High cholesterol/high blood pressure

mum2three

I have this argument every time I'm called for my annual check-up. I am independent and I want to stay that way. It's the quality of life that matters to me, not the length of it. Everything has side effects, including statins. You cure one thing and create another. I've agreed to reduce my HRT but have refused to come off it because it is supposed to help prevent osteo arthritis. I take something for my blood pressure, which seems to keep it at a moderate rate. No More.
Stick to your guns. Remember it is in the interests of the drug companies and the doctors surgery to have as many people as possible on regular medication. Read up the facts and decide for yourself.

That’s all very well mum2three but happens if you have a massive stroke, you could live for years being dependent on other people. I don’t think GPs other these drugs for fun tbh.

Mum2three sorry wanted to say that Gps don’t offer these drugs for fun. Hopefully we will get through this life not having HA, strokes, or cancer 🤞but I am not taking any chances.

Its a difficult one, because it was never going to happen to me

I have high BP (which was controlled with meds), a hereditary issue and cholesterol that fluctuates (partly hereditary) if i deviate from a horribly restricted diet. In the past statins have been suggested, but with diet i kept things on an even keel. However, throw in a distressing and traumatic event where my stress levels skyrocketed - and with it my BP and cholesterol, the perfect storm you could say, i had a suspected TIA. Scared the life out of me!

I was immediately prescribed statins and aspirin which i do take. I am working with my GP to bring my BP down and reduce the meds, but have to accept that in part i will always have high BP/Cholesterol issues given my family history.

I thought that keeping fit, an eye on my diet and weight it wouldn't happen to me...but it (nearly) did and i never want to go through those months again.

Please be careful.

Primrose53

Franbern

Not sure what you are actually saying or asking. Of course, it is your choice not to take advice from medical professionals. It is your choice not to take suggested, prescribed medication - most definitely NOT primitive but highly advanced.

Not sure what is so difficult about taking regular tablets. I assume you eat two or three times each day and have a drink on several occasions. So what difficulty is there in taking a tablet or two once or twice a day?

There is absolutely no need for you to be concerned about being rescusitated following a heart attack, if you do not wish for that to happen. You can take out a DNR with your Doctor and the hospital have on your medical records an Advance Declaration (used to be called Living Will), in you can state about NO rescusitation.

Strokes are, of course, a different matter - and life after some strokes can be totally different to the life prior to them. Far better to do everything possible to avoid those - and if that involves taking a pill or two daily - then just think how fortunate we are that we live in a time where this is available and in a country where it is still free at the point of use.#

If you cannot be bothered to do this for yourself, then perhaps you should wasting the time of those highly trained professionals at the hospital and let them get on with treating people who will be willing to take their advice.

Some people take more than “one or two “ tablets a day for high blood pressure. My husband was on about 8 a day, was not overweight, a non smoker and hardly drinks, eats healthily, gets plenty of exercise and is very laid back, not a stressy person.

Despite all of this he had a massive stroke in Nov and it has left him in a wheelchair with poor speech, cannot use his right arm or leg and very depressed at how little he can now do. He needs help with everything.

So sorry for all you are going through.

Hope you dont mind me asking, was he given a reason for his original high blood pressure?

I do understand the primitave comments.
Perhaps not the thread ro discuss it, but I do take your point on that, op.

With high blood pressure and high cholesterol, I take what was prescribed, and tell myself they are keeping me alive.
I don't have any adverse side effects, so far.
I did rebel at first and refused statins for years, but when I was warned that it was dangerously high I then gave in and my cholesterol dropped immediately and has stayed low.
I've managed to reach 87 years old. Hopefully I'll make 88.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

fancythat

Primrose53

Franbern

Not sure what you are actually saying or asking. Of course, it is your choice not to take advice from medical professionals. It is your choice not to take suggested, prescribed medication - most definitely NOT primitive but highly advanced.

Not sure what is so difficult about taking regular tablets. I assume you eat two or three times each day and have a drink on several occasions. So what difficulty is there in taking a tablet or two once or twice a day?

There is absolutely no need for you to be concerned about being rescusitated following a heart attack, if you do not wish for that to happen. You can take out a DNR with your Doctor and the hospital have on your medical records an Advance Declaration (used to be called Living Will), in you can state about NO rescusitation.

