WASHOUT PERIOD

[garystil]

Anybody care to volunteer their thoughts on how long statins take to wash out of your system.

1. How long it would it take for around 90% to wash out?
2. Does it depend on the strength of the dose?
3. Can it depend on how long you've been taking it?

I guess each person is different and different statins have different washout periods.

Also, if you still have symptoms, does it mean that the statins are still not washed out, or just that the EFFECTS of the statins are not washed out?

I'd been taking simvastatin 20mg for 5 years. I stopped 7 weeks ago and am quite content with the situation at present.

[Ray Holder]

This is a difficult subject, since the medical profession fail to admit that statins cause problems in most cases, so nobody makes any attempt to find out what is really happening.

I was off statins for 14 months after taking them for 4 years, and I got progressively worse in that period. I think it all depends on how much and which part of the body system has been badly affected. Q10 seems to be the main victim, but since that is depleting with age, a younger subject might still have adequate manufacturing capacity to maintain a satisfactory level. If not, the supply mechanism will possibly have been damaged as well, and permanent supplementation becomes necessary, very necessary in my own case.

There is also the problem with carnitine, whose production is easily affected, often permanently, and lifetime supplements are necessary.

You should consider yourself very lucky if your problems have gone away, but I should keep a watchful eye on any too rapid case of age related type problems in the future, when Q10 and/or carnitine may be necessary. The effects are sometimes very insidious and slow to make themselves obvious, as one becomes accustomed to slow changes over years.

Good luck
Ray

[bucho]

Yes, in my experience the issue is more about recovering natural processes that were suppressed by the statin, long after you have gotten the statin itself out of your system. I was also on 20 mg simvastatin, in my case for about 3 years. Then rather suddenly I erupted in a wide range of alarming symptoms, mostly neurological but also muscular, that stumped my doctor (and me) for about 3 months. I thought I had Lyme disease, encephalitus, meningitis, and/or spine injuries. But I was also getting older, going from age 49 to 52, and now in retrospect I think my body was just beginning to lose the Q10 battle that up until then it had been winning. Remember, Q10 affects every cell, so its loss can show up in numerous symptoms.

Anyway, it was me, not my doctor, who finally found this website and decided to try stopping the statin. My doctor said, "I would have never caught it." Now at six months since stopping, there is no doubt that the statin was the cause of all my problems. I think I'm about at the 90-percent recovery point now, but a month ago that was not the case. Last week, for the first time, I was able to exercise without repercussions! Up until last week, I have had exercise intolerance that would leave me fatigued for days after a workout. I have waited for this aspect of recovery for a long time, and have wondered if it would never come to pass. FYI, I have been taking 300 mg Q10 daily. Very few symptoms remain, although I still get tinnitus and chattery teeth from time to time, but in general I'm thrilled with my very slow, but now very substantial, recovery.

[CatMom]

I have been off the statins since July and I think my body is STILL trying to adjust or recoop from the damage done by that stuff. I am having pain now in places I have never had pain before, it comes and goes. In my opinion, there is just no way of knowing what permanent damage that stuff has done to the body.... My body has been constantly changing like it is trying to find itself, ever since I got off the stuff.

[garystil]

My wife says that the body is constantly trying to repair itself - just dont get in its way.

I hope she's right.

[bunnylady]

I'm 4 months off Lipitor/Crestor and just developed tinnuitus- and it rears its head from around 6 pm. on- when I wake up its gone til the early evening again-

I also have a small cyst on my ovary that caused me no pain and is now throbbing all the time- have to go and get it taken out

also have breast pain- scary stuff

[eml256]

about 2 yrs ago in a discussion with Dr. Paul Phillips, Interventional cardiologist at Mercy Scripps Hosp in San Diego, Calif., who is one of the very few physicians /researchers looking at statin adverse effects--specifically congestive heart failure-- answered this query that though plasma half life is known for statins--tissue half life is not known. tissue half life could be very very long. I would add that it is also not known how long it takes for coq10 to re-equilibrate, if it ever does--same with isopentylated proteins( including selenoproteins and glutathione, Ras and Rho proteins) or dolichol. Or if the damage wrought by depletion of these essential elements is repairable. only time will tell....

[CharlieZ]

I am wondering the same. I have weaned myself off the ZOCOR for about 3 weeks now, I hope the numerous neurological quirks go away. I had all the testing since I was having all these neuro oddities happening. Saw my family doc, a neuro referral, then onto a cardiac guy, another neuro, and a neuro surgeon, Cleveland Clinic Neuro. Along the way had several MRI's, brain & spine various contrast and defintions, a host of blood work, 2 EMG 16 months apart, and to cap it off a spinal fuid tap. The EMG I could do without. Nothing the Cleveland Clinic Neuro could tell me. Nothing defintive, all testing in order except the CK a little out of whack. The EMG's showed some degredation from #1 to #2. No ALS, no Lyme, no cancer, Just a host of various tingling and twitching, coupled with muscle weakness or soreness after physical activity. The unfavorable sexual side effects better go away!

I am taking the, aspirin, vitamin and supplement therapy suggested, COQ10, etc. I sure hope it gets better or at least stops. I would hate to think I was doing something supposedly good for my health, but was actually doing more harm than good.

Good Luck, Do not let this get you down, keep you head up and follow the Nike approach. say F___It -- Just Do It

CharlieZ