TikTok pharmacist Raj Patel has urged people who notice changes in their memory while taking atorvastatin to speak to a healthcare professional, after a friend's experience raised concerns about the cholesterol-lowering drug.
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 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.
Friend's experience prompts warning
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."
What the evidence says
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 advised not to stop medication
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.
