If you are taking lipid-lowering drugs from the statin category.
If you want to know if abdominal pain occurs after taking statins or not, if you want to know the side effects of statins as the most widely used and effective drugs to modulate blood lipids and lower blood cholesterol, Read more:
Can abdominal pain occur with statins such as atorvastatin, rosuvastatin and…, join us to find the answer to the above question.
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Class of statins or statin family drugs
If your doctor finds that your blood total cholesterol is higher than normal in your blood tests, to lower your total cholesterol, lower your LDL, and in some cases increase your HDL, which is called good cholesterol, he or she will prescribe a member of the statin’s family in your prescription.
Many people need to take statins for the rest of their lives to prevent stroke and reduce the risk of heart attack.
In addition to statin, a balanced and healthy diet, exercise, and physical activity will be vital to maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.
We have said that most people need to continue taking statins for the rest of their lives. This prolonged use of the drug may cause people taking statins to be exposed to the possible side effects of these drugs.
Although it is said that the benefits of statins outweigh their side effects, sometimes there are side effects that the doctor prefers to stop taking statins rather than continue the benefits.
In the following, we intend to examine the side effects of statins:
Statins can cause liver problems by affecting liver cells.
In rare cases, statins may also be associated with gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, and constipation. It is normal for abdominal pain to occur at this time.
What are the side effects of taking statin family drugs?
Like any medicine, statins can cause side effects in addition to their benefits. Most of these side effects are temporary and transient, but you, as a statin user, need to learn these side effects and how to deal with them:
- Muscle aches as a side effect of statins: The most common side effect of statins will be muscle aches.
The pain may be mild and vague that is well tolerated, and sometimes the muscle pain becomes so severe that it interferes with normal daily activities. For example, the person feels pain, discomfort, and fatigue when walking or climbing stairs.
In very rare cases, statins are associated with lysis or destruction and rupture of motor muscle cells. This complication is called rhabdomyolysis.
Rhabdomyolysis presents with very severe muscle pain and can cause liver damage and kidney failure. In very large and severe cases, rhabdomyolysis is associated with death.
It is said that if statins are taken with certain medications or taken with large amounts of food, the risk of rhabdomyolysis will increase.
- Liver damage:
One of the side effects of statins is abnormal liver function.
In this injury, liver enzymes will begin to rise and LFT will be disrupted.
In cases where the increase in enzymes is mild, discontinuation of the drug is not necessary, but if the increase is more than two to three times the normal upper limit, discontinuation of the statin is mandatory.
In these cases, statins may not be prescribed for several months, and sometimes your doctor may change the type of statin you take.
Liver damage is an important and sensitive issue, which is why most physicians consider it necessary to perform liver function tests every once in a while in statin users.
When should we see a doctor?
If you are taking statins and have one or more of the following symptoms, you should consult your doctor immediately:
- Unusual fatigue
- General weakness
- Decreased appetite
- Upper abdominal pain
- Upper and right abdominal pain
- Dark urine
- Light stools in the color of plaster
- Yellowing of the skin and sclera
- Nausea, vomiting
Concomitant use of statins with some cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as:
gemfibrozil and niacin is said to increase the risk of statin liver damage.
- Statin and gastrointestinal problems:
It is very rare for a person to develop gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, nausea, and bloating when taking statins.
Abdominal pain in constipation and diarrhea and bloating will be obvious.
It is recommended that statins be taken in the evening with food and a snack to reduce the risk of abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms.
However, studies show that most people who develop abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms after taking statins have a history of gastrointestinal problems.
- Skin rashes and flushing:
Concomitant use of statins and niacin will cause flushing and skin rashes.
It is said that in these cases, it is better to take aspirin before taking statins with a doctor’s prescription, but you should not take aspirin arbitrarily without your doctor’s prescription.
- Elevated serum glucose:
One of the concerns of the World Food and Drug Administration has been that statins have the potential to lead to type 2 diabetes, so warnings have been made about changes in blood sugar levels in people taking statins.
- Side effects of statins on the nervous system:
People taking statins may have the following disorders:
Memory loss
Confusion
These changes will be corrected when you stop taking the drug.
Statins can improve brain function in patients with a variety of dementias, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
In any case, you should not stop taking statins without your doctor’s advice. statins will be an important basis in preventing cardiovascular events and strokes.
Who has the highest risk of statin side effects?
- Women
- Ages sixty-five and older
- Concomitant use of several cholesterol-lowering drugs
- People with small bodies
Why do statins have side effects?
It is not yet clear why some people develop side effects from statins and others do not.
Statins act on several enzymes in the liver and muscles. The side effects of statins may be due to their effects on these enzymes.
How to eliminate the side effects of statins?
Depending on the condition and severity of your symptoms, your doctor will use one of the following methods to reduce and eliminate the side effects of statins:
- Change the amount and reduce the dose of statin:
By reducing the dose of statin, both the side effects and the benefits of the drug are reduced.
- Use another statin:
In some cases, side effects may occur with just one type of statin
Simvastatin is likely to cause complications, especially if taken in high doses.
Newer statins, like rosuvastatin, have fewer side effects.
- Short rest and break:
Some physicians use a ten- to fourteen-day break in taking statins if complications occur.
In addition to the above techniques, the following will be observed:
- The patient is advised to exercise regularly.
- A medicine called Ezetimibe, which inhibits cholesterol absorption, may be added to your prescription, by taking this medicine, you will eliminate the need to take high doses of statins.
- It is recommended to take supplements containing the coQ10 coenzyme enzyme.
Drug Interactions Statins
Gemfibrozil, if taken with statins, increases the risk of statin side effects.
Lovastatin and simvastatin interact with amiodarone.
Taking these two statins with amiodarone increases the risk of rhabdomyolysis and death.
If used with antiviral drugs in AIDS.
Taking Nefazodone with Statins Increases the Side Effects of Statins. Lovastatin should not be used with immunosuppressive drugs.
Cyclosporine If used with statins, the side effects of statins may increase.