hi, after annual blood tests, I have been told I am high risk for a heart attack, even tho cholesterol 4.5. And have to take atarvastatin, alongside Bisoprolol and Rivaroxoban and candesartan that I already take, does anyone else take these and do you have any side effects?
statins: hi, after annual blood tests... - Atrial Fibrillati...
statins
Written by
Suesouth
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
65 Replies
•
BobDVolunteer
That is a conversation doctors have to have with all patients. Many of us refuse.
Yes I was given the choice, because I also have a high CHADs score, if they don’t suit I can stop them!
Bob — can you share your reasons for refusing to take statins?
Bob is currently taking treatment so may take a day or 2 to respond but he and I are of one mind.
For a full exp
1. Case is unproven that statins reduce cholesterol - for a full explanation read Andrew McKendrick - The Cholesterol Myth. Yes, his book is slated by many - but read it anyway and then decide if you really want this substance in your body.
2. The consequences of taking statins are IMHO much worse than mildly raised lipid levels - ie: they are well over prescribed. There is a case for some people with familial high cholesterol, maybe?
3. The government pay GP’s for doing these assessments - actually TALK to your GP about the overall, wholistic benefits of taking statins and many GPs will not argue the case for taking them - although there are very mixed opinions.
From the NHS own website nhs.uk/conditions/statins/s...
If you are taking them - look at taking CoQ10 supplement as statins reduce CoQ10
As always, it’s benefit/risk assessment and for me - higher risk than benefit.
I don’t think there is any question that statins reduce LDL cholesterol. Isn’t the issue whether statins’ reduction of LDL lessens the build up of plaque in arteries and veins?
There is a BIG question in my mind about the cause arteriosclerosis in the first place resulting in build up of plaque so for me the case for statins is still case unproven.
My understanding is that cholesterol is produced by the body to to help protect and heal any injury to the blood vessels. If you have a familial history of heart attacks and strokes then you may be more susceptible and there may be a case for statins but the lipids in the bloodstream are only one indicator. I think the recommended reading sited below is worth looking at - Kendrick, Sinatra & Bowden etc.
Very individual and I would want to know exactly what contributes to ‘high risk’. Mine came back - when I did the analysis of the numbers - 22% risk of an event within 5 years. I can live with that.
No to statins and Bisoprolol for me and yes, had that advice. My Cholesterol is much higher and although I now struggle to keep my triglycerides down, I wont take statins. I just had gut profiling completed and I haven’t the bugs that work in my favor for clearing lipids from my blood so working on lifestyle in that area. Plant sterols have brought my total numbers down in the past so may look at taking those as a supplement. I just don’t get this hype about cholesterol numbers and basically ignore. I have enough health issues to cope with without affects of statins and Beta blockers and my doctors accept that.
Ask to see the numbers and then understand what those numbers mean.
Once over a certain age we are all at high risk of heart attack/stroke so if you are 75+ the numbers are meaningless as the algorithms only go up to 75-80.
Aged 45 my cholesterol at 4.5 and was considered excellent ( all those chips cooked in lard🙆♀️) but I was fit and active. Now in my 70’s I can live happily with with levels around 7.
It’s a very controversial subject and the main benefit of statins is that they are anti inflammatory. Find a natural way of reducing inflammatory markers & and you won’t need the drugs.
HiStatins are anti-inflammatory?
First time I have heard that.
Evidence please.
Remember she is on Riv..... an anti-coagulant so cannot have the Brufen family and more.
It is hard because Ifuprofen used to be my rescue med.
cheers JOY 73. (NZ)
I argued with the encrinologist doctor on stroke ward that I never take statins. She was happy then to allow me to take 10mg.
She wanted the thyroidectomy delayed after stroke - 6 months. But with the surgeon and anaesthetist for it a.s.a.p I went under the knife at 4 mths and he ran a blue dye through in the last hour before op.
This Dr wished me to have RAI and carry our Suppression and I declined! I was 70 and had AF and a rapid persistent heart rate.
