Thoughts on Statins: Hi, I've recently... - Atrial Fibrillati...

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Thoughts on Statins

shirljo profile image
34 Replies

Hi, I've recently had a blood test which showed I have a high cholesterol level and I have AF; my GP wants me to take Statins, he's prescribed Lipitor. Reading the leaflet has me a bit worried about the side effects and wondered if anyone can share their experience with me. I eat healthily, exercise and have the occasional glass of wine and don't smoke. thanks

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shirljo profile image
shirljo
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34 Replies

Been taking them for years and never noticed anything untoward shirljo. Statins are always an emotive subject but if you can’t control your bad cholesterol with diet and exercise why wouldn’t you at least try them? No-one’s ever going to force you to continue to take them. You’re far likelier to die from the effects of high cholesterol than a statin.

FancyPants54 profile image
FancyPants54

Cholesterol isn't the problem. Read "The Great Cholesterol Con" by Dr Malcolm Kendrick. There are many books on the subject, a few of which I've read, but his is easy to read and a good primer.

Also, how is your thyroid? They used to diagnose hypothyroidism based on raised cholesterol levels. Once optimally dosed (which is currently hard because GPs are obsessed with TSH test results rather than symptoms) the cholesterol returns to normal.

jeanjeannie50 profile image
jeanjeannie50

Do you know the result numbers of your cholesterol test? I wouldn't be keen to start on medication and would have a good try to at reducing it myself first.

Have a search for Dr John Bergman on YouTube and see what he says about it.

I knew someone who was crippled by taking statins, but had stents in his heart so was too afraid to stop. Tried different ones, but it made no difference.

Jean

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer

I’m against for Cholesterol. I don’t believe Cholesterol is a problem. As an anti-inflammatory they may have a place but the affects for me are too high risk.

May I suggest you go to the Cholesterol Forum as there are a lot of very knowledgeable and experienced people who will present both sides of this very controversial subject in both doctors and patients.

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer

healthunlocked.com/choleste...

Hiya shirljo,

I have been on 40mg Simvastatin since mid 2007, some 3 and a bit years before AF originally mugged me. I have regular annual blood tests to check that all systems are 'Thunderbirds are go' ...... and Thunderbirds are go, no sweat.

John

mav7 profile image
mav7

I have been on Lipitor for many years because my LDL was high (over 110). No side effects.Bottom line, you have to trust your medical professional. They are recommending what is determined to be best based on your individual health traits.

As you age, statins will become a way of life.

🙂

Below is an informative article on cholesterol.

cdc.gov/cholesterol/ldl_hdl...

CliveP profile image
CliveP

They completely destroyed my father’s quality of life through massive muscle damage. Needless to say I would never take them.

secondtry profile image
secondtry

I can see advantages if you have other co-morbidities like blood pressure but you sound healthy.

As there is no emergency I would avoid pills and do some more homework research on cholesterol levels and what is important. My cholesterol record has been averaging 6.5 for 40 years and 8 years ago I had heart & carotid artery scans all clear. Tread carefully when it comes to Big Pharma and life taking medications, remember they have a legal duty to shareholders to maximise profits and no obligation to make you healthier.

kingsnorth profile image
kingsnorth

I’m on Rosuvastatin and so far no side affects however initially l was prescribed Atorvastatin which caused me to have achy muscles headaches and fatigue. If your statin causes side affects your gp should be able to prescribe one that suits. I don’t have high cholesterol but do have plaque in arteries.

Golfer60UK profile image
Golfer60UK

Hello and good morning, my doctor said if he had his way, he would put statins in the water supply. They do 'control' cholesterol levels and I have been taking them for a long time.Yesterday I had an invasive coronary angiogram, which resulted in nothing to do. The Cardiologist said there was a little wear and tear but no narrowing of the arteries. I am 76 so would expect some form of wear. It seems maybe the statins have done their job, I too take Lipitor

Best of luck

Dave

stoneyrosed profile image
stoneyrosed

I was offered statins a couple of years ago for the same thing, I said no because my instinct told me it would cause more harm than good. You can try to lower your cholesterol through diet and exercise. By the way when I said no to the GP he congratulated me for my decision, make of that what you will.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman

Your question seems to have stirred up a bit of a hornet's nest. I hadn't realised this was quite such a controversy, although the internet seems to be made to construct controversies that are really not.

As with the covid vaccine, one either goes with the flow (i.e. goes with the scientific consensus, government health advice and the vast majority of people) or you believe that there's some kind of aberrant craziness infecting those learned folk who promote these things and a mental weakness in those who take them.

This might interest you:

medicinenet.com/script/main...

Steve

sandoval22 profile image
sandoval22 in reply to Ppiman

It's a myth that cholesterol is the bogeyman, our body makes the stuff and the brain needs most of it hence why many now think statins are the cause of alzheimers. Aseem Malhotra , a leading cardiologist is an expert on cholesterol and he maintains that taking statins for 5 years will give you an extra day of life ! Studies show that those with heart attacks have LOW ldl not high but you have to swim against the tide to find the info such is the manipulation by big pharma.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply to sandoval22

I like Malhotra and what he says, but I haven't seen where he calls statins "the bogeyman". What he says is that for low risk patients they are not worthwhile in any way; he also shows that leading a Mediterranean style diet, removing sugar and increasing exercise to maintain a healthy weight is significantly better and more effective than statins.

