Statins for Gray Beards

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johnr9q

Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 12, 2016 - 08:49pm PT
One of the possible side effects of Statins is muscle weakness. I take statins and also work hard to be able to climb hard. Is it possible that, because of my statin use, it is more of an uphill battle to gain/maintain strength/endurance? Has anyone had experiences with muscle weakness while on Statins?
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Apr 12, 2016 - 08:57pm PT
I don't know. I just live and climb.
Lorenzo

Trad climber
Portland Oregon
Apr 12, 2016 - 09:02pm PT
Yes.

stop taking them and see how you feel.

( talk to your doctor about alternatives and pay attention to what you eat with them)

Did you start taking them in 2013?
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/08/26/statin-flawed-studies.aspx
zBrown

Ice climber
Apr 12, 2016 - 09:12pm PT
From what I've read, statins are good


For those selling them
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Apr 12, 2016 - 09:31pm PT
Statins can have quite a number of undesirable side effects.
Do your homework and decide if yours is worth it especially if a lifestyle
change could achieve the same goals.
healyje

Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
Apr 13, 2016 - 02:56am PT
http://articles.mercola.com/...

A lot of stuff from mercola should be taken with a grain of salt...
slabbo

Trad climber
colo south
Apr 13, 2016 - 07:23am PT
DO NOT just stop taking them..lot's of drugs have immediate problems when you stop completely. Talk to your Doc about a tapering off or lesser dose.

Do you have symptoms or feel it's just uphill battle ?
JerryA

Mountain climber
Sacramento,CA
Apr 13, 2016 - 07:31am PT
I always thought that stop at the Oakdale donut shop on the way to Yosemite was going to get you !
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
Apr 13, 2016 - 07:37am PT
ah . . . .

Er what were we talking about? oh yeah high cholesterol , the current cure, Statins may feature some blood/brain interaction that no one tells
or talks about because ya' can't remember when the clock is ticking


I take the largest rx mg that they prescribe gnome h/d/l -L/dL solid

Mine is a heredity issue on both sides.
Ido not eat any dairy, the hard cheese neither.
No Ice Cream.


Im not so disciplined about sugar, ^& carbohydrates.

The hardest was a weekly beer or wine or 4 a week. that and rice and pasta,
j
I now try to eat a lot of salad. I call it Goat food. then I add Vinaigrettes with different flavors; hot sauce , or wasabi, some times a green basil sauce from a jar concentrate.


yikes you guys are scaring me . . ho wait . . I knew that . . .

do any of you suffer from debilitating cramping of major muscles?. Legs, upon stretching , the deltoid thing, oh man that efin' hurts. . . .

anyone know what I'm talking' about?
johnr9q

Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 13, 2016 - 08:19am PT
I'll address some of your questions/concerns:
1. I have researched statins and think the benefits outweigh the negative side effects.
2. If I have side effects, they are subtle and I am not aware of them.
3. I will stop taking statins and see if I have any improvement in strength.
4. Jerry: I quit stopping at the donut shop when we quit climbing together
5. I don't take statins due to any physical symptoms. I started because of a family history of heart problems and I had slightly elevated cholesterol levels.
6. I already do all the things that should encourage low cholesterol (exercise, diet etc)
7. Jebus: Age is irrelevant regarding having a desire to improve and perform at one's best. I may be unusual, but at 71, I still have the same goals and desires as I did in my twenties. More importantly, I add actions to those goals and desires and do the things to achieve those goals and desires.
8. Mynameismud: Changing your lifestyle and diet worked for you but it doesn't work for all people. Some, like myself, are genetically predisposed to have higher cholesterol and no matter what we do, diet and lifestyle wise, it will not affect that. Believe me, I follow everything in Barry Sears "Zone Diet" book and Follow Dr Dean Ornish's advice but no change in Cholesterol.
9. Jebus: You say "some added factors that come with your vintage" That is true but those added factors are mostly out of my control ie, the aging process and we all experience that after age 30. What I am talking about is very simple: If I quit statins, will I be stronger. This is something I can control. If statins have been proven to cause muscle weakness, then maybe everyone on statins will experience some degree of muscle weakness? If I am 5% weaker while on statins, that wouldn't be good for my climbing. Maybe statins are affecting my ability to get stronger?
mynameismud

climber
backseat
Apr 13, 2016 - 08:23am PT
If you really want to lower your cholesterol it requires a lifestyle change. Cut back or eliminate all animal products. No sweets, no deep fried foods, etc. It will drop and very quickly. Once under control slowly introduce bad stuff. You can manage it with drugs or diet, the choice is yours. Yes, I have high cholesterol but I got it under 200 by changing my diet ( was not easy for me ).
slabbo