My surgeon told her that the triage, WE SHOULD RESPECT JOY'S WISHES.
To her face I would have liked for her TO BUTT OUT.
She started me on Metroprolol which I stated I did not want. Mr H/R day avge was 186 when I changed to Bisoprolol. Then some reduction to 156. Then a priv sp put we on CCB Diltiazem. Some tweaking. BP 123/72. 77-88 H/R day. 47 H/R at night. GREAT.
cheers Joy 73. (NZ)
I just don’t understand any part of your post.
Hi CDreamer , i am struggling with statins too. Post my bypass surgery, i had muscle pains with Atorvostatin 20 mg, and then started taking Rosuvastatin but after few months it started causing abdominal pains near gall bladder area. So I am now on Atorvostatin 10 mg+Ezitembe 10 mg. I know this will not be sufficient and i don't have an option but to take risk of heart attack which may happen any time in few months to few years. Quality of life has gone down so wish a sudden death. Coming to triglicerids there is a solution , you can take omega 3 supplement , 1 tablet per day and that will bring down tryglicerids drastically.
Interesting, I’ll certainly look into it. Thanks
I have been encouraged to take statins after my recent blood tests and in light of a quite new scoring system. I have said no thank you.
I think Bob was told the same thing, but when he asked his doctor what would he tell his own father to do, the doctor told him to continue what he is doing i.e. not to take statins. So I think it comes down to more than guidelines which are always changing and often do not take into account many factors. Here in the US, no doctor would ever tell anyone they were at a high risk for heart attacks based solely on a cholesterol of 4.5. Are there other factors that your doctor mentioned, or just that? This is not to say you shouldn't take statins, just that it's not always a cut and dry decision. Did they tell you what your LDL was? Your HDL? Triglycerides? All these should be factored in IMO, as well as your age, family history and how motivated you might be to work on lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, weight control, etc. Personally, I'm on statins because of high LDL and low HDL plus a family history of cardiac disease, however, I've already cut down some because of change in diet and one day I may go off entirely.
Jim
I tried very briefly 2 different statins. My cholesterol is higher than that but I am not convinced at my age of the value.They certainly made me feel older!!
It must be about 10 yrs ago now and no one has offered to check it since.
Read Dr Malcom Kendrick ( a GP) on subject of statins. Also another book by Bowden and Sinatra, ( one of the latter is a cardiologist). Some interesting views and facts to help you decide.
I’ve been declining for years: have enough going on without the added complications of even more potential side effects.
Thank you, I will
Kendrick’s book, “The Clot Thickens” is an interesting read as is “A Statin Free Life” by Aseem Malhotra. I’m also on Flecainide, Bisoprolol, Apixiban. Was prescribed Atorvastatin in March based on 6.4 cholesterol. Have taken for 2 months. Stopped taking based on what I’ve read in these books and having no family history of cardiovascular disease.
I do have family history of heart disease and strokes, that is one of the reason GP recommended them!
Believe that both authors emphasise the necessity to follow GP's advice re statins in cases of family history of cvd.
Just for your info - Dr Sinatra recently died but his son is continuing his work.
Yes, for many years, with zero issues and a much-reduced chance of blocked arteries and all the problems those bring in their train, I trust! 
Steve
Been on Atorvastatins for years. No problems at all. Just 20mg at night as I get into bed.
I take all the above and suffer no side effects excepting bisoprolol which restricts me from running long distances.
I have to take it in the morning, if I start on them!
Had Bisoprolol for Afib made me feel ill for a month now take Nattokinaise 6000 fu and vit E have very high Cholesterol do not like drugs, Nattokinaise is getting recognised as a good blood thinner also breaks up fibrin in blood clots
After a stroke two years ago I was immediately put on a large dose of Atarvastatin as although my cholesterol levels were quite low it was thought to be a risk factor of further strokes. They made me feel unwell and I changed to Simivastatin also at 40mg. I stopped all the statins but as recently my LDL cholesterol level has crept up the doctor has put me back on 10mg a day which is causing a bit of diarrhoea. I know there are numerous views on this but cholesterol of itself is not a danger except in cases of those in risk of cardiac or arterial disease. Many people with 'high cholesterol' live healthy lives without any cardiac disease and there is a debate on whether statins, that are not without side effects on liver, kidneys and other things , are worth the risk with very little obvious gain in a large number of people. In the end you are going to have make up your own mind based on the best medical advice you can get and in your own particular circumstances.
