I had a call from my GP surgery about taking statins.Apparently my cholesterol is okay but I have a 38% risk of having a stroke or heart attack.
Even though I take anticoagulant statins work in a different way and are recommended for me as I am in persistent afib
I do not want to take statins but wondered what you fellow afibbers think of statins and if you are happy to take them
My surgery sent an email ( was sent to all patients) asking if I would like to take a statin and I politely declined, why would I volunteer to take an unnecessary drug that potentially will give me horrible side effects.
This is very common. Here in UK doctors get bonus points for the conversation. Its your body you choose.
No I am not prepared to take statins, risks for me far outweigh any benefit.
I am not happy with the incentivised scheme to blanket prescribing.
No I am not! I am offered them regularly and always politely decline, but am inwardly annoyed that GPs are incentivised to offer them. I had very high cholesterol which improved once I was on adequate thyroid medication! (There’s a link). I have permanent AF.
Much has been written about statins/cholesterol if you want to bother reading up. Try Malcolm Kendrick, (a British GP), or Sinatra and Bowden, (American, a cardiologist and a nutritionist).
I was recommended for statins and declined. My cholesterol is ok. I do not want to take another life-long pill with possible side effects. It’s a personal decision and one which l wouldn’t go into lightly. Take care.
I would love to go off of them, but even with my pacemaker anticoagulant, etc. my cardiologist wants me on them because that’s a whole other problem as far as possible blockage and buildup. Just like when it comes to anti coagulants You don’t want to wait until it’s too late and then say I should’ve taken them. My statins make me ache in my joints and it has for several years. at my last visit with my cardiologist, I asked him if they had anything new in statins to get rid of that. He told me not really they are pretty much all the same. He’s very down to earth whatever causes the ache must also help and what the medication should be doing. My primary had mentioned he’d love to take me off that but he knows my Cardiologist would not be happy and would put me right on. It’s not an expensive drug so they’re not getting rich from it. There’s got to be a reason. I have come this far , a year after my pace and and ablate feeling like a normal person. no way am I taking any chances of messing up the way I feel.
Thanks. We are all different and have different problems so it is a personal decision. Everyone has the right to decide. If they are preventing you from further illness then that is good. Take care.
that is very true some things we have no way of knowing until it happens. I had no warnings of a fib. I woke up facedown on my concrete floor one night then I actually blacked out a second time and went backwards into the bathroom on the floor. You don’t always get a phone call text or telegram as others have said to you here it’s up to you. I would just think about the consequences if you suddenly had a blood clot or something something of people ask care just really can be answered because we are all different. We can have the same thing present itself in a totally different way , I was unable to walk for six months. All I could do is shuffle to get to the bathroom the minute I stood up I would have crushing chest pains and could not breathe. I was tachycardia from day of being diagnosed usually up around 170 or higher.
If sounds as if you have been through lots, and it’s good you have come to this point and now being looked after properly. You can pass out with AF. My friend’s son did the same. There is nothing we can do with what life throws at us only hope for better days ahead and take each day as it comes. The human body has a remarkable way of self healing with a little TLC. I wish you well.
that was the way I was introduced to a fib by waking up on the floor one night. We won’t even talk about what it did to my teeth. The floor is concrete or wise. And then I blacked out again. I had several blackouts in the beginning welcome to a fib, no warning
statins work in a different way
Statins are often recommended when the LDL (bad) chloesterol is above 100mg. (there may be different levels considered high). Your overall cholesterol may be within limits but the "bad" cholesterol is key.
As you mention, high LDL chloesterol increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, plaque in the arteries, and coronary heart disease. Note "increase the risk" not "cause".
As mentioned above, it is your decision. Do research and decide.
When i was diagnosed with AF, I received a letter telling me the same about stroke and statins. I couldn't take the first ones they gave me. I had a lot of pain with while taking them. I'm taking a different one now and I'm ok with that one. My cholesterol was not high. I take it to be on the safe side.
Consider any comorbidities, lifestyle and if OK question the statistic's relevance to you.
Statins
statins
Statins and AF
statins/coq10/methotrexate
Statins
