statins and help : i gave up smoking... - British Heart Fou...

British Heart Foundation

50,164 members31,662 posts

statins and help

basten profile image
25 Replies

i gave up smoking after restarting 2 to 4 a day after non for years ..so i get real hungry ate craved biscuits cake tarts crumbles all high sugar.,. my hb1c is pre at 43. but I've put on stone weight tummy due to antidepressant . plus. bloat out eating them and keep falling asleep or trying hard to stay awake..eating them..i never eat much fruit as have gastritis and most too acidic and gives me pain not keen on fruit anyway ..eggs bread constipates me and cant do dairy cheese fatty foods.

i did a home stool test and it said very high levels of sugar and fat suggesting malabsorbortion.. my hb1c was 41 before but thought after months of eating all the cakes biscuits etc i thought it would have been much higher than 43. told gp and she didnt say anything .Im confused as whats going on

elastase ok and thyroid ok,good cholesterol good, bad cholerestrol slightly raised so prescribed me statins said if muscles ache stop them. Im worried ill react to them. totally confused . must stop eating crumbles etc yes but why fall asleep and bloat eating them?

.is my insulin making me fall asleep ? A stool tests says high levels sugar and fat!. doctor no clue gastro don't see till feb. seen cardiologist have heart murmur and aortic stenosis . asked if i smoked i said used to for years. please dont again. i never said i had been but gp knows , (5 months 3 or 4 a day on and off couple weeks ) got short of breath so stoped a month ago but nurse did a blood test and something re heart is raised so gp writing to cardiologist asking if another eco should be done as he said not do another until 4 years time and I'm 74. i dont know why i fall asleep eating even 3 crackers efc and bloat..and why stool tests suggest malabsortion of sugar and fat.

Written by
basten profile image
basten
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
25 Replies
Lowerfield_no_more profile image
Lowerfield_no_more

You have exhibited a great deal of self discipline by giving up smoking. As a former smoker from many years ago I know how hard that can be. And just as smoking and nicotine are an addiction the same goes for sugar. So I suggest you now show that same self discipline and reduce, or better cut out, sugary snacks and foods, like cakes, biscuits, sweets and cola drinks etc, and stay determined that you will not go back. Not only will you lose weight, which will help you feel less tired, but you will feel less bloated since the sugar you have previously included in your diet will not be fermenting away inside you.

BeKind28- profile image
BeKind28-

Hello :-)

I cannot add more than Lowerfield_no_more has said except any sugars you have in your body stay there for 3 months so you can stop eating cakes etc but it will take 3 months for the sugars to leave your body

Also be careful of foods that you feel are not sweet but may contain a lot of sugar like white rice and bread start looking at the sugar content in all foods as you will be surprised what some can contain they can be as bad as eating a cake

Well done in stopping smoking I know how hard that is to you know what you need to try and do and I am sure you will be able to do it :-)

It will not be to long till Feb and hopefully you will start to get some answers when you have your appointment

Let us know how you get on :-) x

basten profile image
basten in reply to BeKind28-

ok thanks. dont know why i can hardly stay awake when eat n..guess its insulin ..also have tinnitus and affectesd my other things. thanjs people

BeKind28- profile image
BeKind28- in reply to basten

Hello :-)

Are your sugars well controlled with the insulin if your sugars are still high that could make you sleepy as well as other medications

Once you have been to your appointment hopefully they will run tests and be able to give you some answers as to why you are feeling this way

I really hope they do and look forward to hearing how you get on :-) x

basten profile image
basten in reply to BeKind28-

thanks..

BeKind28- profile image
BeKind28- in reply to basten

:-) x

basten profile image
basten in reply to BeKind28-

im not on anything.prediabetic..my bad cholesterol is a bit raised so given statins .good cholesterol is good..i dont have any diabetic appts just blood test showed something elevated re heart so doctor writing to cardio who gave me an echo when i was in hospital 2 leg ops in 3 weeks. saw cardio 6 weeks later said heart murmur abd aortic stenosis told him been a smoker . didnt say i had had some after non for years .he said so another echo in 4 years wrs time unless i get pains etc. But as blood test showed something re heart elevated she writing to ask if another echo would be good idea as she jnows ive smoked ..The weight gain is from antidepressant....it must be insulin as if eat a biscuit custard tarts crackers crumble before anything else i get so sleepy and bloated..if eat after chicken veg dinner not tired but still bloated .

