Side effects of statins

What are statins?

Statins are medications that are used in cases when it is necessaryto reduce the level of cholesterol, because they affect the enzyme in the body,which is in charge of the cholesterol production and the amount in which itwill be produced. The point of lowering the levels of cholesterol is to minimizethe risk of certain diseases that may occur otherwise, and these diseases are mostly relatedto heart and arteries.

Are there any sideeffects of statins?

Even though the statins can be very helpful and beneficial forpeople, they can also induce a number of side effects, some of which may evenbe serious. It is possible to prevent them to a certain extent, but there arecases in which they occur even when the doctors do their best in order toprevent such possibility, which only implies the fact that they cannot bepredicted always. Luckily, statins are generally tolerated well, and peoplegenerally very rarely complain of adverse effects.

There is a group of symptomsthat seems to be common for a number of statins, and it consists of pain in thestomach, constipation, nausea, gas, headaches, dizziness, heartburn and pain inmuscles, and in some cases, they disappear on their own, while in others, thechange of the medication solves the problems. However, there is a significant number of thesymptoms which are serious, and if the patients notice any of them, they shouldnot ignore them, but turn to their doctor for advice right away. Such symptomsare those that indicate jaundice or other problems with liver, pain and weaknessof muscles, signs of allergic reaction, and even memory loss.

Warnings and precautions

First of all, people who use this medication should notdrink alcohol during the therapy, and they should not drink grapefruit juiceeither, no matter how harmless it may seem. The reason for that is the factthat the combination of statins with grapefruit may lead to serious muscleproblems. Second of all, the doctor should carefully consider all the benefitsand possible consequences of statins use in cases in which people have someproblems of liver or kidneys, or if they are allergic either to foods or somethingelse. People who are about to undergo a surgery, as well as women who are breastfeedingor who are pregnant, are also a risky group when it comes to the safe use ofstatins. And thirdly, there is a list of the medications with which statins arenot supposed to be combined due to the possible interactions, and the doctorsshould inform the patients about that list in advance.