I too have been on statins for about 15 years and have been using for over 20 years. Based on hearing tests prior to starting statins, and tests following the start of statins, the hearing tests showed that the statins had no effect on any further hearing loss. My loss has been consistent throughout. I also exercise daily and have not experienced any muscle pain or fatigue. I must be one of the lucky ones, but thought I should add my experience to this discussion.
PLEASE For the love of God and what you belive DO NOT STOP TAKING YOUR STATIN, there is nothing related to hearing loss, we have substantial data JUPITER, ALLHAT, ASCOT, improve it, prove it, and MANY OTHERS.
we know about the risk of diabetes, myopathy (this is rare with new statins and lower doses - a brief withdrawal and reintroduction can end the issue). NO, we do not treat cholesterol with diet and exercise (they must always be associated, sometimes we treat diseases and not numbers from laboratory tests).
I am an endocrinologist and treat at least 10 patients a day with statins and there is no such concern.
I took statins for a number of years with no noticeable side effects. For about the last 20 years, even though I have high cholesterol and triglycerides, no doctor I have seen has said I needed them. Both parents had heart bypass surgery, and my maternal grandfather died of a heart attack. When I first learned that my cholesterol was high, I went on an extreme diet, eating almost no fat at all. I hated it. After a few months, a retest showed that my cholesterol had gone up by about 10 points. End of diet. I have been told I have high cholesterol, high triglycerides, borderline hypertensive, borderline diabetic, and still every doctor I see congratulates me on being so healthy and only taking esomeprazol for gerd. Studies have shown that long term PPI use results in a significantly higher risk of death. I think the doctors are telling me it’s time to die.
Starting a statin is not based on “high” cholesterol, but on a risk calculation that factors in age, sex (male or female, not frequency), tobacco use, cholesterol levels, blood pressure and presence or absence of diabetes. If the risk of an event is 7.5% or higher over a 10 year period, then it’s suggested statins be considered–over 10% they are more strongly recommended.
Exactly. My risk was just above 10% over 10 years, which sounded like pretty good odds, but my doctor wanted me to take Lipitor and I agreed. No side effects or feeling of any kind.
Now my is 60.
Statins can take cholesterol out of plaques and stabilize them, which is huge if that’s what you need. Quote from article:
“If your LDL cholesterol is lowered below 70 mg/dL, you can even see regression in the plaque by up to 24 percent. So having really a low LDL cholesterol level can help stabilize any plaque buildup you have, and prevent further plaque progression.”
There’s a number of medications that can cause/worsen hearing loss and tinnitus, including but not limited to: classes of certain antibiotics (Aminoglycosides, Macrolides, Quinolones), diuretics (Frusemide, Bumentanide, Torasemide, Acetazolamide), beta blockers (Metoprolol, Sotalol, Practolol, Bisopralol), ACE inhibitors (Ramipril), and long term use of NSAID pain relievers (Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Naproxen).
There is a lot we don’t understand and undoubtedly some people do have side effects caused by statins. I find it conceivable that for some people they do cause hearing loss, but I’m pretty sure it’s relatively rare. A lot of the side effects people report and stop statins for are pretty common occurrences in everyday life that tend to come and go. People like to think they figured out what caused the problem. A lot of people are also incredibly negative about taking “medication,” although I find fascinating that they are often just fine taking “supplements.” I don’t think this applies to you as if I remember correctly, it was your wife that related your symptoms to statins, but the “nocebo” effect is a possibility for many people.
First of all, we need to discuss the indication. Prescribe statin just to lower your lab number is not the indication. And for the side effects https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/8086423
That article is 7 years old, citing data even older.
Personally I find the idea of introducing synthesized and/or isolated and concentrated chemicals into my body a generally poor idea, be it supplements, vitamins, or medication. Studies are contradictory, recommendations change yearly, and, most concerning to me is the slow progression of boundaries. Recommended blood pressure levels keep creeping down, cholesterol level triggers keep creeping down, these triggers eventually reach the point where virtually everyone is recommended to eat pills on a daily basis. It’s difficult not to take a long hard look at the drug industry and complicit doctors for a financial incentive to declare most of the population needs a pill of some sort.
My pills are get off your ass and exercise, avoid processed food as much as practical, and don’t be afraid of death.
I have no issue with your approach. Something to consider is if your doctor is recommending medications now (while you presumably feel healthy), would your feelings be different if you had a heart attack or stroke? Statins are a pretty cheap (as long as one tolerates them ok, which most people do) ounce of prevention. They are however not guarantees. I think that one of the things that makes it hard to motivate people to take them is that people see no immediate results. They feel the same, if not worse as now they feel like there’s something wrong with them because they’re taking a medication and that there’s no guarantee that there will be individual benefit. If 100 people are taking them, we know there will be benefit, but we don’t know that for the individual.
I am BY NO MEANS telling anyone to quit taking properly prescribed medications. I am simply saying that it is worthy of a conversation with your doctor is you feel that there are negative impacts on your hearing or health by taking these drugs.
I make it a point to avoid doctors that use the “we are all going to die sometime” line. Everybody knows that. The real question is when, and what quality of life will we have until it happens?
