin drug blocks the substances that support the liver in making cholesterol. This makes the liver emit it through the blood. This drug is very effective, but it has very severe side effects. This makes it seem like the riskiness of taking the drug outweighs the benefits of statin drugs. Examples of statins include simvastatin (Zocor), rosuvastatin (Crestor), pravastatin (Pravachol), pitavastatin (Livalo), lovastatin (Altoprev), fluvastatin (Lescol), and atorvastatin (Lipitor). This read will outline some of the problems or side effects you are likely to experience when you ingest Statin.

Side Effects of Statins

If you start experiencing side effects of statin, ask your medical practitioner for advice on what to do. Do not just rush into pausing your medication.

Muscle damage and pain- This is a very common complaint. The pain might resemble that of weakness, fatigue, or soreness in the muscles. It could be severe enough to affect how you go about your errands and work obligations or mild. It is possible but rare that statins can cause muscle pain and damage that is life threatening. This type of muscle damage is known as rhabdomyolysis. It is severe because it affects the kidney, liver, and muscles. It could even cause death. This can happen when you ingest high doses of statins or you take it with a combination of other drugs.

Liver damage- Statins affect the enzyme levels that cause liver inflammation. If the enzyme levels are very high, seek medical attention immediately you start experiencing the following symptoms yellow eye or skin,  dark-colored urine, upper abdominal pain, loss of appetite, unusual weakness or fatigue.

Neurological issues- Some people experience confusion and develop memory loss when they take some statins. The good thing is that this side effect reverses once the person discontinues their medication. This means that it is not permanent damage. Take note that this side effect is very rare. Even though it does affect the neurological functions of some people, it would be beneficial to note that it also helps people who suffer from dementia. Thus, the effects are different. Just because your friend is experiencing memory loss, it does not mean that you will. Make sure you consult your doctor before you stop taking your medication. The doctor might prescribe other statins that do not have that effect on your neurological functions.