Strokes are, of course, a different matter - and life after some strokes can be totally different to the life prior to them. Far better to do everything possible to avoid those - and if that involves taking a pill or two daily - then just think how fortunate we are that we live in a time where this is available and in a country where it is still free at the point of use.#

If you cannot be bothered to do this for yourself, then perhaps you should wasting the time of those highly trained professionals at the hospital and let them get on with treating people who will be willing to take their advice.

Some people take more than “one or two “ tablets a day for high blood pressure. My husband was on about 8 a day, was not overweight, a non smoker and hardly drinks, eats healthily, gets plenty of exercise and is very laid back, not a stressy person.

Despite all of this he had a massive stroke in Nov and it has left him in a wheelchair with poor speech, cannot use his right arm or leg and very depressed at how little he can now do. He needs help with everything.

So sorry for all you are going through.

Hope you dont mind me asking, was he given a reason for his original high blood pressure?

Thanks.
His BP has been very high for decades ( I think they called it resistant hypertension) although his cholesterol has always been fine. Our surgery just kept putting him on more and more BP meds many of which had nasty side effects like swollen feet, itchy legs, headaches etc. he ended up on about 8 meds.

The high BP definitely caused the stroke. Within days of the stroke and on different meds his BP was almost normal whereas before it was consistently high up to 250 at times.

One doctor at the hospital said GPs prescribe the cheapest meds which obviously didn’t work for him. He is now on 8 tablets in the morning and 4 in the afternoon some of which are water tablets plus paracetamols 4 times a day.

Scary thing is he did not feel ill, it was just a normal day, no pain, no headache, nothing. Just came completely out of the blue.

That’s up to you entirely OP. Nobody can force you to take anything if you don’t want to. I used to be of the same mindset……goodie two shoes me not on any medication.

BUT actually I don’t want to have a stroke and have to be looked after in any way, so I take a tablet to reduce blood pressure, had to try three different ones before a suitable one (no side effects) was found. Now on a mission to find a suitable statin…..as cholesterol is nearly 9 😳. I do want to stay alive as long as I’m able to look after myself. If that means taking meds, so be it.

I'm absolutely shocked by the OP's attitude - no permanent medications, no way etc.

I have an autoimmune issue and have been taking Methotrexate every week for over 10 years. It's been a miracle drug for me, allowing me to have a normal life. I had severe tiredness and the capillaries in my feet and legs were bursting causing pain and blackening skin. It had started on my arms. It took years to diagnose my problem. After taking Methotrexate for a few weeks, no more issues and my skin cleared up and despite having to have a blood test every six weeks to monitor me, I have no side effects.

I also take thyroxine every day for my thyroid problem (runs in the family) which is monitored by my GP. If I didn't take it, in time I would die. What natural remedy would the OP recommend I can take and then stop?

I'm sure many others take medication to keep them well and alive. The OP's attitude has really wound me up (can you tell) and wasting NHS staff's time is unforgivable.

Churchview

Not advocating in any way or suggesting that this might work for anyone else, but just wanted to share something that happened to my husband.

He was told he had high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Statins were recommended. At the time he was eating and drinking more than was sensible so he asked his GP if he could have six months to try to change things himself and, if he couldn't, then he would be very grateful for the statins. The GP said that she would be very surprised if he could turn things around himself and that any change would need to be lifelong, not a quick fix.

He joined Slimming World where he learned to completely change how he ate. He stopped drinking alcohol, ate very healthily with lots of fruit and veg and started exercising (walking, swimming, lifting weights ) and has gradually built this up. He lost 4 stone in six months,

When he went back six months later for repeat tests his cholesterol levels and blood pressure were in the normal range.

I'm definitely not suggesting anyone else would benefit or that they should try it without the advice and support of their doctor.

Congratulations on that achievement.

I've read a lot of stories of people dealing with things themselves naturally - and being successful. Hence I know that at least some people can "put things into reverse" themselves.

Still researching and deciding exactly how to handle this myself. I accept other people handle things sometimes in a different way - and, with that, know they should give me the same acceptance in return if I choose a different path to them. I don't tell them they are wrong - and therefore they should accord me the same respect and not tell me I am wrong. If I think "each to their own" - then why don't they (rhetorical question before someone lets their Inner Critic loose again).

I've "bought a LOT of time" in my heart attack family with following my own path (eg healthy diet etc). Now it's a matter of how to do things from here on in.

