Anxiety is back as bad as ever

[Calm2]

Hi all, not doing well at all lately regarding anxiety. I know the reason but that doesn’t help. I have recently been told that I’m pre diabetic and that I have CKD both thought to be due to heart meds. Then the other day, out of the blue, another call from surgery regarding cholesterol results. All these diagnoses were from bloods taken last June! Latest call was to tell me I needed added meds along side statins to see if they could bring my cholesterol down. Total cholesterol 4.9 of which 3.6 is the bad stuff, it’s terrified me and bought back all the old anxious feelings I had for so long. I have spoken to dr regarding why I’m only finding out now? His response was that those results in someone who had never had heart problems would be fine but because I had a mild HA 5 yrs ago they try and treat it hence being put on Ezetimibe 10mg alongside my statin. I wondered if anyone else is on this and if it helped lower cholesterol? Thanks for reading this.

[Lowerfield_no_more]

At my request I was recently put in Ezetimibe in addition to 80mg Atorvastatin which I have been taking for nearly 6 years and had never really managed to get my total cholesterol down below about 4.5. Over a few weeks it has reduced my cholesterol down to about 3.8, so I am pleased with that. It's worth noting I had a total cholesterol of over 9 when I was first tested in my early 50s, so must have been living with very high cholesterol for nearly half a century! I was then put on 40mg Atorvastatin and this got my cholesterol down to about 5.5. where it stayed for about 15 years or so until my dose was upped nearly 6 years ago following a very mild HA. Anyway if any of this helps reduce your anxiety so much the better, namely I have lived with very high cholesterol for many years and, compared to some, high cholesterol for the remainder, but I am still here, have only had one heart related incident and still live a full life.

[Calm2 in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Oh thank you so much for your reply 🥹Yes you have made me realise that it’s not the death sentence my mind keeps thinking it is! Thank you for taking the time to respond I appreciate it so much and it has helped me. X

[Calm2 in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

The only thing that still bothers me is the fact that the overall cholesterol in our blood isn’t focussed on anymore and it’s just the bad cholesterol that is looked at . My sister had overall cholesterol of 7.8 but only 1.3 of that was bad whereas my overall amount was 4.9 but bad 3.6?

[Lowerfield_no_more in reply to Calm2]

If the statin and with it Ezetimibe cannot consistently reduce your LDL below 2.6 then you might be eligible for Inclisiran which is administered via a periodic injection, and is approved by NICE and the NHS. I suggest you discuss this with your GP when the results of your Ezetimibe addition are known, assuming your LDL remains above 2.6.

[Hidden]

Hi hope you are doing better today. Every one is different so different types of statins impact people differently. I personally had great results on rosuvastatin just 5 mg daily or every other day brought my total Cholesterol to 3.8 and LDL to 2 without any side effects. But exercise and control on diet is critical statins alone cannot work. I suggest you to watch your diet and take daily walks/ exercise. Try including more fibers in your diet take Psyllium husk. Good luck

[devonian186]

There are a huge number of people here who have anxiety that is causing them problems and exacerbate their existing condition.

Is there a separate section on this site whereby people could express their concerns and draw strength from the experience of others? It often seems to be a condition that the medics are often dismissive of.

[Deejay62]

Hi yes I’ve just started Ezetimibe but I’m not on a statin my body cannot tolerate it. I’m having a blood test in December, I will find out if it’s working.

[Carercmb]

The good news is you have started medication.

Your cholesterol is much lower than mine and mine was untreated all through the epidemic ( the excuse given)

You should have good results in a few months which will give you confidence going forward.

Anxiety comes out of the blue, I had this when I had a phone call 9 pm at night from my GP to say my kidney function was unexpectedly very low. Further tests were done

I stressed unnecessarily because the next tests came back normal.I now tell myself that worrying will not change the results .

Listening to music helps, keeping busy and meeting up with family and friends who lift your spirits.

I hope this helps.

[Insert]

I can understand how you feel, now you’ve got the facts you need to view them in a different way. You have the opportunity to change those facts, with medication and lifestyle changes you can minimise unwanted outcomes, enabling you to live a full and happy life. When you take control you’re anxiety will lessen, sounds easy I know but it works. You are in charge of your own destiny.

[Calm2 in reply to Insert]

Thank you that makes so much sense

[Goldiocks]

Hi I am on both Atorvastatin and Ezetimibe to lower my cholesterol. It has done the job I was nearly 6 total and had a heart attack 15 months ago. now after 15 months on these drugs I am down to total 3.7. The bad stuff LDL is 1.8. I also am pre diabetic possibly due to the statin drug Atorvastatin. I attended cardio rehab which is exercise designed for heart patients. I think the exercise has contributed to lowering my bad stuff. I also have lost weight, not by dieting but eating good wholefoods and lowering my carbs. I lost 6 kilos in about 12 months. I feel really good. I had a few grotty days when I first went on the Ezetimibe but my body has accepted it now. I also had anxiety, I think the exercise has helped with that massively, plus the wholefoods. I cut out all the processed foods, I read that processed foods can actually cause anxiety because of all the additives in them. It does work but it takes time . Take care of yourself Best Wishes

[Calm2 in reply to Goldiocks]

Thank you so much for responding. The replies on here help so much more than the drs🙂

[maryduffy]

Hi, I've had high cholesterol since it was first diagnosed at 45. As I had severe side effects from statins I only took them for a short while. I'm now 72 ...in very good health and still working full time although my cholesterol is still high. I'm not recommending this by any means and my GP doesn't know what to make of it