Thanks oscarfox, my colesterol isn’t high, 4.5 it’s the other factors that are the problem, starting me on atorvastatin 20mg!
Hi that’s a question you’ll get loads of answer’s to. A lot with differing opinions. Some of it very strong. The statins topic creates a lot of debate. In my opinion 😂😂🙈, try to separate the facts from opinions, relate the facts to your situation and go with what you feel is right for you. There’s risk assessment’s out there you can find online.
As for side effects there’s research saying how safe they are as well as research saying about the side effects. Nothing in life is risk free. ( have you read the leaflet in a box of simple paracetamol, or read the risks of getting knocked down whilst walking and using a mobile device - but a lot of us do it),
We’re all individuals and there’s often a balance to be had in life. Get the fact’s both sides of the story and go with what you feel is right for you.
I have been taking Statins (atorvastatin. 20mg) for years and more recently Apixaban having been diagnosed with A Fib (Paroxysmal) To date I haven't really recognised any problems. I have always had a healthy diet but naturally have high cholesterol up to a reading of 8 its now generally around 4 .5. I did initially have a higher dose of Statins but these were reduced as my cholesterol came down.
It may also affect your travel insurance. One of the questions we had last time we filled in the insurance form was 'have you been advised to take statins by your GP'.
Hi, Suesouth. I take atorvastatin and ezetimibe and my total cholesterol is about 3, while it’s 6 without them. I also take propafenone 3x daily, and use rivaroxiban when needed (rarely, because I’m only having 2 or so afib episodes a month, usually less than 4 hours).WRT side effects, nothing terribly noticeable that I can link to the statin.
Good luck to you.
I accepted statins to combat cerebrovascular problems that were identified by an MRI scan. Most people have these problems as they age. I'm 78. Mine is a very limited issue but my GP recommended I take a very small dose.
I've had no problems on the dose I take. I have very low Cholesterol that almost doesn't register as it is so low on the scale. I think it was about 1.3 if I remember correctly.
All the best.
Roy
HiOh dear.
Normally u should show cholesterol around 4.
cheri JOY 73. (NZ)
Always been that low ever since I was first checked about age 35. Lowest my various GP's have ever seen.All the best.
Roy
Hi,
I was prescribed atarvastatin because my cholesterol level was above 6.0.
I was a bit wary but my doctor was very convincing about the benefits of taking them and said that they do a blood test after a while to check all is ok.
I had a blood test which I think was about 6 weeks after I started taking them and found that they had affected the enzyme levels in both my liver and kidney and therefore stopped taking them and over the next 4 weeks my levels returned to normal.
My doctor suggested I try them again but at a smaller dose but I refused and bought my cholesterol level down by lifestyle changes.
If my doctor had offered me an alternative statin I would have been willing to try them as they certainly worked well in bringing my cholesterol level down and provided you have routine blood tests to check all is ok then there should not be a problem.
What is a problem is doctors seem to be restricted as to what they can offer and certainly for my practice it appears that Atarvastatin is all they can offer.
JOY2THEWORLD49 in reply to
HiI read that Doctors are paid for getting patients onto Statins.
cheri JOY 73. (NZ)
A metaanalysis done some years ago found that the average overall benefit for someone taking statins ( I think for 5 years) who had not had any previous manifestation of cardiovascular disease was 3.5 days longer to live!. This was for all ages. Older people with low cholesterol actually do worse - higher risk of cancers and infections. Especially women. Large epidemiological studies done in Scandinavia show that women with the highest cholesterol ( much higher than yours)live longer and are healthier.