so have brought a SIBO kit to check . i dont like fruit. apples bloat me... dont eat bread eggs as clog me up slow bowel.. did stool test at home said high levels sugar and fat..thats what i dont understand.. i rarely eat rice pasta buscuits tarts crumbles , maybe a pudding if go out. on holiday i ate icecream cake decaf cappachinos , a smalll salad , just one meal of white fish cougette leaks , some pastries nuts , no pain as on antidep which stopped pain eating , went to bm 2 x day unusual for me formed but very light colour . always had laxatives due ti meds..but i was bloated everyday and so much gas awful smell..

then later for some reason started to smoke after nin for years. 4 months wirh breaks in between .,3 or 4 a day. stooped as so breathless and tired..thats when nurse at doctors request did blood test . thyroid OK , not aneamic prediabetic was 41 now 43. and bad cholesterol slightly raised hence given statins .test again in 3 months. Yes will have to cut out stuff i never hardly eat . cant do yoghurts coconut spicey red meat garlic onion juice oranges cos gastritis esophagitis . which of course cigs made everything painful despite still taking the antidep. eased a lot now eating but not as good as before smoked . my stupid fault.

also cigs affected med i take for sleep years . too late took as prescribed never knew what were till much much later .even tho stopped cigs a month still affecting sleep med and very very constipated so need more laxatives .then just d..,gp knows gastro knows not interested as fit test ok. . i never gad statins before and read bad things about them and doc did say if calf muscles ache etc ti stop them . basically im a mess. . I don't eat breakfast .meds knock me out till late.

BeKind28- profile image
BeKind28- in reply to basten

Hello :-)

It seems you have a few things that need sorting out keep pushing your Doctors till they do but wait and see what happens at this appointment and if you are not happy you can always ask for a second opinion :-) x

basten profile image
basten in reply to BeKind28-

they dont have answers . my usual gp knows everythjng as i write it all down and hand it to reception .,when a test shows nothing despite symptoms im labelled with somatisation . saw a neurologist 21 when tapered zopiclone which caused weak legs arms bed a lot..gave me a couple tests looked on screen oh i see you bave somatisation , you have what we call functional neorogicol disorder FND yes i said ok but its since tapering a med. so thats in my notes now . spoke in a zoom meeting where people off or coming off meds , said all been told same..

BeKind28- profile image
BeKind28- in reply to basten

Hello :-)

I am sorry to hear this I do hope things improve for you :-) x

Grassmower profile image
Grassmower

I suggest having a drug review with your GP. Also read the leaflet that comes with them, especially the antidepressent. A quick google shows they can cause flatulence which will cause bloating. Fatique or drowsiness is also a side effect of antidepreasants in up to 10% of people taking them.

I suggest you research antidepressants as they can have side effects, can be hard to withdraw from and according to some researchers are not very effective.

I also suggest asking the GP what blood test shows something raised and what the concern is? I have raised troponin levels which can indicate heart damage but they are stable over time so do not indicate anything serious. So maybe you have something that is raised but not serious? It sounds like you might need to know a bit more to know if it worth worrying about or not.

I hope cardidology come through with the follow up tests.

Apart from that you sound quite healthy.

basten profile image
basten in reply to Grassmower

thanks. no feel awful.. im on diazepam.6 yrs for sleep ..its inhumane hell to get off....the cigs affected it..still same .def no sugar or fruit even..take meds still awake 3 hrs later in pain .legs feet wont keep still .fall asleep wake and legs feet even worse..lots frothy sputum slime ..nose part blocked. was ok on escalopram till smokes.

bloating could be SIBO.

THats it now, sooo many people suffering months years no sleep trying to get off.worse once off.. tried 3 x..pain eating awful all.in back.to.bottom.all day.agrophobic..again legs wont keep still ..its not the antidep .. its my fault never knew that cigs would affect diazepam. noone can help.all gp can say is so sorry . i never knew what they were till 2020 ..

noone understands ..not even my kind children..

thankyou all anyway..ive had enough and now heart thing . goodbye and thanks everyone

Grassmower profile image
Grassmower in reply to basten

some of your problems could be diazepam which is a benzdiazepine. There are good guides to withdrawal online. I suggest asking your GP if he is aware of the Ashton Manual for benzodiazepine withdrawal and have a look online for help with benzo withdrawal.

