Is it safe to stop taking atorvostatin after 8 days?
August 4, 2024 12:16 AM Subscribe
YNMD but I need advice, please. Everything I've read makes it seem like I'll immediately have a heart attack or stroke if I stop. I won't see my doctor for a few more days.
I have arthritis and it's already wrecking my joints. I can't think clearly and I think it's making my anxiety worse. My blood pressure is controlled with losartin. I just took my BP and it was 114/83. My diastolic is high due to anxiety and I have a psych appointment in 2 days. High cholesterol runs in my family. My 67 yr mom has high cholesterol but never had problems with health and her doctor actually recommended against it. I don't like the way this makes me feel and I want to stop now but I'm scared. I know that I'll need to manage my cholesterol in other ways but for now can someone please let me know that I won't immediately die if I stop taking this? I will discuss other options at my PCP appointment in 5 days but I want to stop taking this now.
I have arthritis and it's already wrecking my joints. I can't think clearly and I think it's making my anxiety worse. My blood pressure is controlled with losartin. I just took my BP and it was 114/83. My diastolic is high due to anxiety and I have a psych appointment in 2 days. High cholesterol runs in my family. My 67 yr mom has high cholesterol but never had problems with health and her doctor actually recommended against it. I don't like the way this makes me feel and I want to stop now but I'm scared. I know that I'll need to manage my cholesterol in other ways but for now can someone please let me know that I won't immediately die if I stop taking this? I will discuss other options at my PCP appointment in 5 days but I want to stop taking this now.
Best answer: Stopping a statin doesn't somehow increase your heart attack/stroke risk beyond what it was to start with.
It's just that taking a statin reduces those risks and stopping the statin puts you back where you were in the first place - at increased risk of heart attack/stroke compared with someone who is on statins.
Statins are not really going to do a whole lot in just 8 days, either, so stopping them now isn't going to be much different (from the cardio risk perspective) from just never starting them at all.
FWIW I wouldn't just stop them without informing your doctor. If you're stopping them, inform your doctor of the problems you're having and why you're stopping. There is a good chance they could recommend a different approach or even just a slightly different drug that won't cause the same reaction.
Also FYI statins are known for causing muscle pain in a certain percentage of users. That can be pretty dangerous and people who experience that should definitely stop the drug and speak with their medical team. This happens to roughly 11 of out 1000 people who start statins. So not a lot of people, but not zero either. But the problem there is MUSCLE pain - a very distinct thing from joint pain.
Because statins are very much not strongly associated with joint pain. I mean, there is always the chance you are that one in a million person, but Joint pain is not a widely known side effect of statins. Research has not shown that statins damage the joint or elucidated a pathway by which statins might cause joint pain.
I bring this up because I was absolutely convinced that statins were causing my joint pain. I stopped statins for several years, etc etc. Turn out the joint pain was something completely different and focusing on the statin as the probable cause delayed finding out the true cause for some years.
At the same time, because I skipped the statin for several years, I increased my risk for cardio problems for no reason at all. Because the statin very definitely was not causing my joint pain. So I could have been taking a statin all along and reducing my risk of heart problems, cardio problems, and stroke.
This type of thing can be even more of a problem for people who happen to have a lot of health-related anxiety.
posted by flug at 2:47 AM on August 4, 2024 [11 favorites]
It's just that taking a statin reduces those risks and stopping the statin puts you back where you were in the first place - at increased risk of heart attack/stroke compared with someone who is on statins.
Statins are not really going to do a whole lot in just 8 days, either, so stopping them now isn't going to be much different (from the cardio risk perspective) from just never starting them at all.
FWIW I wouldn't just stop them without informing your doctor. If you're stopping them, inform your doctor of the problems you're having and why you're stopping. There is a good chance they could recommend a different approach or even just a slightly different drug that won't cause the same reaction.
Also FYI statins are known for causing muscle pain in a certain percentage of users. That can be pretty dangerous and people who experience that should definitely stop the drug and speak with their medical team. This happens to roughly 11 of out 1000 people who start statins. So not a lot of people, but not zero either. But the problem there is MUSCLE pain - a very distinct thing from joint pain.
Because statins are very much not strongly associated with joint pain. I mean, there is always the chance you are that one in a million person, but Joint pain is not a widely known side effect of statins. Research has not shown that statins damage the joint or elucidated a pathway by which statins might cause joint pain.
I bring this up because I was absolutely convinced that statins were causing my joint pain. I stopped statins for several years, etc etc. Turn out the joint pain was something completely different and focusing on the statin as the probable cause delayed finding out the true cause for some years.
At the same time, because I skipped the statin for several years, I increased my risk for cardio problems for no reason at all. Because the statin very definitely was not causing my joint pain. So I could have been taking a statin all along and reducing my risk of heart problems, cardio problems, and stroke.
This type of thing can be even more of a problem for people who happen to have a lot of health-related anxiety.
posted by flug at 2:47 AM on August 4, 2024 [11 favorites]
Best answer: Drug side effects can be very weird. I was on Flomax to try and help a kidney stone and i ended up with absolutely debilitating hip pain despite being a 15K steps a day and 15-20 miles a week runner. Like I couldn't even walk because it felt like me hip was dislocating level of hip pain. Stopped the Flomax and a day later I was completely fine. It isn't even a recognized side effect of Flomax either.
