I've just got off the phone with a doctor as I want to come off my statins now my cholesterol level is normal and try to control it via a drug free route (any helpful info here would be useful!). She was very nice but after saying the 'recommendations' (a word she used a lot) for someone with angina - me - is to take statins she couldn't tell me why even though I asked 2 or 3 times. As far as my understanding goes - and she didn't correct me when I said this - is the statins reduce cholesterol to help stop plaque forming in the arteries, if I can control the levels why do I still need to take the statins? I have found since being on them that I've gained weight (controversial I know but I have!) and have more joint pain and muscle aches and heaviness (she has arranged a blood test to check my CK levels but thinks it will come back normal) as well as having days I feel drained of energy. We have compromised with her lowering my dose from 80mg which is apparently the highest level of tolerance, to 20mg and see how I go.
Can anyone tell me what statins do apart from lower cholesterol please?
As for the other question, I've now forgotten it, haha!!
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That's good to know, hopefully it helps with mine too.This is where I'm confused a little, isn't it the cholesterol that causes the plaque and therefore if I keep the levels down I keep the plaque at bay? I've certainly upped my exercise but am finding it difficult as my muscles are not only 'weak' during the exercises but I get bad aches later in the day.
I don't want to get into a debate about the pros and cons of statins. It's your body, your health, and as far as I'm concerned you can do whatever you choose.
Personally I'll keep taking statins, but my reasoning has very little to do with lipids as my cholesterol levels are in the safe zone.
The two reasons I take statins is firstly that they seem to lower inflammation, and secondly that when taken in conjunction with an ACE Inhibitor such as Ramipril they seem to stabilise arterial plaque, reducing the risk of the plaque rupturing and thereby causing heart attack. Interestingly this benefit does not seem to occur when statins are taken either on their own, or in conjunction with the ARB's that many people take because they have problems with ACE Inhibitors.
I judge these two benefits to be worth the muscle fatigue that statins sometimes cause me. Better that than a heart attack.
I don't want to start one either, I was reading a heated one the other day!I like to understand things, like why I need to take a particular drug, and the doctor just couldn't seem to answer my query.
I wonder about the inflammation for me as my joints have really started playing up the last few weeks which I've read can be a side effect.
Ah ok, now that's the answer I was looking for! It makes sense now but I'm afraid I have no clue what an ARB or ACE inhibitor is so will need to look that up.
If I can find a happy balance between keeping the plaque stable on a low a dose as possible and the least amount of muscle fatigue I'll be a happy bunny.
Statins also reduce inflammation and stabilise even small areas of plaque.
Statins are important to help the inner lining of the blood vessels- endothelium work properly.
If you have angina this is important.
It's not just about the cholesterol level.
Diet, exercise, not smoking, stress management, pollution, genetics, being diabetic or other health problems such as kidney disease, arthritis and autoimmune diseases all play their part as well.
Heart UK provides some information as well as the BHF about how to reduce your cholesterol levels.
Thank you Milkfairy, this is the sort of answer I was trying to get from the doctor but she just didn't seem to know! I've not had the chance to talk to anyone since my phone diagnosis in November so am just feeling my way in the dark.Now I have a better understanding on what the statins do, apart from lower cholesterol, I am happier to take them but I still want to try the lower dose first and then if needed go up.
I don't smoke or drink, have a stress free life - on the whole! - live in the country and am otherwise healthy apart from possible a little arthritis, though that has only been in recent months while on the meds so who knows!
Thank you for the link, I shall go and have a read. 😊
Cardiologist put me on 80mg statin .At my first appt with the GP afterwards he immediately reduced it to 40mg when I said I was fine apart from stiff joints. He said “that’s easily remedied “ and he was right , no more stiff achey joints. I wasn’t too happy about him reducing it without an ok from cardiologist though but didn’t say anything. That was 4 years ago and I’ve been fine thankfully.
