Cancer Articles (Dr. S.N White)

Statins are not to be used during pregnancy they may cause damage to the fetus or by nursing mothers. If you are a woman of childbearing age, you should only use statins if you definitely do not plan to become pregnant. The general rule in medicine today is that only in situations of extremely high blood cholesterol that do not respond to nondrug treatments like diet should statins be given to women of childbearing age.

Some of the statins may interact adversely with niacin (nicotinic acid), erythromycin, drugs that fight fungal infections, and drugs that suppress the immune system (immunosuppressive drugs), and may increase the potency of some anti blood clotting drugs (anticoagulants) based on warfarin. If you have more than one physician, let each physician know of the other medications and herbal supplements you are taking.

What are some of the adverse effects of statins?  Below are the most common possible side effects found in advertisements for various statins. This list is not complete. As with any drug, be sure to ask your physician about side effects before taking statins, read the material that comes with the prescription, and discuss immediately any side effects that occur while you are taking them. On the bright side, these side effects usually affect only 2 to 4 percent of people taking statins. Some common adverse effects of statins are  • muscle tenderness or weakness • unexplained muscle aches • allergic reactions • liver function abnormalities • insomnia • skin rash and itching • headache • indigestion • loss of appetite (anorexia) There are other possible side effects, but their occurrence is extremely rare.

How do statins work?   Understanding how statins work will help you understand their possible adverse effects. Statins interfere with the production of cholesterol in the body, mainly in the liver. Since you synthesize your own cholesterol, it makes sense to limit the amount you consume if you are an overproducer. The liver together with cholesterol from food is responsible for most of the cholesterol found in the blood. There is a key step in cholesterol synthesis that these statins block quite effectively. The result is a reduction in blood LDLcholesterol levels of 25 percent to 45 percent, depending on the dose prescribed. Since cholesterol is the key molecule for the production or synthesis of other essential compounds (like some hormones and bile acids needed for the digestion of fats) in the body, if the dose of the statin is too high there may be some adverse effects. Statins and Cholesterol Always remember: do as much as possible in terms of diet, not smoking, ph...