Last year, I was told I needed to go on statins as my QRISK2 assessment was high, although cholesterol wasn't, 4.4. Rather reluctantly agreed, put on atorvastatin 40mg. This caused debilitating joint and muscle pains and weakness. Couldn't open a bottle of ketchup! I came off the atorvastatin and these symptoms gradually improved but took about 4 months before I was back to normal. I'm now on rosuvastatin 5mg, which is a very low dose. No one at my GP surgery has shown any interest in checking to see what my cholesterol is now so I'm wondering what's the point of being on a statin if no one cares if it's made a difference.....
The problem with being told a number like 4.0, is what is it referring to?
Is it your serum HDL levels ie total of all the different types, or your total of non HDL’s ie the bad sort, or your ratio of HDL to non HDL’s?
My understanding is that if your ratio is below 6, then it is regarded as OK.
Even with a ratio of 3.2 my GP is still trying to get me to take statins.
If you look up heartuk.org.uk there is a pretty clear explanation of all these numbers.
I can’t tolerate statins due to side effects, so I have made lifestyle changes and I take resveratrol as a natural antioxidant.
Was on bisoprolol, blood thinners and atarvadtstin. Felt the statins were making me dizzy. Spoke to my cardiologist (as I am planning to have catheter ablation). He said I don't need to take the statins, so I am not now.
Yes I take just 5mg atarvastatin per day - this keeps me around 4 or so with a high level of 'good' cholesterol. My doctor reduced my dose because my reading went down to 2,4 and she considered that too low as we need cholesterol. I have no side effects from it and take a similar cocktail to you, plus a couple of others but Biso not unless I have to,
The pharmacist at docs told me we don’t need colesterol! 🤷♀️
I copied this from a Doctor om Internet!'Category: Brain Health
Cholesterol is vitally important for brain function. While your brain represents about 2-3% of your total body weight, 25% of the cholesterol in your body is found in your brain, where it plays important roles in such things as membrane function, acts as an antioxidant, and serves as the raw material from which we are able to make things like progesterone, estrogen, cortisol, testosterone and even vitamin D.
In fact, in a recent study available on the NIH Public Access site, researchers showed that in the elderly, the best memory function was observed in those with the highest levels of cholesterol. Low cholesterol is associated with an increased risk for depression and even death.
Interesting!
The pharmacist is either lying or extremely ill informed. Cholesterol is essential for life. Lots of it in our brain and in the walls of every cell in our body.
I'm 60ish paroxysmal afib. One major event years ago. Diet healthy due to multiple food allergies. I have high triglycerides and signs of inflammation at my annual blood anticoagulant test so pharmacist offered me statins. I agreed to try them on the condition that I move off them as soon as possible. Pharmacist said if I get muscle pain she could switch me to a water soluble one. We will do a blood test in 3 months to check levels. I have started the process of losing pandemic weight. Salads and melon with protein. I will check back in to let you know how I get on.
i use plant sterols instead of statins ,i was also told the same by gp
I was told my cholesterol was a bit high and was recommended statins. Didn't agree and my GP suggested benecol ( yoghurt?) which is supposed to be a proven cholesterol reducer. I tried it every day and next time I was tested my cholesterol was down to 4.1, so I just take that. Don't like the idea of statins as a number of people have told me they have felt much worse taking them.
I have been taking a statin (simvastatin) for ~30 years with no detectable side effects. Even when my cholesterol levels changed to what my cardioguy describes as "great" (both LDL and HDL, ratio 2.4), I was advised to continue taking them, as the "other effects" (anti-inflammatory) can be very beneficial. I followed the advise.
