Statins

What are you uneasy about, susytish?

Start with the 25mg unless your cholesterol is particularly high. If it isn't overly high tell your GP you prefer to start with the lower dose, they can't argue.
I've been taking Atorvastatins for many years--25mg. My Cholesterol was nothing to get excited about at 7 and was written up for 40mg's which I refused and asked for the lower dose.

My readings have remained steady between 3 and 4 at the most ( normal ) for a number of years now and I believe in taking them to keep the arteries from clogging up which can cause greater problems later in life.

Take them before you go to bed and don't feel uneasy about taking them. I think they're a life-saver to be honest.

Thank you so much. I feel much better about taking them. I am due to start them today so will do!

I was prescribed atorvastatin 20mg approx 18 months ago when my cholesterol was 6.8. It had persistently remained elevated despite dietary changes. Heart attacks and strokes feature throughout my maternal side of the family and I was told it was genetic and unlikely to improve without a statin.

I was very happy at my first follow up blood test that it had dropped to 4.2. I’m due another check in a few weeks. Overdue due to covid but I feel confident it will be fine.

I haven’t had any side effects at all. I do remember my Mum had a tickly dry throat irritation which was eventually attributed to her statin. A change to another sorted it.

It was also my mum's side of the family who were prone to strokes/ heart attacks, so I was only too glad to take something which was guaranteed to prolong my life.
I'm checked annually to make sure that all's well.
I still have lashings of Lurpak on the crumpets

I have taken statins for about 7 years. Very glad to have them. No side effects for me.

I have no idea how old you are susytish, but when I was 75 my GP advised statins for high cholesterol.

She gave me the figures for the probability of my having a stroke or heart attack in the next ten years if I did not take statins. I then asked her what the figure would be if I did take statins. To her amazement, as well as mine taking statins and reducing my cholesterol to a 'good' figure actually made very little difference to my chances of a stroke or heart attack.

So I decided against taking the statins, she also said that my high cholesterol was probably genetic as over 10 years, every test I took came up with exactly the same reading.

My cholesterol was 7.2 about 3 years ago. I asked for statins but was refused them as my BP and other measurements were normal. This year it has dropped to 6.2 but LDL reading is now higher than HDL which seems odd. Nothing much has changed and my notes said no further action is needed.

Everyone on my side of my family seems to have high cholesterol including the stick thin vegetarians (I don’t fall into either of those camps).

Should I be concerned?

My mum was terribly ill with them. Horrendous nightmares and she could hardly walk in a week! Before I couldn't keep up with her!

I’m not one to push my views down people’s throats - but you did ask, so here goes. My GP also advised me to take statins but like you I’d heard negative reports so decided to do some research. What I learnt convinced me that I never, ever wanted to take them or have my cholesterol levels included in any blood tests. Every cell in our body needs cholesterol particularly the brain. Patient leaflets included with prescriptions will probably advise that people over 70/75 shouldn’t take them. There is evidence of cognitive impairment in people taking statins. There is a lot of information available for you to study. Two people I can recommend you looking up are Zoe Harcombe and Malcolm Kendrick. Please do look into this carefully.
Apologies if I have offended anyone, I know it’s a controversial topic.

I’m with M0nica on this. A young doctor in our practice was very keen on pushing statins on me even after the consultant hadn’t prescribed them. I told her and she reluctantly agreed that my risk wasn’t much different either way.

glammagran

My cholesterol was 7.2 about 3 years ago. I asked for statins but was refused them as my BP and other measurements were normal. This year it has dropped to 6.2 but LDL reading is now higher than HDL which seems odd. Nothing much has changed and my notes said no further action is needed.

Everyone on my side of my family seems to have high cholesterol including the stick thin vegetarians (I don’t fall into either of those camps).

Should I be concerned?

It's not at all odd to have a higher LDL reading than HDL.

I expect you know this, but the LDL is known as the "bad" cholesterol and the HDL cholesterol as "good". Some doctors think that the cholesterol ratio is as important as the total. Triglycerides are also important.

I’ve been on statins for 30 years now. My cholesterol reading,, like my mother and father’s used to be, was very,very high. I resist the push to take a really high dose,however , because they give me a lot of backache and joint pains but the 20 mg dose I am on is fine and it lowers it to a reasonable level. My parents both had heart attacks so I figure that is a family weakness. I asked my GP what the alternative is and she painted a rather grim picture of possible strokes and generally fairly serious events. I take Lipitor and have tried Crestor and the cheap lookalikes the chemists offer here but none of them suited me for one reason or another.

Let me be clear. If my GP had shown me that taking statins would reduce my risk of a heart attack or stroke significantly, then I would have taken them.

I refused to take statins because I couldn't see the point of taking medication when it would not benefit me.

DH recently had a heart attack and bypass surgery and now takes statins. Before his operation he had been prescribed statins, but the lowest possible dose because his statin level was not significantly raised. Despite a relatively low cholesterol level is didn't protect him from needing a triple bypass and coming very close to needing a quadruple bypass.

It does worry me the way statins are seen as some universal panacea to be prescribed at every opportunity. But I have no objection to them in principle.

I took them for quite a few years mostly because GP saw it as a preventative. I started to question the reasoning when it was explained it was to prevent a heart attack but the figures showed only minimal difference in risk between taking and not taking. I have other regular blood tests and surgery still tries to make me retake them. Cholesterol has gone up a bit since stopping but not massively and I’m only 67 so still resisting at the moment

Yes I was taken aback when the above mentioned doctor prescribed them and I read on the leaflet: “Not recommended for the over 70”! And I’d just reached that age!

My kidney function tests have been impaired for years though no worse or no better. If I hadn't taken statins I'd have had type 2 diabetes by now, so I've been protected in that way---so far.

I'm over 80 and have taken them since 2006 as the hospital had told me that if I didn't, I'd have a big problem ten years hence. I was in a bad way at the time.
My eyesight is fine for my age with little sign of macular degeneration---only cheap reading glasses required.2.5 strength.

I was happy to go on statins when my cholesterol was 7. I was put on Artorvostatin. The nosebleeds were horrendous. I'd never had one in my life until then. I couldn't figure it out until I looked at the side effects then all became clear. Never again.

Looks as some of us are happy on statins and some aren’t. I would have taken them if the consultant had prescribed but lost all confidence in that young doctor when one day, as I walked into the consulting room, she ran out crying. Apparently she’s had a bad day but very unprofessional.

When I took them I had very bad pains in my legs, so gave them up after talking to the doctor, he didn't press me to continue to take them. That was about ten years ago.

Well it is confusing. I am 75 and read about 70\75 year olds not taking them. It’s also interesting about taking them and not taking them, risk of stroke/ heart attack. I took first one yesterday, 20mg Alvorvastatin. Will see how I go. Presumably the doctor looked at my age. Telephone appointment of course.
Thanks everyone for your help and information..

While taking atorvaststin I was getting optical migraines on a very regular basis.

They made me ill. I stopped taking them but I cut down on things like crisps and sweets and the like although I am under weight . It’s started to come down

I now take Benecol drinks, spread and yoghurts. I take plant sterols as recommended by someone on Gransnet. I haven't had my cholesterol checked for a while but am hoping for the best.