High cholesterol/high blood pressure

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

I felt like you CariadAgain
I had a stroke.
I am very lucky in that I was treated and recovered - at least as far as anyonecan tell.
I know I'm not the same. I have 3 minor symptoms that I notice every day.

The worry is not death... the worry is a diminished life that affects the people I love. I am more open to drugs now. I take an anticoagulant (since my stroke) and a statin (for the last 6 months or so). I requested the lowest dose. Lower than recommended- but it's working.
My GP is OK if I don't take it every day because it stays in the body longer than a day.

I do this as an act of love for the people who love me.

Some of us don’t have a choice - I’ve been on statins since mild strike in 2012 ..yes I don’t like taking any tablets much like I don’t like wearing glasses all the time for poor near and far vision But I do ..As I want to see ..you sound very disagreeable…

I can quite understand that when you were younger you didn’t want to be permanently on a tablet but you can’t really adopt that attitude and be safe when you are older, the game is a different one. I would have thought having lots of family who had heart attacks would make you want to do what you could for as long as you could. I just take my statin and dont think about it otherwise.

I was offered a statin a few years ago, but refused it. Last year had to ask for some medical notes, on them, it said I had refused the statin -my point is what happens if you go on holiday & you have a HA or stroke, would the insurance pay out? Because your Gp offered you a statin & you refused it?
I did get my cholesterol down for little bit but it’s unfortunately gone up to 5.4 so I’ve been offered it again. This time I have accepted it.
I have worked with patients with all types of strokes. Ones that are only minor to full on strokes where patients can only move their eye balls. So now will take it along with my two BP drugs & hope for the best.

Having seen my charming BIL spend over 20 years in a wheelchair having lost his mobility and his personality following a stroke, I take statins and BP reducing medication. I will do anything to try to prevent my family and friends having to deal with the consequences of me having a stroke. I have no side effects from taking statins and minor effects from the BP medication which are nothing compared to what a stroke might give me. Please don't waste your GP's time if you're not willing to take his/her advice. fwiw GPs do not get paid to prescribe statins or BP medication, they get paid for doing health checks and giving advice.

I thought I was fit and healthy and prided myself on no medication (in my late 70s) until 18 months ago I was surprised to find I had high cholesterol. I hesitated about taking statins but a daily 20mg of Atorvastatin halved it within 3 months to the ideal level. Absolutely no side effects. Lots of sudden deaths in early 50s on one line of the family including my father and his mother so referred to Lipid clinic but turns out it appears I don't have the hereditary familial cholesterol. I have been monitoring my BP intermittently since then, eating lots of bananas (!), continuing to walk a lot, try not to sit for more than 30 minutes at a time and my BP is averaging out to just below the cut-off reading for medication. I don't want to take further medication but rather than have a stroke I will take medication if GP advises it.

If you don't intend to take medication then don't waste GP and hospital appointments. Being disabled by a stroke could be horrific. Sky high BP is not good.

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.

If you want to increase your risk of a stranger wiping your bum Cariad carry on.

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.

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.

Since you know what you want - and don’t want - to do you might as well not waste any more NHS time and resources.

grannysyb That's such great news about your husband.