I'm on Atorvastatin and Amlodipine since last November. The statins are not on the same level of critical importance as your blood pressure meds. Statins are something like a 20% reduction in mortality with long term use. Your blood pressure meds on the hand are stopping you from potentially stroking out or having an artery blockage today!
Talk to your doctor about trying other statins (there's lots to chose from maybe a different one will work for you).
I just took my BP and it was 114/83. My diastolic is high due to anxiety and I have a psych appointment in 2 days.
114/83 is a perfectly fine BP reading. 120 over 80 is the standard and plus or minus 10 on either is considered okay (and could easily be measurement error).
posted by srboisvert at 5:42 AM on August 4, 2024 [2 favorites]
I'm on Atorvastatin and Amlodipine since last November. The statins are not on the same level of critical importance as your blood pressure meds. Statins are something like a 20% reduction in mortality with long term use. Your blood pressure meds on the hand are stopping you from potentially stroking out or having an artery blockage today!
Talk to your doctor about trying other statins (there's lots to chose from maybe a different one will work for you).
I just took my BP and it was 114/83. My diastolic is high due to anxiety and I have a psych appointment in 2 days.
114/83 is a perfectly fine BP reading. 120 over 80 is the standard and plus or minus 10 on either is considered okay (and could easily be measurement error).
posted by srboisvert at 5:42 AM on August 4, 2024 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I don't like the way this makes me feel
So, how does atorvastatin make you feel? AFAICT, I don't get any kind of "feeling" from it. Are you sure that what you're feeling is caused by this particular med?
posted by JimN2TAW at 6:45 AM on August 4, 2024
So, how does atorvastatin make you feel? AFAICT, I don't get any kind of "feeling" from it. Are you sure that what you're feeling is caused by this particular med?
posted by JimN2TAW at 6:45 AM on August 4, 2024
Best answer: I have autoimmune arthritis and high blood pressure and a crapload of other problems. I take statins 3x weekly instead of daily (which my doctor would prefer) because of side effects. Also, try other statins; the first ones I tried were terrible and the one I currently take is only tolerably bad.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 9:22 AM on August 4, 2024
posted by gentlyepigrams at 9:22 AM on August 4, 2024
Best answer: It will make absolutely no difference for you to stop taking your statin for the next five days. If that makes you feel better, just stop taking it and discuss with your doctor at your upcoming appointment.
posted by ssg at 9:38 AM on August 4, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by ssg at 9:38 AM on August 4, 2024 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Here is the advice from the NHS:
You may want to stop atorvastatin if you think you're having side effects. Talk to your doctor first to see if it really is a side effect of atorvastatin or an unrelated problem. Your doctor may suggest that you lower your dose or change your medicine.
You will not get any withdrawal symptoms. However, stopping atorvastatin may cause your cholesterol to rise. This increases your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
If you want to stop taking your medicine, it's important to find another way to lower your cholesterol.
So, there are no withdrawal symptoms. Since the drug is lowering your cholesterol (in theory at least) stopping it may cause your levels to go back up. As people mentioned above, high cholesterol can be a gradual contributor to heart disease. So, it sounds like it is not dangerous to stop the medication but you will want to talk to your doctor about (1) is it really this drug causing your problems and (2) if you aren't going to take it, what else are going to do about the problem.
posted by metahawk at 10:40 AM on August 4, 2024
You may want to stop atorvastatin if you think you're having side effects. Talk to your doctor first to see if it really is a side effect of atorvastatin or an unrelated problem. Your doctor may suggest that you lower your dose or change your medicine.
You will not get any withdrawal symptoms. However, stopping atorvastatin may cause your cholesterol to rise. This increases your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
If you want to stop taking your medicine, it's important to find another way to lower your cholesterol.
So, there are no withdrawal symptoms. Since the drug is lowering your cholesterol (in theory at least) stopping it may cause your levels to go back up. As people mentioned above, high cholesterol can be a gradual contributor to heart disease. So, it sounds like it is not dangerous to stop the medication but you will want to talk to your doctor about (1) is it really this drug causing your problems and (2) if you aren't going to take it, what else are going to do about the problem.
posted by metahawk at 10:40 AM on August 4, 2024
Best answer:
When I was finally diagnosed with pernicious anemia, my hematologist told me that my LDL was 4330, and that I had no trace of heart disease (at age 60), and finally remarked that "I guess you don’t survive a hematocrit of 10 if you have heart disease." Pernicious anemia is a disease which manifests itself very gradually, so I probably had very elevated levels of cholesterol for a long time before I was diagnosed. Which shows that higher cholesterol will not by itself give you coronary artery problems.