I take a statin with no issues. Interestingly a recent study showed that those who take a statin have less problems with Covid. This is because statins reduce inflammation, a key issue with Covid. Of course that is no reason alone to take a statin, just a side benefit. My cholesterol is high and can’t be reduced by diet so I feel it is worth the minor risks. And I am an individual who resists most medications. It is of course a personal decision.
my cholesterol is good but LDL is 90 and cardiologist said must be under 70 because I have some blockage in a carotid artery according to ultrasound (50-69%). I am now on Dr Caldwell Esselstyn oil free diet (allows flax and chia seeds). Not sure how I got the blockage but hoping it will not get worse (am 80yo slim/fit) so wondering how many other people in my age group have some blockage? So cardiologist put me on statin but I stopped it after a month as I got muscle pain (may not have been associated with it but it went away when I stopped).
My Cholesterol had been inching up. However, though high LDL (bad), also have high HDL (good) and low triglycerides (good). With age 70, female and family history, and afib, doc wanted me on stains. When I resisted she told me could take calcium coronary CT scan which measures actual evidence of plaque in arteries. In US, insurance won’t pay for it but is being used more and more. Haven’t got the bill but should be couple hundred dollars. Results: my score was 0, which places my arterial age at around 39. Both PCP and cardiologist were shocked and said “nevermind” on the statins 😊. I am reading that some think HDL/ triglycerides ratio may be better predictor of risk than LDL. Not sure why this simple noninvasive scan is not used more often, was fully prepared to go with statins if score was high. BTW, husband has been on statins for years with no apparent problems and doesn’t mind. So there ya go…I think it’s ok to take, and ok to not take but worth doing further research if you’re hesitant.
I would refuse to take statins, lots of nasty side effects (easy to look up). Also there the latest research shows no direct link to cholesterol and heart attacks. Consider avoiding harmful cooking oils, such as corn, soy or canola. Add in olive oil
HiYes.
But I take PRADAXA a twice a day anti co-agulant, Diltiazen, Bisoprolol and avorstatin 10mg.
I too have a 4.2 cholesterol. But it flucuates.
Had a stroke in 2019 with AF but found thyroid cancer which starts with AF whilst in hospital.
I've just seen Auckland sp here. He states he wants my cholesterol at 4 or below. So that's your answer. He was not fussed about. The PRADAXA is more important.
Personally I would monitor your chesterol 3 mthly and if it goes over 5 then take only 10mg statin or its your choice.
My thyroid pills raise it.
I read in a Medical Journal that cholesterol cannot be measured.... I believe that.
Dont beat yourself up on it.
Every time mine gets a little high I introduce them again.
Remember ManageMyHealth is know the facts and obey or not. Your life.
e.g I refused Radio Active Iodine and Suppression of my TSH. I was low risk for it to return - the cancer as I do not have a thyroid or 12 lymph nodes in right central area.
I hav had 2 clear neck scans. USA thyroid centre states it is unclear whether LOW RISK patients should have the RAI automatic treatment and suppress. They concluded that NO it was not needed. There is a big risk of damaging other organs such as Parathyroid or the voce box in that area. Suppression is toxic as you need to take klarge amounts of the thyroxin the synthetic hormone med to keep me alive from day to day.
Interestingly did you have a FASTING CHOLESTEROL test or not.
Keep safe and I hope you are in a Controlled rate of heart beat. I am now finally since Dec 21 under a priv specialist.
Cheeri JOY. 73. (NZ)
I went on statins when I was diagnosed AF two years ago. My various cholesterol levels were fine, but they wanted them lower, same as anyone with cardiac problem - ok? After a few weeks I got pain in muscles in my upper arm, so I decided to come off statins. Strangely my cardiologist hasn’t arranged any more cholesterol tests, I have just asked for one…..
Not what you're looking for?
You may also like...
Statins
my GP said it is very important for me to take statins. I have tried 3 different brands of statins...
Statins
Statins, I'm already taking Amiodarone, Bisoprolol and Warfarin. Is anyone else taking the statins...
Statins
not of taking statins. I have a chadvasc score of 3, old lady! and high blood pressure.
I take...
Statins?
was only 5.3
Please can anyone explain why it should be so important to take statins. I had an...
statins
everyone,
Recent blood tests show I have raised cholesterol and triglyceride serum levels. After...
Statins
Statins
Statins
Statins
