Does Simvastatin 40 mg cause memory loss and amnesia?

Some statins are associated with memory problems - and there have been studies about it.

I would not normally recommend anything from the Daily Mail - but there was an excellent article yesterday about statins:

"Millions of healthy Britons are set to be prescribed them, but why do many GPs say they won't take statins?"

I took a statin for 10 days - never ever again! I couldn't walk more than 50 yards - using crutches. And my cardiology consultant didn't argue for a moment. I thought she would want me to try a different one but she said "No, that's fine" - it wasn't her who had said I needed them but a general medicine specialist on the ward.

Hi John

Statins do indeed affect memory loss it's one of the most serious side effects.

Dr Duane Graveline has written a book called ' Thief of memory' after suffering 2 bouts of transient amnesia while taking statins.

Please google him and you'll find really good information that'll help you realise it's not you it's the terrible side effect of your Simvastatin.

I suffered short term memory loss while on 40mg Simvastatin so I have first hand experience of this horrible drug.

Please go back to you doctor and inform him/ her that you're suffering these episodes, if like many doctors he doesn't believe it's the statins and refuses to accept it then please point them to the MHRA website where it clearly states that '' when prescribing Simvastatin it is important to inform patients of possible memory loss as a side effect'.

Good luck and please keep us informed on how you get on

I suffered both memory loss and general loss of mental sharpness (e.g. slowing of mental arithmetic). It culminated in gradual descent in to full depression and only then was I taken off it. It took 5 years to get to that state with me, and because it was so gradual I thought it was just the ageing process. I too was on 40mg of Simvastatin. This is the standard preventive dose to reduce cholesterol. Your doctor will not monitor for side effects and most won't even warn of the possibility. It is up to you to go back if you don't feel right.

Hi all statin takers keep all posted of sideeffects! Regards Gerry

I also am 79 years old and have been on simvastatin 40mg for several years. Since last winter I have had about 10 episodes of transient amnesia. Initially they lasted for 5 or 10 minutes after waking from sleep. More recently they have lasted several hours and an episode occurred today from which I have still not recovered any memory of what I did yesterday. Some time ago I went to my doctor who referred me to a specialist and was diagnosed as having "sleep inertia". Today I searched the internet for this condition and found it has NO CONNECTION with amnesia. I am appalled at this mis-diagnosis by the specialist.

I just resently was perscribed 40 mg a day of simvistatin should i quit taking it

Yeah it's fascinating the nonsense we endure about the benefits

Hi John.  A couple of years ago my GP advised me to go on statins because my cholesterol count was 'slightly' up so I tried Simvastatin for a few weeks.  I have never felt so bad.  I didn't have muscle pains but I couldn't sleep properly, felt so depressed at times and worst of all started to forget really stupid every-day things.  My doctor advised Artovastatin instead but it was much the same.  I wasn't even 60 yet so I didn't put it down to age and my brother, who is a year older, was getting the same side effects from the same statins so we both stopped them.  Within a couple of weeks we both felt ok again and I even beat the computer at scrabble!  I just don't think that it is any coincidence there is such a rise in cases of dementia and the widespread use of statins and I don't buy the spin from GPs, I wonder how many of them take them?  Surgeries get lots of 'incentives' from pharmacutical companies, I know that for a fact.