well, 6 days, 6 tablets and I was barely able to move through pain and exhaustion! As for brain fog and memory loss, don’t get me started on them 🤣 For years I have believed statins were toxic…… well, it turns out they are for me! 3 days of not taking them and I am returning to normal.
i am now exploring other options through diet and exercise. I have read quite a bit about the implications of starch/carbs/sugars in relation to cholesterol/triglycerides. My aim now is to go virtually carb free until my next blood test, I already don’t eat grain, rarely eat sugary or processed foods, so it’s avoiding root veggies for a while (I love my veggies if any sort). I am also going to try hibiscus tea for my blood pressure, see if it helps bring it down a little.
Written by
Tilly1957
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
You might also consider microbes with plant sterols. I take one by Biocare which I’ve been taking for about 6 months now, second time in about 10 years and both times my cholesterol total and Triglycerides levels are reducing. My ratios for HDL/LDL have always been good.
It also sounds like you also need to look at anti-inflammatory supplementation and foods. Ask your GP to monitor your inflammatory markers - you will then get an idea of what works for you. Revserveratrol as anti inflammatory supplement works well for me.
If you have autoimmune conditions I think it’s predictable that statins are not helpful.
thank you. Apparently I have ‘always had’ low grade inflammatory markers according to gp, hasn’t changed for over 10 years and not to worry about it 😱. And now I have fibro/osteoarthritis/high blood pressure/af etc…….. are these not linked in some way to inflammation? I will look up the supplements you have suggested, thank you. At least I am starting to feel like I felt before I started the stains….. I will put that down to a ‘senior moment’ 🤣🤣🤣🤣 ?
I have read that your liver makes more cholesterol as a response to inflammation as your body tries to reduce the inflammation. As inflammation markers rise as we get older ( according to my GP ) it makes sense that our cholesterol rises too. Large epidemiological studies done in Scandinavia have shown that older people with cholesterol levels higher than the so called "desirable" ones set by committees of "experts" (who often turn out to have financial ties to the statin manufacturers ), live longer and have less disease ( including cardiovascular) than those with low cholesterol. How high actually is your cholesterol? Do you know your levels for LDL and HDL and the ratios? Or has your doctor just looked at the total cholesterol level , seen that it is over the magic 5 mmol/L and suggested a statin?
interesting subject when yiu start to dig deeper. Yes I have the figures, yes gp was basing it on total figure. It’s my triglycerides that need to come down I reckon.
Statins are not guaranteed to reduce triglycerides. All the literature says they "can" reduce them though the mechanism by which this happens is not clear.
Bad luck! I would ask for a blood test to see why you reacted so badly. If reducing your cholesterol levels is considered really important, then there are other types of statin and different (though more expensive) drugs available.
It seems proven that reducing LDL cholesterol significantly prevents atherosclerosis (i.e. stiffened blocked arteries), I was thinking that if I had reacted as badly as you, it might be worth asking if there were any liver enzyme tests to see if the cause of the serious reaction could be found.
Statins are metabolised by liver enzymes but there are different groups of statins with each being metabolised completely differently. As well as differences in metabolism, there are two basic types of statin, each group being absorbed differently. Metabolism and absorption can impact side effects a great deal, it seems from studies, so using a different statin could get your cholesterol down safely after a blood test has allowed you to choose a safe one (without trial and error).
thank you, that makes sense. I react to many things, especially chemicals & meds. Think my card is marked at the survey and at the pharmacy the pharmacists identifies me to other staff as the ‘potato starch lady’ 🤣 X
Hi, Like you I am suspicious of statins. I was recommended benecol by a doc who said it worked at lowering cholesterol, so I take that everyday as a drink or on cereal. My cholesterol in Nov was 4.1 which is fine.
Mine was 4 2Learn & GP pushed for a statin because of my P-Afib! I declined. The older GP completely understood why.... He's now retire..... The younger GP said you'll have a heart attack if you dont take it in 20yrs!! Such a forecast!! Given I'll be late 80s by then I wasn't really bothered.... Besides which I doubt any GP who forecasts a stroke that far ahead!! Crystal ball indeed!! 🤣She also told me I'd die if I stopped another treatment.... Bogus information again having talked to the specialist..... Except she is right in the sense I will die at some point... Lol. 🙄
I felt like you on teh first statin I was given but having already had a heart attack I was keen to try another. Atorvastatin was awful for me. Simvastatin is absolutely fine. Find out your exact cholesterol levels and ask for it to be checked every 3 months. If it doesn't go down with diet and supplements please consider trying another statin. Like you I have inflammatory conditions including fibro , degenerative disc disease, arthritis, spondilo listhesis and peripheral neuropathy.For me simvastatin had had no effect on any of them. I am in pain 24/7 but it's no different than it was.
it’s very difficult because there is so much ‘out there’ with conflicting views, plausible supporting evidence and results or risks of eating this that or the other. I know my body doesn’t like meat of most kinds, doesn’t like gluten, dairy, eggs .,…… but something is out of whack. I definitely cannot eat any of the nightshade family, otherwise I consume a ton of varied veggies, occasional fish occasional chicken, no alcohol, no refined products (or rarely - maybe the odd biscuit or piece of cake if I havnt anything home made left) so where do I go from here?
good plan, I used to eat so much sweet stuff 20 odd years ago, but managed to stop and eat better. However, salted peanuts or cold sausages are my downfall! So I have substituted peanut butter, and, much to my husbands disgust, when I feel the craving (not often nowadays) I have a small teaspoon of peanut butter 🤣 - crunchy, of course! 🤪……. Now where is that teaspoon?
Craving for sweet and salty snacks can be a sign of adrenal disfunction. Your diet seems lacking in protein the way yoh describe it. Plant protein is harder to assimilate than animal protein .
Do you know if you have been treated in the past with any Fluoroquinolone antibiotics? These can have devastating systemic side effects which can be delayed resulting in severe gut disruption and muscular skeletal problems . It can take years to recover and some people never do. Many people who have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia have actually been poisoned by these very dangerous antibiotics which were dished out like sweeties in the 90s and noughties often for minor infections.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Statins and AF
Statins ....
Update
Constant Ectopics. How to live.
My AF Journey and Statins ?
