I'm on a statin and it has worked well for me. I'm aware many people can't tolerate it. But for some of us, a statin is a life saver.
Having said, we, as patients, should always question whether we need a drug and why. Now I already had a cardiac arrest, so a satin made sense. But my mother had no real cholesterol problem, and her doctor put her on a statin. Caused her a number of problems. But my mother was from a generation where doctors walked on water and you never questioned the doctor. So she continued to take the drug even though it made her sick. Took another doctor to finally get her off the statin.
And you also have to review your meds with the doctor from time to time. After the arrest, I was prescribed Plavix. Ok, but what no one told me was that I shouldn't be taking it after 5 years. 8 years after the arrest, my cardiologist looked at the chart and asked, why was I still taking Plavix? I said, because no one told me I shouldn't.
For many of us, prescription meds may keep us alive. But there is a problem with overuse and overprescribing. We patients need to be more proactive in our care.