I'm torn a bit between "Shouldnt I have some time to get the benefit of all my effort over so many many years? It would be a shame to go now and not get the benefit of all that hard work fighting to manage financially for being single/etc etc" and part of me thinks "I've got a pretty good idea what's en route for our Society and I can see it going busily downhill in so many ways. Do I want to hang around and see what they get up to next? - could be another Lockdown, could be a 3rd World War, who knows?" and maybe I've chosen at some level not to go through whatever-they-get-up-to - as all that effort over the years has been to get my life straight and so that I can do things as I decide and I would see a lot of that effort as wasted if I wasnt going to get time to "sit back and enjoy" as my reward for being so good with money/so determined/etc/etc because of Society coming up with another major life-disrupting issue on us all.

Just do what you like. Don't expect everyone to agree.

loopyloo

Well that's OK. That's your choice but why go to a cardiology dept and not take their advice?

Yes, why thoughts too. Does seem like a pointless visit.

As for other comments from those of a critical nature - there is no-one else any decision I make will impact back on. I have no husband or relatives and I don't have so much as a pet I am responsible for. So no possible knock-on effect on other people (or animals).

Guess you could say I've saved NHS time over the years - as I've only required healthcare for myself - no children, no pregnancies even and I even covered their cost for getting sterilised back in my 20's (as the NHS refused to do so to women and they still refuse to do so to women - which is an impossible hurdle to get over how to avoid pregnancy ever unless you've already had several children from what I can see - which clashes head-on with my intention never to even be pregnant ever.).

I've saved the NHS a lot of money with my choices over the years - so I reckon I have quite a bit "unspent" in the bank so to say...because they've spent so little on me compared to many other people. So I've never taken any money for children, I've not taken the £4k - £5k per child per year for State schooling. Again = I have "money in the bank" in "saved Welfare State etc costs" that I am deciding whether to spend in other ways. I accept other people have other priorities - so therefore I should receive equal acceptance for my own priorities in return.

You ungratful. woman. Medics give you their time and advice only for you to ignore it. I had a cholesterol decades ago, it was 9.8. I have been taking the recommended dose because my Pa, Uncle and cousin died of heart attacks at between 52 and 60. I suggested to my sister that she do the test, not quite as high but 8.9.

I suppose, CariadAgain that some of us have had a healthy diet and lots of exercise etc and still can't fix things.

I've never liked meat. It was easy for me to be vegetarian. Always home cooking, no (almost no) cakes and biscuits etc. Nothing much bought in.
Still swim 50 lengths 3 times a week.

But I can't change my genes. I've had arthritis since I was 14. I've inherited genes that make my heart vulnerable and it's always irregular.
My BP is higher than "they" would like.
Nothing else.

I managed to be "healthy" until I wasn't! Untill my stroke I took no medication. I have read loads of studies now (via Google scholar) but it was ultimately the fear of my family having to bear the burden of my choices that made me think I needed to take medication. I am taking the lowest dose statin - basically for them.

Low cholesterol reduces my risk of another stroke by about 20% - of course nobody knows what my risk is to begin with... My cholesterol was just over 5 - now it is around 2.

My anticoagulant also reduces my risk by about 20% - but I've been taking this since my stroke.

My BP is "acceptable" at home but scary everywhere else.
Some recent studies show that "White coat syndrome" is not as benign as previously thought. I am watching this area of study.

The stroke was a massive jolt. I normally prefer to fix things if damaged and then stop. I was /am disappointed about taking medication longer term.

This is where I am now.
I do truly understand your reluctance.
The everydayness of a drug regime was miserable - certainly at first... and is still often upsetting. I don't always take the statin - maybe 4 times a week. Whilst my cholesterol is low my GP and I are both ok with this...
He is happy for me to have very frequent blood tests to keep an eye on it.

...but as I said earlier, taking drugs is ultimately a gift of love from me to my family.
This makes it easier to tolerate it.

I hope you find a way through.

Are you maybe self-sabotaging, op? If that is the right words?
Think something bad medically is bound to happen at some point, so why bother taking pills?

Would you consider taking statins for example, for a short while?
I dont know enough about them to know how effective that would be.
But you could go on them, and then stop taking them at some point?

I've heard of people taking statins for a short time and then coming off them - but side-effects from that being lasting.

So - nope...certainly not "self-sabotaging" - but very conscious it is MY decision and my decision alone what path to take (despite the "haters" on here - who just seem to want me to conform!). I guess people who make up their own minds are unusual still (well twas ever thus I guess...).