Trad climber
colo south
Apr 13, 2016 - 08:30am PT
Diet and lifestyle can change cholesteral levels..sometimes a bit,,sometimes a lot..nothing is 100%

if your taking for heart primarily (I am)..maybe a smaller dose is OK..I went from 40mg daily to 20mg 4x a week Cardio seems OK with this and the leg issues are pretty much gone.
Gunkie

Trad climber
Valles Marineris
Apr 13, 2016 - 08:35am PT
If you really want to lower your cholesterol it requires a lifestyle change. Cut back or eliminate all animal products. No sweets, no deep fried foods, etc. It will drop and very quickly.


No, not necessarily. Genetics have a lot to do with cholesterol levels as it is in my case.


I take 40mg of Simvastatin (generic Zocor) everyday. Aside from a second head beginning to grow, I have no side effects as far as I can tell. And my total cholesterol is hovering around 200 and has been that way for 25 years since I began taking statins. I was around 340 before the introduction of statins. Statins are a miracle drug for me. YMMV
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Apr 13, 2016 - 08:42am PT
A number of cardiovascular drugs have been studied in an effort to evaluate the possible benefits with not only vascular diseases, but also Alzheimer’s disease. Statin drugs, which act to reduce blood lipids/cholesterol have been shown to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease and stroke. Combination therapies—statins, antihypertensives, and antiplatelet agents—have also shown benefits in treating vascular diseases. But, the data regarding statins and and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease is mixed. The risk of vascular dementia can be reduced (by decrease in strokes or TIAs), but the effect of statins on cognitive decline is not clear. Some people have reported worsening confusion and cognitive problems while taking statins, which resolved when the statin drug was eliminated. More research is needed in this area also.

http://www.alz.org/indiana/in_my_community_64741.asp
johnr9q

Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 13, 2016 - 09:06am PT
Mynameismud: Read item 8 in my list
johnr9q

Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 13, 2016 - 09:28am PT
Jebus: Read item 9 in my list for a response to your comments
johnr9q

Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 13, 2016 - 09:30am PT
Locker: You said "I had issues with the original dosage I was put on and it required a couple of adjustments before I felt OK enough to accept taking them..." Please tell us what the "issues" were and what you mean by "I felt OK"
rmuir

Social climber
From the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
Apr 13, 2016 - 09:49am PT
My doctor was concerned about my high cholesterol levels. She really wanted to see me start a statin, since I am well beyond the age of consent. Her position was that this is was just a part of aging.

I tried for several months going on a reduced fats diet, cutting out red meats, lots of salads, etc., and my lipid panels were still way too high and have remained unchanged for over a year.

After two months of a 20 mg daily dose, my panel results (returned just yesterday) had dropped from 245 to 156, and I've felt no discernable side-effects even though I'm cycling pretty darned hard.

I'm OK with this…
Texplorer

Trad climber
Sacramento
Apr 13, 2016 - 10:29am PT
A couple of things to consider with statins. While know that they lower cholesterol and we know that they have positive effects on your risk of having a cardiovascular event we don't actually know if it is the cholesterol lowering that is actually causing the benefit. There is wide speculation in the medical community that the anti-inflammatory effects of statins may be what gives them their health benefits and it may not even be totally related to the cholesterol lowering. New guidelines for use are moving this way.

The most common side effect is muscle aches. There are now several studies that indicate that low Vit D levels can be related to these muscle aches with statins. So if you are having any kind of muscle problems while on a statin you might have your Vit D level checked and corrected before giving up on statins.

Statins are some of the most widely prescribed meds now in the US and are actually pretty safe and definitely lower risk in most people.

Fun fact: Lipitor® (now available as generic atorvastatin) is the most lucrative drug in history.
healyje

Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
Apr 13, 2016 - 10:49am PT
Karsten, hope all is well down that way and thanks for the vitamin D tip! Trying to get mine level back up as well and have been contemplating the whole statins thing, but they make me a bit nervous.

rmuir, which one are you on?
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