Same for me. Taking over 20 years. Blood test every 6 months.

Thirty-four years on statins
 

Every five years or so I switch brands because I would have muscle aches. All my levels are where they are suppose to be. Works for me.

Taking them for 30 years, no problems.

Side effects from statins
 

I’m no doctor but I believe they are looking for statin effects on liver not on the kidneys. Are you taking ibuprofen? People don’t realize that OTC meds such as Tylenol are known to cause liver problems when taken in high doses and ibuprofen is known for kidney issues. Also look for OTC meds that contain acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen that you may not realize is in the product.

Dr increased Atorvastatin from the 20 mg I had been taking for over 10 years to 40mg daily. Within 2 weeks my muscles started wasting away. No pain, just weaker and weaker every day. When I couldn't get up from a chair one day due to muscle weakness I called the Dr. Was immediately taken off Atorvastatin for 6 months. It is an uncommon side effect, no pain, just muscle wasting.it has taken over 3 months to get back to almost normal strength. In 3 more months I'll go back on the lower dose Atorvastatin or try a low dose of another statin. I had never heard of statins causing this rare condition. Statins are good, just be aware of any changes and contact your doctor and discuss changes with them. I say again, this is rare and I will go back on Statins, just a lower dose.

I cannot take statins. Red yeast rice has brought down my cholesterol. You can get it on Amazon THRIVE is the one I like.

I don't take statins because, instead, I take the highest quality fish oil. All statins, like all meds, have side effects, whether or not we notice them; as we age, chemical effects from any source, including meds, are more and more something to question exposure to. Remember...we are one of the first generations to reach advanced age with chronic health issues being altered/maintained for decades by medications; at what point will the side effects outweigh the benefits?. High quality oil, which has no side effects, prevents the oxidation of cholesterol, so that the particles do not become charged - i.e.
'sticky'; and the particles, therefore, don't bunch up and create plaques; prevention of which is the reason for statins. Non-oxidized cholesterol particles merely float along, like balloons through a room. (If the balloons, however, were rubbed and made staticky, then they would stick together and create blockages in the room; the same as happens with oxidized cholesterol particles in our blood vessels). The quality of our cholesterol (non-oxidized is the goal) is more important than the amount of it. Dietary choices to naturally keep cholesterol at a healthier level is another thing to do.

I’ve had high cholesterol all my life, but when it hit 300 I figured maybe I should do something. Didn’t want statins. for 3 months I tried diet and supplements. Got rid of butter and cheese in the house; took a tablespoon of olive oil with high phenols dailyand took supplement Hpf Cholestrene. Cholesterol dropped 80 points in 3 months and one more point in the following 3 months. I’m happy with 225. My arteries are clear.

Muscle pain or soreness. Switched to every other day for my statin, soreness better and decrease in medication had no adverse effect on cholesterol levels. 20 years on the stuff.

Love to know where you got that ridiculous "explanation" of cholesterol pathogenesis. "Oxidation of the cholesterol molecule so it does not get charged"----give me a break. Let me guess----some article or claim made by someone who retails fish oil? And this is supposed to prevent the uptake of LDL by vascular endothelium????? Sounds more like drinking the kool-aid than treating hyperlipidemia.

Try CoQ10 supplement.
Works super duper on soreness.
(that's a technical term)

Your physician who knows all of your medical history and is the person you have chosen to manage your personal medical care has prescribed a statin for you because he/she feels that it would benefit your well-being. As a retired cardiology nurse, PLEASE listen to your own physician instead of a nonmedical person or an MD who writes magazine articles or has a podcast. If you are unsure about.taking a statin, talk to your doctor, not to some random people on the internet. I once had two patients who had rooms across the hall from each other in the hospital. Both were middle aged men who had each had their second heart attack within the first 6 months following their first heart attack. What did they have in common? BOTH had quit taking the medication prescribed by their cardiologists because they read somewhere that the meds could be harmful. I said to both: And now you have luckily survived your second heart attack, please listen to your own doctor this time!
LISTEN to your doctor and talk to THEM!!!

Great to have medical professionals giving good advise on here

There are a LOT of statins on the market. Some are inexpensive, and some are very expensive. Your doctor should have blood tests done on you every year. That said, trust your doctor and don’t believe a lot of the negative things online. I assure you, high blood pressure has side effects you REALLY won’t like, from robbing you of years of your life to kidney failure, liver failure, aneurysms in the brain, strokes, headaches, etc. I’ve taken low dose Rosuvastatin for about five years, and my cholesterol readings are now normal. No side effects at all, and it’s cheap. It’s MUCH more likely that your grandmother’s kidney failure was due to her high blood pressure than to what was given to her to help control it or her cholesterol. High blood pressure is like driving your car at RPMs so high that they are in the red zone. Much more likely to pop a gasket or throw a rod.

There is a reason statins are by prescription only. You doctor will help you weigh the risks and benefits.