Thought never occurred to me that there would be other people who would "hate" on me and try to make up MY mind for me. Right now - I guess some amongst them would condemn someone here I'm friendly with that found out she has Stage 4 cancer. There's quite a few of us following her quest to handle this - and no sign of anyone condemning her for making different decisions to what she has made. She is "following her own path" with grace and elegance - and people being supportive to her. I rather admire the way she is so open about it all/making her own decisions etc and, at the same time, she's clearly on one of those Swedish death cleanses. She finds out the facts....deals with things sometimes the conventional way...sometimes a more "alternative" way and she's quite a lesson to us all.

Oh well - at least I know that there are a noticeable number of people out there (eg on here) that will try and make MY decision for me and then stamp their little feet and have a tantrum when it's clear I do know it's MY life and MY decisions. For all decisions - one needs the fullest facts one can get - rather than being bullied into automatically taking the route someone else wants you to do.

I shall leave this thread behind now - I don't want further conventional thinkers to come along and "have a little shout and a little bully". I know now there are people like this out there.

CariadAgain Nobody is trying to make up your mind for you. However, I do find your comment that few people make up their own mind ignorant and patronising.

FWIW I take statins and meds for high blood pressure. Before 2017 I had this idea that I didn't want to take meds, so I didn't. I stubbornly thought that I could control my own body, but it turned out that I couldn't.

I had a heart attack in October 2017. I was blue-lighted to Papworth Hospital, where I had a stent fitted. I will never forget lying in that ambulance being told I was having a heart attack and thinking that I wouldn't make it to the end of my journey. The para-medics rang my daughter, who was in tears about it. Fortunately, I did make it and I'm still here to tell the tale.

I made up my own mind that I didn't want to go through all that again in a hurry and that I still had more living to do. I was advised to take meds (including some in the short-term) and my cholesterol and blood pressure have been well within a normal range for years.

That was my choice! Nobody twisted my arm to start taking the meds. I was very happy to have all the help I could - and still am. You've made a different decision - and that's really up to you, but I agree with others that if you don't want the treatment on offer, I wish you'd stop wasting NHS time.

PS. I now take Exemestane, a hormone therapy drug which has been shown to cut the risk of developing secondary breast cancer. I'm quite happy to take that too. I don't see that refusing it would somehow make me morally superior and worthy of self-congratulation.

CariadAgain I note that you are leaving this thread. For the life of me, I don't know why you started it in the first place. And, yes, as others have said, please don't waste the time and money of the NHS.

Finding out the risk to yourself and using the NHS to do yhat is OK as far as I can see.

I have had several investigations over the years - especially around my arthritis (taking up valuable consultants time) but all this adds to our understanding - whether we take the advice or not.
Sometimes I'm happy to take a risk. Some risks seem too high for me.

I know you may have gone now CariadAgain but we don't all think you are doing anything wrong by using the NHS to find out what they think and then decide for yourself.

We all have a right to reject treatment you know.
I have rejected treatments over the years - both drugs and procedures.

I don't think it's fair to jump on CariadAgain because of her different choices.

I'm not criticising CariadAgain for her different choices, but for her aggressive attacks on people who (according to her) don't make up their own - as though they are stupid and somehow she is morally superior because she rejects conventional medical advice. I don't really understand why anybody would make the effort to do that. Just do what you think is right for you and get on with it without making a fuss.

CariadAgain hasn't decided for herself after being given medical advice. From her posts, it would appear that she has made up her mind whatever medical advice she is given.

I can only say that I have taken blood pressure pills and statins for 20 years with no effect except lower blood pressure and cholesterol. I now take an anti coagulant which, so far, is successfully keeping me alive. I don't know why the OP is so horrified at the thought of someone trying to resuscitate her. Unless she is in a hospital the chances of it being successful are quite low anyway. A friend of mine who is a nurse was thrilled when she saved a man who had a cardiac arrest in the street, because the success rates are so low.

I have been following this post with interest. Of course Cariad is entitled to refuse medical advice / statins or other medication . What I fail to comprehend is why she finds it necessary to make a song and dance about it! Quite simply Cariad don't take the medical advice but please don't take the moral high ground about it.
I take statins , have all my vaccinations and follow medical advice, I am very grateful for it too!

I watch 24 hours in A&E on tv and saw a lady bought in having had a minor stroke. She had been prescribed tablets for high blood pressure but didn't want to take them. had a minor stroke which fortunately she recovered her speech from...... takes the medication now.

Yes Cariad has a right to refuse medication/ treatment. It's her boastful attitude to others and her dismissive attitude to the NHS that I don't like.