basten profile image
basten in reply to Grassmower

yes they are the prob but nit the heart issue..i am with fb groups. everything i mostky have is what others have..no the excess saliva spit..too late now if handt smoked wouldnt have been un thus mess. Sent doc loads info . i know re Ashton manual..i have had a taper plan from a man whose done loads for hundreds people..since 2020..tried 3 x eating unbearable. some get it some dont. but no ine get all the sxcess salivation frothy spit..etc..now i am peeing more whuch people get tapering etc and im not . its tolerance... have no friends. son cimes sometimes..daughter single no kids has problems.at mo..

some people get protracted withdrawals last longer than 18 minths. can cause up to 100 symptoms affect everything gaba receptors

from head to toe..maybe ill be lucky and drop dead froom heart attack and that would solve everything. doctors ohychs sadly dont jnow the half. been polly drugged years for depression. never felt like this.. they are poison and worse than heroine cocaine to come off.

most people like me trusted doctors took as prescribed and like me never told anything. thanks its a lonely journey 😢

Grassmower profile image
Grassmower in reply to basten

Yes, it's a very lonely world, trying to escape psychciatric drugging. It is a world I am very familiar with. I never take any drug these days without checking out the side effects and I do a lot of research. I think the mental health provision is rubbish and often harmful. You have my sympathy.

basten profile image
basten in reply to Grassmower

yes service is bad ..lots places help for alcoholics none for phych meds..i had bad reactiin to trazidonr. in psych ward..were going to ct me off 1mg clonazepam zopiclone amitryp ..amitryp had stopped pain eating they agreed but reduced my 1 clon (equive to 20 diaz)to 0.5 clon.. 4 weeks 1st ever awful panic attacks 3 a day so wrong yet psych had 25 years experience !! said i blame your doctors.. no good too late now i deeply reget smoking never knew theyd diaz.. wish there was a group here for people like me suffering on or off them .fb groups helpes but too traumatising .

Grassmower profile image
Grassmower in reply to basten

You have my sympathy, psychiatry is the pits.

basten profile image
basten in reply to Grassmower

have you been on meds and suffered ? yes they are and get paid for subscribing ..

Grassmower profile image
Grassmower in reply to basten

No, I was involved in campaigning against the excesses of psychiatry and ran a mental health consutlancy for a while. I read extensively on these issues.

basten profile image
basten in reply to Grassmower

benzoes should be banned. many in usa doctors refuse to re subscribe them. theres more interest campaigns therr now but too late for many likr me..they give them then when suffering cant help. cant blame docs for restating cigs tho . never knew theyd affect diaz.but tried 3 x to taper awful.pain eating 1st symptom.. thankyou. i hate wakjng up . loads frothy sputom saliva awful taste. every morning . still severely constipated.gp said smoking can cause but i think its the benzo..😔😘

Grassmower profile image
Grassmower in reply to basten

Its probably not too late but you would need specialist help.

basten profile image
basten in reply to Grassmower

heart murmur aortic stenosis..

Jedx profile image
Jedx

Hi Basten

Well l have similar issues with bread and biscuits l get bloated and very sleepy. After my heart surgery late 2022 l have struggled with tiredness only to discover l was very anaemic. Then l was tested for coeliac and bingo my blood results were 6+higher than they should be anaemia happens due to malabsorption of quite a lot of nutrients with coeliac maybe it might be worth having a blood test for it. The gluten free alternatives are readily available although more expensive still why don’t you try some g/f bread and see whether you feel not so bloated? I am now living the g/f life forever.

Good on you for giving the cigs away.

basten profile image
basten in reply to Jedx

hello glad yiu better . befire xmas not aneamic . was tested years ago for coeliac . doubt if gp will do anither. never bloated on cake etc before . did buy some gluten free buscuits..same. thankyou

basten profile image
basten in reply to Jedx

ive written and asked re coeliac thanks to her

You may also like...

Statins and the Liver

impacted on the liver so stopped taking them but cholesterol is high so now on Ezetimbie. Has...

Alternative to Statins?

Statins and hair loss

very upset and confused ..cardiologist now saying its normal for someone my age I'm 57 I eat...

Statin and liver damage?

and had a lot of blood tests, I’m on 40 mg of atorvastatin. And have been on them for nearly a year...

Statins and joint pain