Supplements for high Cholesterol anyone?

I have high cholesterol,nothing to do with my diet,it is genetic. I have taken statins for 21 years,I am under the care of a Professor at the hospital,he has changed the dose and type several times over the years.He told me when I first started seeing him that any product such as Benecol will not help lower cholesterol whatsoever..

There are many different statins if one doesn’t suit you.

I prefer to take a statin then worry about having a stroke or heart attack.I have no understanding of why anyone would not take medication that is going to help them live longer,baffles me.

My mother had high cholesterol and used to nag me to have mine checked…that was years ago and I never did.

Ladyripple

I have high cholesterol,nothing to do with my diet,it is genetic. I have taken statins for 21 years,I am under the care of a Professor at the hospital,he has changed the dose and type several times over the years.He told me when I first started seeing him that any product such as Benecol will not help lower cholesterol whatsoever..

There are many different statins if one doesn’t suit you.

I prefer to take a statin then worry about having a stroke or heart attack.I have no understanding of why anyone would not take medication that is going to help them live longer,baffles me.

It's not just about living longer, but strokes and heart attacks can have a huge impact on a person's quality of life.

PS. I agree with you.

Never had any side effects from statins

For poppyred, the scare stories re statins are largely that, as you've heard, millions take them and the work fine! For a couple of the scaremongers, those symptoms could be due to other reasons.

If you want to go the dietary route, fine, lot of i'net advice about foods to be wary of. There is quite a lot of evidence that oats help to shift cholesterol, so perhaps find some recipes for say, oat muffins, and try an oaty b'fast cereal??

You could also take a garlic tab each day, I'd say the odourless would be best (may help with colds and flu as well?)

Our GP has advised that only statins will lower cholesterol, diet has little impact. This seems strange doesn't it? I have slightly raised cholesterol and my partners is a bit higher..not as high as yours though. GP said if he didn't take statins, he's at high risk of heart attack. At hearing this, he decided he would take them. I don't though.

When I asked what my cholesterol was I was told I need a separate test for it.but the nurse said I wouldn't worry about that at your age
I'm sure I should .opinions please

Strange thing to say, my aunt found out she had high cholesterol at age 40.

I’ve just started taking statins, I’m very active, don’t drink or smoke and eat healthy. Think it’s just in my genes.
The reality is Statins help with the risk of heart attacks and strokes, also vascular dementia!

Please come back and update us Poppyred. Have you started on Statins? I believe they can be life-savers from some serious potential health issues.

I went to see G.P. with my results. She has insisted on doing another test. Will hopefully get the result later on this week and her recommendations. Will keep you informed.

A friend was diagnosed with high cholesterol and was advised by her GP to take statins. She decided to change her diet, and within a few months her cholesterol had lowered to an acceptable level. The GP was astounded and very impressed by her discipline. It can be done.

Like many on here I refused to take statins 20 years ago. I am absolutely fine and no sign of any problems.

I refused because I saw my own father go downhill rapidly after starting them. Aching joints, aching muscles, memory problems, confusion. I also worked with older people for 16 years and saw countless people decline on them too.

Good luck Poppyred. It will be great if the results show you do not need medication. 🍀

I have been having tests for Atrial Fibrillation. My GP didn't mention a cholesterol test (which I think he should have) but I asked for one ... and it turns out my cholesterol is high (8.4)

I am hypothyroid which is linked to high cholesterol which I know from research, and I also have EPI which means I have problems digesting fats, consequently I eat very little of them. My GP hasn't joined up the dots, and read me the riot act re taking statins.

I have refused for the moment as I've seen friends go downhill, including getting brain fog, once they started taking them. I already have fatigue and pain from having longterm M.E. and Fibromyalgia and don't want to add to those symptoms.

Our brains need healthy fats and mainly consist of cholesterol, and I do wonder if the increase in dementia is being caused by statins reducing that cholesterol.

I am going to take plant sterols from Healthspan for 3 months and then get another cholesterol test to see if they have made any difference.

I took atorvostatin which brought my chosterol down from 6 to 2.3 but found I was more hungry than usual. Having ,ost rice stone in over a year I am dreading putting it back on and indeed had gained a few pounds. I stopped the drugs and the weight went. I am now trying plant sterols and watching my food intake like a hawk I never eat saturated fat and am slowly cutting out meat though eat fish. I am trying a natural approach now. Will see what my next reading is.

I would be grateful for the opinion of any doctors on her with this approach. I do have high blood pressure and take three medications for this which have almost no effect!

Ps I read that atorvostatin can increase the appetite and lead to weight gain on the NHS web page

I had a high level of cholesterol - 8.0 consistently for years, but like Petra I asked for the risk of a heart attack or stroke if I took statins and if I didn't and the difference was 2%

I later had a medical incident, which it was thought might be a TIA and had a MI scan and that showed no damage of blocking of my arteries at all. They were all clear of sclerosis.

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I found out I had high cholesterol a few years ago, just a routine health check up with my doctors. I'm slim , eat healthy etc. I was referred to ' the lipids clinic ' at my local hospital. They couldn't understand it either, however , I do have rheumatoid arthritis. This can effect your cholesterol apparently. I take statins now, they've worked for me

My GP told me changing your diet will affect your cholesterol levels by 25% maximum. The other 75% is due to age and genetics, so don't expect miracles whatever changes you make. My sister in law runs marathons and never eats sugar. She is stick thin, always has been and still has high cholesterol. That made me think maybe it's time to give in & take the statins. I don't want to but I doubt I can reduce it significantly without medication.

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9 ... heavens! ... please take the statins or whatever is on offer.
Earlier this year I had lots of heart trouble and finished up with a stent in my main coronary artery which was blocked to 94% at one place! It was a disaster waiting to happen. And caused by cholesterol.
I now have to be on a whole raft of drugs which have lots of side effects.
Your GP has the means to help you prevent similar happening to you.

She didn’t offer any Luckygirl3. She said the good outweigh the bad ….and that was that. I’m having a retest next month so will discuss again then.

It sounds as though the balance showed up as good - which is great news for you. Hope it stays that way.