And, of course, he is right. But for people at higher risk of CV disease and for those who have already had a CV related issue, then statins work. Also, the percentage of people likely to reduce their weight to a healthy level, stop all refined sugars, and increase their exercise significantly - and to do so life long - is likely very low as a proportion of those at risk.

I'm not sure that his figure of 20% significant side effects from statins is now considered a fair reflection of reality.

Steve

Auriculaire profile image
Auriculaire in reply to Ppiman

A meta analysis of statins ( the same one to which Malhotra refers) showed that even as a treatmenf for those who actually had heart disease rather than as a prevention for those at risk the actual average prolongation of life ( which is what matters) was still measured in days rather than months or years. This does not seem to me a great definition of "working" but it does work very well to swell the coffers of Pharma.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply to Auriculaire

What’s your view of the doctors here and their conclusions?

thelancet.com/journals/lanc...

Auriculaire profile image
Auriculaire in reply to Ppiman

I looked at the first name and thought " bought and paid for" and similar for some of the others whose names I recognised.

sandoval22 profile image
sandoval22 in reply to Ppiman

Malhotra is only one of many sources but you have to ask yourself if statins are so good why is heart disease & heart attacks going up every year but me and a few docs on social media against big pharma who are making billions out of statins ? we have to make up our own minds.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply to sandoval22

Have you read this review? Do you think the doctors who produced it are so incompetent, even foolish, as to have arrived at completely wrong conclusions?

thelancet.com/journals/lanc...

Auriculaire profile image
Auriculaire in reply to Ppiman

No they are corrupted by Pharma money.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply to Auriculaire

How sad to read that.

Steve

Auriculaire profile image
Auriculaire in reply to Ppiman

I am not sure what you are sad about. What is sad is the actual corruption of medical science by Pharma. This has been pointed out by past editors of the NEJM and the BMJ who have said that the studies that are published in the most prestigious medical journals on the planet can no longer be trusted . The Lancet are particularly bad by the way- they published the fake study on Hydroxychloroquine (Lancetgate) . It has been meticulously documented by Peter Gotzsche cofounder of the Cochrane Collaboration in his book " Deadly Medicines and Organised Crime " and demonstrated by umpteen trials of Pharma companies for scientific fraud , bribery etc etc. Trials that have resulted in guilty verdicts and billions of dollars in fines. Perhaps you are not au fait with Pfizer's " misbehaviour" over Trovan in Nigeria. But it is just one example of the total lack of ethics and decency that is the modus operandi of this industry. Not necessarily of the scientists who work within it but of the money men who actually run it. An acquaintance of mine at uni read biochemistry. He went on to a career in Pharma . His last job was at AZ. I learned from a mutual friend that he had resigned in his early fifties as he could no longer stand the sharp practice he saw there.

Maggimunro profile image
Maggimunro

HiMy GP has been trying to get me on statins for years but after I finally gave in I was crippled by muscle pains in my legs, which stopped immediately I stopped taking the statins. We tried a different brand. Same side effects.

I was actually granted a face to face appointment with the GP yesterday, they rang me and asked me to go in amazingly. Low and behold, it was to talk about cholesterol but the GP had a bit of a shock when he read my latest blood test results and found my ‘ Good’ lipids were great and my ratio of good to bad had actually dropped over the last year. This is all due to lifestyle changes and now rarely eating cheese (a big loss to me but there you go).

So, I was given some homework to read up on Ezetimibe which isn’t used that much from what I can gather.

I am reluctant to take it since it too has some dodgy side effects and my life style changes seem to be working.

I also have some concerns about the validity of the research done into the effects of lipids on the body, so for now I shall not be taking statins or statin type drugs.

Gfern profile image
Gfern

That’s the first I have heard about statins causing alzheimer’s, can you share the references to the many who think this please. It would be most helpful to add to the information that people need when they are deciding about taking Statins.

sandoval22 profile image
sandoval22 in reply to Gfern

dementia.news/2019-02-04-ne...

Gfern profile image
Gfern in reply to sandoval22

Thanks for replying I read the articles and the citations but it doesn't move anything on for me in terms of actual facts. Interesting views but the contributors are either medical journalists regurgitating what they have read or the one medical person cited is a Chiropractor, I am not getting a feel of confidence that I could rely on these views if deciding whether or not to take statins. But thanks for the information.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply to Gfern

thelancet.com/journals/lanc...

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply to Gfern

Don’t worry. They don’t. They save many lives and livelihoods.

This review seems excellent:

thelancet.com/journals/lanc...

Steve

Gfern profile image
Gfern in reply to Ppiman

Thanks for sharing the review, an interesting read from a credible source.

Tomred profile image
Tomred

hi shirljo if you decide against using statins you can try plant sterols 2x1200 mg per day , you can also use benecol containing plant sterols ,which is an alternative to butter, this helped me lower cholesterol levels.

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer in reply to Tomred

That’s exactly what I did but used a prescribed by nutritionist supplement rather than a supermarket product. It did bring my numbers down to below the NHS red flag level but not significantly and my ratios were always good. I didn’t have to forego butter as I want to avoid the ultra processed spreads and I would never swop out butter for them.

Tomred profile image
Tomred in reply to CDreamer

i didnt like swapping butter to spread either , i may reintroduce butter again along with the plant sterols and watch how it goes , thanks for comment

Snowgirl65 profile image
Snowgirl65

I take Lipitor (atorvastatin) along with my a-fib medications of Metoprolol Succinate and Xarelto with no problem. My brother has taken Lipitor for decades, though he never suffered from a-fib.

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