statins

[erob43]

Hi everyone,

Wondering if anyone can give me some advice, i posted last week sometime about being called back to docs after a blood test, which turned out to be high cholesterol level 5.7.

Doc prescribed simvastatin 20mg, strange thing was she asked me what i wanted to do, i think she meant do i want statins or not? i asked her what she thought and she said as i had high blood pressure then maybe statins were the answer, so i just agreed and took the prescription.

Well that was nearly a week ago and i still haven`t took one, im too scared to. I keep thinking maybe i should just try and lower it with diet knowing full well i probably won`t i like my food a lot but i didn`t think bad enough to have high cholesterol.

Im sorry for babbling on im just worried about anything to do with health

Would be grateful for any advice thanks guys:hugs:

Liz xx

[Trixie]

Hi everyone,

Wondering if anyone can give me some advice, i posted last week sometime about being called back to docs after a blood test, which turned out to be high cholesterol level 5.7.

Doc prescribed simvastatin 20mg, strange thing was she asked me what i wanted to do, i think she meant do i want statins or not? i asked her what she thought and she said as i had high blood pressure then maybe statins were the answer, so i just agreed and took the prescription.

Well that was nearly a week ago and i still haven`t took one, im too scared to. I keep thinking maybe i should just try and lower it with diet knowing full well i probably won`t i like my food a lot but i didn`t think bad enough to have high cholesterol.

Im sorry for babbling on im just worried about anything to do with health

Would be grateful for any advice thanks guys:hugs:

Liz xx


This has some good info http://www.bhf.org.uk/living_with_heart_conditions/treatment/medicines_for_the_heart/statins.aspx but the doctor wouldn't give them you if she didn't think that they would be beneficial.

[decca]

Hi Liz,
Cholesterol of 5.7 isn't to bad, I have Coronary heart disease and mine is 7.1 and I should be taking 20mg Simvastatin each night , but I've found that after a time they make my muscles ache, I'm just one of the unlucky ones that this med does it to so I take them for short periods then rest my body in between.
Statins have been proved to prolong life and also help to prevent Alzheimers desease and other horid things like Gall stones.
While taking this med your Doc. should regularly check your blood levels for CPK ( muscle enzime) , liver and kidney function.
Obviously the best choice is to get your cholesterol down by changes to your lifestyle like diet,exercise and if you smoke give it up.
I've tried the spreads like Benecol and Flora proactive, but you have to use it by the trowel full to have any effect.
What is your Doc. doing about your High BP ? 'cos that should be treated separately anyway.
The choice is yours,I'm afraid.
Best wishes
Decca.

[JohnBliss]

I've been taking 40mg of statin for nearly two years with no adverse reaction. I'm sure that you will have no problems.
Regards
John

[countrygirl]

I worked for a Dr surgery so know what goes on !

Bear in mind that the Dr's are encouraged with target payments to prescribe certain drugs to meet a target or they lose out on money - the Dr I worked for prescribed statins to 80 yrs old who were fit and well just so he could get the payments!

That said alot of Drs are not so mercenary. The most important thing in this is what is your ratio. A ratio of less than 5 is okay which means you can have a relatively high total number but if your good cholesterol is high then your ratio will be low. The Dr also takes into account weight and blood pressure and if you smoke then calculates a figure that should be 5 or below. Ask you Dr what your ratio is then you can decide.

There are also lots of other ways to help youself like taking a supplement of say red rice yeast that is being talked about alot in media plus the plant sterol products available - the list is endless of none prescribed products that can help lower your cholesterol not to mention losing weight and getting a bit more exercise.

If you do take statins then it is recommended that you also supplement with co enzyme Q10 as statins stop your body producing this and your heart needs it the most. In america they combine the two in one tablet but not here in UK.

[decca]

The point countrygirl makes about co enzime Q10 is very valid as it's an important enzime that keeps your heart fit among other things and statin drugs does reduce the amount your body produces.
Decca.

[erob43]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the replies,still not sure what to do.

Trixie thats a great bit of info i shall read that, it actually made a lot of sense.

Decca thanks for your info, what you say about the muscle aches is what has worried me cos thats what the doc said would probably be a side effect that would wear off after a week or so im on lisinopril for bp only 2.5 mg, are you on bp tabs as well?

I also gave up smoking in january, so i hoped that that would have a good effect as well, maybe i just eat too much!!!!

countrygirl and john thanks for the very quick reassuring answers, i guess everyones right i`ll have to make a decision either way soon.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply your all stars:hugs:

Liz xx

[kate]

My mom is 74 ( a very young and fit 74!) and her cholesterol has been at 7.2 for the past 4 years.

She has now been prescribed statins which she started taking yesterday.

She is very slim, eats very healthily and the Benecol etc have made no difference to her cholesterol level whatsoever. She never eats fatty food, rarely even has a biscuit, eats plenty of fruit and veg and walks miles every week and still her cholesterol is high.

My dad eats loads of fatty stuff etc and his is fine!

Kate

[Cathy V]

Yes i have heard that sometimes high cholesterol can be a problem even if you're a good weight and watch what you eat and this is why they then have to pescribe statins. Hope you figure it all out in the end!

Take care
cathy xxx :)

Decca, I never knew you suffered with heart disease :scared15:

[decca]

Yea liz,
I take Ramipril and Slozem full dose.The muscle ache is not pleasant so when I feel it building up I just lay off the Statin for a few weeks.
I'm also like kate's mum in as much as I hardly ever eat any fatty food,biscuits,cakes or sweets and I walk a lot and weight just over 9 stone yet my Chol. is 7.1.

Porridge oats ,garlic ,pears and walnuts are good natural Chol. busters, not taken together tho. Lol.

Decca

[JennyW]

I'm surprised your doctor didn't discuss your diet first :huh: I have my cholesterol checked every year and it's around 4.4. I got my husband to have his checked and it was 6 and the GP just prescribed statins :ohmy: I was furious when I found out and couldn't understand why his GP didn't discuss his diet first. My husband likes cheese and I told him to stop eating the cheese (well cut it down) then go back and ask for another check. 2 months later he had another check and it was 5 and he's not taking the statins either. He was advised that 5 is perfectly acceptable.

If I were you I'd certainly look at my diet first before starting on Statins. My mum is perfectly healthy, has a fab diet but yet her cholesterol is around the 6 mark so she has statins but at least she knows it's not her diet and just the fact that her liver produces too much cholesterol.

[erob43]

Hi everyone,

Thanks everyone for the input so far, am going to mull it over for a bit longer and try and watch the diet for a few weeks, see if it can be reduced like that.

The advice has been much appreciated everyone is so helpful on here.:hugs:

Take care

Liz xxx