There is YouTube channel out of Australia which is titled 'My Statin Free Life', which I am not linking to because I don’t know how credible it actually is, but you might find it interesting. There appears to be a pretty well-organized anti-statin movement in Australia which I have seen described as 'keto down under' and they have many videos on YouTube.
posted by jamjam at 11:06 AM on August 4, 2024
Cholesterol is the most common steroid in the body. It is a precursor to vitamin D and many steroid hormones, including testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol.Many if not all of those endogenous steroids have potent anti-inflammatory effects, and I think it makes sense to wonder whether reducing the level in your system of their precursor could worsen autoimmune conditions such as arthritis. In any case I think it’s up to the advocates of statins to demonstrate that it doesn’t work that way, and as far as I know, they have not.
When I was finally diagnosed with pernicious anemia, my hematologist told me that my LDL was 4330, and that I had no trace of heart disease (at age 60), and finally remarked that "I guess you don’t survive a hematocrit of 10 if you have heart disease." Pernicious anemia is a disease which manifests itself very gradually, so I probably had very elevated levels of cholesterol for a long time before I was diagnosed. Which shows that higher cholesterol will not by itself give you coronary artery problems.
There is YouTube channel out of Australia which is titled 'My Statin Free Life', which I am not linking to because I don’t know how credible it actually is, but you might find it interesting. There appears to be a pretty well-organized anti-statin movement in Australia which I have seen described as 'keto down under' and they have many videos on YouTube.
posted by jamjam at 11:06 AM on August 4, 2024
Best answer: AFAIC, statins suck. I am allergic to all the statins, and I went through misery. Between the all over body pain, muscle weakness, horrible fatigue and the exacerbation of my already wretched arthritis, I would rather put up with the risks of high cholesterol.
Since I totally lost the genetic crapshoot with high cholesterol, and because of a previous stroke, my docs really pushed through getting me on Repatha, but my insurance required three months of trying three different statins, and the side effects got progressively worse. Repatha is wonderful and is working without any sided effects. If you decide to try it, there is a discount through the website that makes it very affordable.
Statins are horrible, horrible drugs, and none of my doctors like them. My heart doctor told me they do anything to keep their patients from using statins. They have miserable side effects and can cause severe problems, if taken long enough. Like warfarin, they are old drugs that have since been superseded by things that work better, but people use them because they can't afford anything else, and insurance pushes them because they're cheap.
posted by BlueHorse at 11:56 AM on August 4, 2024 [1 favorite]
Since I totally lost the genetic crapshoot with high cholesterol, and because of a previous stroke, my docs really pushed through getting me on Repatha, but my insurance required three months of trying three different statins, and the side effects got progressively worse. Repatha is wonderful and is working without any sided effects. If you decide to try it, there is a discount through the website that makes it very affordable.
Statins are horrible, horrible drugs, and none of my doctors like them. My heart doctor told me they do anything to keep their patients from using statins. They have miserable side effects and can cause severe problems, if taken long enough. Like warfarin, they are old drugs that have since been superseded by things that work better, but people use them because they can't afford anything else, and insurance pushes them because they're cheap.
posted by BlueHorse at 11:56 AM on August 4, 2024 [1 favorite]
Best answer: And just so show there are so many opinions, my cardiologist thinks statins are fantastic. Not extreme enough to sign onto the opinion that they should be put into the water supply like fluoride but he is pro. If certainly doesn't hurt that I don't experience any side effects from atorvastatin.
posted by mmascolino at 2:39 PM on August 4, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by mmascolino at 2:39 PM on August 4, 2024 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Not 100% specific to your question, but when you generally want to know whether it's safe to stop a medication (or take medications at different times, or without food, or with food, or in combination), speak with a pharmacist. Not the tech behind the counter, but an actual pharmacist in possession of a PharmD degree. Pharmacists are THE experts when it comes to medication and how it interacts with other medications and with the human body.
If a cardiologist and a hematologist and an OB/GYN all prescribe you meds, they may know what other meds you're taking but may not know whether they interact poorly or if there are side effects of one that will exacerbate the problems for which you're taking another. If you are experiencing debilitating side effects from your statin, and aren't sure about the safety of going off of them, please talk to a pharmacist for advice instead of taking the advice of all of us (wise, but as you note, NYD) strangers on the internet.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 2:58 PM on August 4, 2024 [1 favorite]
If a cardiologist and a hematologist and an OB/GYN all prescribe you meds, they may know what other meds you're taking but may not know whether they interact poorly or if there are side effects of one that will exacerbate the problems for which you're taking another. If you are experiencing debilitating side effects from your statin, and aren't sure about the safety of going off of them, please talk to a pharmacist for advice instead of taking the advice of all of us (wise, but as you note, NYD) strangers on the internet.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 2:58 PM on August 4, 2024 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you so much, everyone! I've marked these all as Best because all of the answers have helped me.
posted by smashface at 9:46 PM on August 4, 2024
posted by smashface at 9:46 PM on August 4, 2024
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FWIW I have chronically high BP (my average daily numbers controlled with meds are higher than yours!) and high cholesterol and my doctors are very chilled out about it. Unless you've had a recent heart attack, these issues are things to keep an eye on in the long term, not urgent issues to worry about. You'll be fine!
posted by fight or flight at 12:34 AM on August 4, 2024 [1 favorite]