The doctor did say I could reduce to 40mg but I thought I'd go down to 20mg and then if needed go up. I'm hoping I will start to feel better but still have the full benefits! When first diagnosed the dose was 20mg but the cardiac nurse put it up, that was before any tests and my x-ray and echo have both been good so hopefully 20mg will be ok for me too.I've yet to see a cardiologist and the way our surgery works it's pot luck which GP you get to speak to - I seem to get a different one each time! - so there is the risk they will contradict each other and what they think is best for me, I just want to speak to 1 person who knows what they're talking about!
Yea that would certainly help ! Can you not ask to have an appointment with a particular dr? Hopefully the 20 mg will be ok for you and then after a while you can try without. I’m in that situation in my surgery in that the doc I get put with says NO to everything and so I then have to ring the surgery and speak to the duty dr who after I explained, prescribed what I wanted which in that case was a Ventolin evohaler as I had twice that night been struggling, desperately trying to breath which was so scary. The other doc had put me on Ventolin accuhaler which is fine but no good in an emergency. We just want to be registered with a go who will listen and try to keep us alive. All mine wanted was for me to sign a DNR and as I refused I can’t help wondering if that’s why he is so unhelpful now! Surely not! 😆
We have just had a 'super surgery' built and they have now decided you can't ask for a particular doctor which is a real mystery to me, especially for a long term serious condition like a heart problem! I have written a complaint letter but I doubt it will make any difference. It was explained by a lovely receptionist why they do it this way now but it still doesn't make sense, especially if I am willing to wait a few days to speak to the doctor I want to! I've had some indifferent doctors and a couple that don't have a clue, 1 I very nearly lost my cool with!! I just hope when I need to physically see a doctor I can choose to have a female or I really will get cross! We are thinking of trying to transfer to a little country practice instead of the city one and maybe then I'll get a good doctor I can keep!Oh my goodness, I hope that's not how they operate but sometimes I do wonder .....
Sounds crazy to me! Maybe some doctors are much more popular than others and as a result the good ones were overloaded with work whilst the rest twiddled their thumbs lol. Continuity is a key when it comes to serious ailments in my opinion. I used to see a regular doc who knew me but he transferred to Edinburgh 6 months before the pandemic started and since then it’s been pot luck and as a result I’ve stayed away. If anything gets too bad I have my rescue packs and apart from emergency’s which are rare thankfully, I ring the duty doc... who gave me the Ventolin I needed. Lol thinking about it I feel abandoned almost as I never hear from the practice respiratory nurse or have my type 2 diabetes checked .... same nurse for both. A lot of people will be in the same situation. 😁
It's ridiculous as it's the same doctors just all in 1 building, well that's not true, there are still 3 or 4 others that stayed open but all appointments etc go through the main surgery. I was basically told it's because doctors can get called away at any time, surely you have a set of doctors for appointments and a set for emergencies so everyone knows what they're doing each day and we can then choose our doctor! I so agree, continuation of care is very important for serious conditions.
I know what you mean about feeling abandoned. I was phone diagnosed told here take these meds and that was it from the surgery. I've had 1 call from the hospital cardiac unit nurse and that was to fill in forms. That's why I'm so grateful for this forum, I've learnt so much! ☺️
Yes , me too! I knew virtually nothing when I came across this forum. I’ve learnt so much since. It’s reassuring to hear how others cope and their experiences. 😄
I find revolving door gps frustrating, you spend most of your time explaining your medical history. Ask around with your friends. Hope you find someone you can relate to. Take care.
That's the problem isn't it, you start from scratch each time as ours certainly don't read the history before hand and even then they don't know about the stuff you've said that wasn't written down.
My husband had quadrupole bypass 7 years ago, not for blocked arteries but because they were naturally narrow. He also has ectopic heartbeats. He was automatically put on statins even though his cholesterol was under 5He has always been super fit and lives a busy life but the past year aches and pains and excessive ectopic pulled him down physically and mentally.Our doctors support is useless so we researched and he stopped the statins. 3 weeks later he left better than for ages and his biceps had increased by one and half inches and the ectopics had all but vanished. He has a very low fat diet and is using plant sterols. Our aim is to have a private cholesterol test after 4 months and monitor it that way. Our gp has no idea of these changes but sometimes you have to think of quality of life!
