Cholesterol advice,any Doctors in the house?

[biglongdarren]

I recently went to a free health mens check in my town and i was told that i had very high Cholesterol,i went to my GP after and they did a second test and confirmed it was high, it had a 7.5 reading on both tests.
Everything else they tested for was fine and as it should be, i am 33 and dont eat alot of bad food and am slim, my GP told me that it has nothing to do with my diet and its just the way i am and has said that i will need to go on a pill for the rest of my life.
Statins is name of this pill, is there any downside to taking this and is there anybody else on here that does take it?
any info would be greatly appreciated,
thanks Darren

 

[Luminos]

My OH has to take statins for high cholesterol, and has no unwanted effects from them.

It seems partly genetic - I'm told that Scotland (he has Scots heritage) generally is predisposed to higher rates of cholesterol, perhaps your part of the world is, too?

 

[garlicpickle]

Statins can cause unwanted side effects such as muscle weakness, pain and fatigue. They can even bring on diabetes.

I would ask for the breakdown of the cholesterol results, your GP should have them. Ideally you want to know the figures for the "good" cholesterol (called HDL) and the "bad" (triglycerides and LDL)
If the triglycerides are less than about 1.5 and the HDL is over 1 (higher is better) then your high cholesterol isn't posing a threat, especially if you are slim and there is no tendency to heart disease in your family.

A one-off high reading could have been caused by a fatty meal the night before, or drinking alcohol. Did you fast before the test? Ideally you should have had water only for at least 12 hours beforehand.

GPs have to follow the NICE guidelines and try to get all their patients' cholesterol readings below 5. But IMO putting everyone on statins regardless is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Raised cholesterol per se is not harmful, only if it's associated with other risk factors.

Disclaimer - I'm not a doctor but I'm diabetic and as such, GPs think all diabetics should be on statins. I've refused and will continue to do so because I'm not convinced that the benefits outweigh the risks.

 

[Polyanwood]

My husband has been on them for a few years... he has had this dry cough ever since and pains in his calves all the time.... apparently that is the side effect of the cheapest statin called Simvastatin or Rampril? He moans all the time about it. Obviously because he tells me about it, he doesn't bother telling his GP!!!!

Side effects are much less common with the more modern , more expensive statins, so if you get problems don't put up with them if you get any.

 

[drstitson]

ACE inhibitors eg ramipril well recognised cause of dry cough.
statins commonly cause muscle pains and weakness.

 

[lebouche]

http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/honey-lowers-cholesterol.html

I went to visit my baker for fondant during the winter and she told me she had had very high cholesterol but her dad taught her to mix something....think it was lemon or vinegar with honey and garlic which she drank every morning and it brought it right down.

http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/articles/art_cidervingarlichoney.html

 

[lebouche]

P.S I had it too so gave up drinking for six months and went on a healthier diet.
Hope you aren't drinking too much as can cause build up of triglycerides.

 

[Black Comb]

Is there any truth in eating porridge lowers cholesterol?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes if you eat the oatbran type but you have to eat it in the evening before bedtime...........

 

[VEG]

Is there any truth in eating porridge lowers cholesterol?

Yes

 

[PBee]

Lowers cholesterol .....

eventually.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How did we survive before they invented cholestorol?

 

[BeeJayBee]

The side effects of some statins can be awful if they don't agree with you, and can cause permanent muscular damage.

My GP raised the dose. I took one of the new dose at night, the following morning I couldn't stand up and had awful pains across my back - pancreas? Was taken off them completely, GP is looking into trying a non-statin, but I can't remember what it is.

 

[Roger]

I no longer take them as I feel physically better without them. However you need to do some research and then balance the risks of taking or not taking them for the rest of your life. Look at the recommendations regarding taking Co Q10 if you decide to take them as levels are reduced by statins. The following link gives a lot information on this topic but is anti statins for most people.

http://search.mercola.com/search/pages/Results.aspx?k=statins

 

[Black Comb]

Yes if you eat the oatbran type but you have to eat it in the evening before bedtime...........

 

[theeggman]

I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. My cholesterol levels are very low for 'bad' and high for 'good'.
I was then put onto statins because they "always prescribe then".

After 3 days and 2 nights of nosebleeds I stopped taking them and the problem went away. The GP has now taken me off statins for good.

Tim

 

[Stiffy]

I have been on statins for a couple of months and not noticed any side effects. As a 'veggie' my diet should be pretty good and think that the high cholesterol is hereditary but I am trying and succeeding in losing some weight too.
S

 

[Dishmop]

Recently diagnosed high cholestrol.

Last year I would have been Ok but they have moved the goal posts which brings me into the net. 6.5 I think. Due for retest in about 3 months.
Not an ounce of fat on me and am the same size as when I was 16.
Grew up with being told that milk eggs and butter were healthy. I do like to overdose on chololate and earlier this year I rediscovered how nice butter is as opposed to that other stuff.
Toast with butter and honey.............

 

[flemage]

been on them for a number of years now I am 42 have a family history of hart attacks even in the active farmer types.

think my level was about 8.

I did think about diet and it can lower it, we are talking fish, oats veggies, but not cheese etc. Discussed with the doc and they were saying that even if I eat like a monk it wouldn’t get it down far enough.

I have given up the drink though which has really helped.

I am on Simvastains two of them at 40mg tablets a day and have had no issues at all.

one side effect I liked was a reduced likely hood of alzheimers.....which is nice.

don’t fu*k about mate if the doc wants you on it, do it. You can try the diet and other stuff as well and get it checked out again in a few months time and see where you are.

My dad had a large hart attack and had been taken simvastains for a number of years before hand and was told that if he hadn’t been he wouldn’t be here.

Good luck

 

[MuswellMetro]

Have been on statins for some time and started with 10mg of atorvastatin for high triglycerides, changed under NICE guidelines ( just a LETTER no consultation due cost ) but had problems with 40mg of simvastatin with neck and calf muscle pain, it just crept up on me after over two years on them, forgot to take them on holiday and WOW pain all gone...if i said my socks hurt that would be the feeling in my calfs

Taken off and put back on Antavastatin then one month later, same letter NICE guidlines 40 mg of simavastin, so i complained as i was on statins for triglycerides and simvastatin ain't any use ( from Daughter by that time taking Phd in chemistry)..change back, but found i devloped a known side effect o f memory loss...stopped them and stopped eating cheese and cut down alcohol and sugar and had a plant sterol drink every day

Praised in the next review as 4.0 with high good cholesterol...did not tell them i stopped taking them yet...and my short term memory is better , what were we talking about?