Pharmacist 'get it checked out' warning over 'serious' atorvastatin side effect

Pharmacist 'get it checked out' warning over 'serious' atorvastatin side effect A TikTok pharmacist has urged people noticing one particular change to speak to a healthcare professional Forgetting where you left your keys or struggling to recall someone’s name can happen to anyone, but repeated changes in memory may leave people wondering whether something else is going on. Pharmacist Raj Patel has shared a story about a friend that prompted him to ask a question about her medication. Mr Patel, known as the 'Straight-Talking Pharmacist' on TikTok, where he has more than 100,000 followers and 600,000 likes, discussed the issue in a video about atorvastatin. The cholesterol-lowering medicine is widely prescribed to help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, but memory loss is listed as a possible side effect in its patient information leaflet. In the video, Mr Patel asked: "Have you ever felt like you've started to forget things a little bit too often?" He then described a friend who had been forgetting everyday things and struggling to remember people's names when they went out together. Patel said he asked whether she had recently started taking any new medication, and she told him she had begun atorvastatin. He said: "So I told her that this could actually cause memory loss, so you'd better get it checked out." The NHS lists memory problems as an uncommon side effect of statins, while the patient leaflet for atorvastatin includes loss of memory among effects that may affect up to one in 100 people. However, a large review of clinical trial data published by researchers at Oxford Population Health found no evidence that statins caused memory impairment overall, with similar rates reported by people taking a placebo. That means a change in memory should not automatically be blamed on atorvastatin, as there can be many possible causes. Anyone who notices persistent, serious or worrying symptoms should speak to their GP or pharmacist, who can assess what might be behind them and whether the medication needs reviewing. Patients should not stop taking atorvastatin or change their dose without medical advice, because doing so may allow cholesterol levels to rise again. The NHS advises people to keep taking the medicine unless their doctor tells them otherwise, and to seek advice if they experience side effects that concern them. Mr Patel's central message was to get unusual memory changes checked rather than dismissing them. Although memory loss is listed as a possible side effect, the wider evidence does not show that statins generally cause it, so individual symptoms need a proper assessment.