Last year, my Doctor had put me on Lovastatin, and after a few months I seemed to be getting absent-minded. My wife says it was pronounced. Of course, being the absent-minded one, I didn't realize I was absent-minded. My doctor never mentioned anything about the possible side effects of statins, or that I probably should take CoQ10 supplements because statins retard essential CoQ10 in the system.
Also, on my second visit, I started to discuss the side effects of statins, and he pointedly told me that my second visit that he was so impressed with statins that they should be in the water supply, so I took that as a signal that he was not open-minded about patient input on medication.
I stopped taking Lovastatin on my own, went on a diet and lost 30 pounds. Six months later, I took a new blood test and went to see the doctor again. My cholesterol had gone up (150 to 250) because I hadn't been taking the Lovastatin for the last six months, but my triglycerides went down (360 to 330). I told him I had stopped the Lovastatin 6 months before.
My doctor was pissed, and called me a "liar," because I didn't immediately tell his nurse that I had stopped taking the drug. (I wanted to hear the test results before I got into that, since I had lost 30 pounds and thought that would make a bigger difference. I had been about 215 and now I’m about 180. I'm 5' 9").
The good doctor cut short the interview and petulantly wrote out a replacement prescription for my blood pressure pills, which I’m still taking, though I’m cutting them myself to half strength. (my blood pressure was down to 75 / 45 one day). I wonder now why the doctor didn’t mention the possibility that low blood pressure might cause severe problems. The doctor seemed more interested in nursing his wounded ego than in my health. I had wanted to discuss a few other issues that I was having, but he showed me the door. Needless to say, I’m looking for another doctor.