Statins and cholesterol

[70 and worried]

I'm 70, nearly 71, and have been taking asprin for a number of years for my blood pressure. My cholesterol has increased gradually over the years and so my GP put me on statins. Around the same time, I started to have dizzy spells and have, after 8 weeks, been diagnosed with epilepsy. So now I'm on tablets for that too.

I find it all very confusing and I'm very worried as I'm now getting stomach pains, tummy upsets and I'm losing weight. Could it be the epilepsy medication that's doing this or the statins or a combination of the two. Clearly I need to take the epilepsy medication but do I need to take the statins too?

I am due to go back to my GP this week but I'm losing confidence .... Just wondering if talking to one of the experts here might help me to get to the bottom of the situation.

Many thanks in anticipation of your help and advice.

[Dr Dermot Neely]

If you have not had a heart attack or stroke in the past and have simply had statin treatment started for gradually increasing cholesterol there should be no objection to you interrupting your statin treatment for 2 weeks or so to see if your symptoms improve. If the statin appears to be at fault, you may tolerate a different statin better than your current one. Remember that your statin treatment is intended to reduce your risk of cardiovascular troubles over the next 10 years. I would suggest you discuss this with your GP.