Can i stop statins after 3 months
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Summary
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Some studies suggest stopping statins may be safe and improve quality of life in terminally ill patients, while other studies indicate that many symptoms from statins are due to the nocebo effect and patients can often restart or switch medications successfully.
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Can I Stop Statins After 3 Months?
Discontinuing Statins in Terminally Ill Patients
Safety and Quality of Life Improvements
Research indicates that discontinuing statin therapy in patients with terminal illnesses can be safe and may improve their quality of life. A study involving 381 patients with a life expectancy of one month to one year found no significant difference in mortality rates within 60 days between those who discontinued statins and those who continued . Additionally, patients who stopped taking statins reported better overall quality of life compared to those who continued the medication .
Cost Savings
Stopping statin therapy also resulted in cost savings. The same study reported an average saving of $3.37 per day and $716 per patient over the study period. This suggests that discontinuing statins can be financially beneficial for patients with limited life expectancy.
Nocebo Effect and Symptom Management
Nocebo Effect in Statin Discontinuation
Another study explored the nocebo effect, where patients experience adverse symptoms not due to the drug itself but because of negative expectations. In a trial with 60 participants who had previously stopped statins due to side effects, symptom scores were similar whether patients were taking statins or a placebo, indicating that many symptoms attributed to statins might actually be due to the nocebo effect .
Restarting Statins
Interestingly, research shows that most patients who stop taking statins due to side effects can successfully restart the medication or switch to a different statin without experiencing intolerable side effects. A study involving 108,000 patients found that 90% of those who stopped statins due to side effects were able to resume the medication or switch to another statin and continue it for at least 12 months.
Conclusion
In summary, discontinuing statins after three months can be safe and may improve quality of life for terminally ill patients, along with providing cost savings. However, for those who stop statins due to side effects, it is often possible to restart the medication or switch to another statin successfully. The nocebo effect plays a significant role in the perceived side effects of statins, and understanding this can help in managing symptoms more effectively.
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