I've been looking at plant sterols and other natural means - like diet - to keep my cholesterol down but I'm aware now that the statins do more than just regulate cholesterol, which makes me hesitant to come off them completely, and I easily found that out by doing a little research, the gp I spoke to didn't seem to have any idea! We have talked about going private just for a few months to try to get answers and get the meds sorted and actually speak to a specialist about all this! I think it's finding the balance, quality of life needs to be considered and I think sometimes gps forget that.
Like you I have been on 80mg (Altorvastatin) and I have got fed up with all the aches and pains which may be attributed to this pill. Prior to heart attack I was on 40mg Simvastatin for years. Didn’t stop me having a heart attack but I don’t remember the aches and pains being so bad.Two weeks ago I agreed with the Cardiologist to change to a much lower dose of Rosuvastatin (20mg). Still waiting for the hopeless NHS system to effectively communicate this to my GP / surgery but I am hoping to see an improvement when I eventually change.
As I understand it (and I don’t fully) this new statin is broken down by water in the body while Altorvastatin is broken down by fats? Something like that. Bottom line - hopefully the side effects will lessen!!
I was originally put on 20mg by my gp but the cardiac nurse who phoned from the hospital cardiac unit to go through a form with me upped it to 80mg and it then took 2-3 wks of me phoning back and forth between them to get the prescription filled!
That's interesting about the Rosuvastatin and worth mentioning to ...... whoever I next speak to! ...... if they decide the 20mg or even 40mg is too low for me to take. I do think they just hand out whatever statin they favour sometimes, or any other drug, without really thinking about what suits a patient best and even with side effects they just say you have to keep taking it to lower your risk, the gp I spoke to didn't even consider a change of tablet.Hope the new statin works for you, when you eventually get it!
The point is - they are supposed to review things and they rarely, if ever, do. (And that was true before Covid - so the usual Covid excuse won't wash!)
I have actually been put on 10Mg Rosuvastatin in place of 80Mg Altorvastatin. Reading the leaflet, I can take this at any time of day, so will take it in the morning - (was always told to take Altorvastatin last thing at night).
Will see how it goes but I guess it might be a couple of weeks before any benefits might show.
Oh I know, I was 'told off' by a doctor for taking too many migraine tablets and yet she had been the one fulfilling each prescription month after month, I was told the gp only did the review as the 'powers that be' at the practice had said they needed to review everyone! I was put on a preventative but then came off it, all was good for a while but the migraines started getting more frequent so I saw a different gp who didn't have a clue, couldn't find my notes to see what I had been on and basically told me to do whatever 'I' thought was best!! Also they just add other meds without actually thoroughly reading notes about what else is or has been taken, any side effects etc I know they have limited time with patients but it doesn't instill confidence! I was handed meds after a phone diagnosis without any info on when to take, what I can't have with meds - certain antacids, cough meds etc - and basically left to fend for myself, I ended up in A&E 3 days after diagnosis and I'm sure it was mostly anxiety (all tests were fine and I've been fine since!) because I'd been researching things myself and got myself overly worried.
Yes - frankly some of these 'professionals' are very unprofessional.
Theoretically your GP is responsible for your care but some GP's are good and some are bad.
In any case they rarely do anything without referring to any specialist you are under like the Cardiologist - so you might just as well be dealing directly with the cardiologist. My GP is useless so I try and avoid her.
They are indeed, I tend to find if I do get a good one they soon leave the practice .... don't think there's a connection! 😉I'm looking forward to the day I get to speak to an actual cardiologist!
Well I figured the only way I would get to speak to a real live cardiologist face to face was to pay for a private consultation. Funny how quickly that could be arranged once money was on the table. It is happening June 4th so will soon know if it was worth it.Can’t be bothered with the NHS telephone appointments. They need to end those.
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