Following my last post about atorvastatin I've tried several times to get it changed after not taking it for 2 weeks & trying a smaller dose & so on . It's been suggested I take another tablet along with the lower dose ( the lower dose made no difference with the side effects ) I really don't want to be taking an additional tablet . I've been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism all of a sudden which means more meds ! I'm also struggling with lots of ectopics & it's all really getting me down , I feel awful & just plain sad all the time ! I don't have anyone else to tell who might understand ☹️
Atorvastatin : Following my last post... - British Heart Fou...
Atorvastatin
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Helly75
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How long were you on the lower dose? It can take weeks for side-effects to adjust to dosages on some meds (though I'm not familiar with statins).
Hang in there. You are not alone. ❤️
(I'm on so many tablets I don't even think I'd notice another. 🤣)
I'm not sure about the timing , it's all driving me mad ! Just want to not be hobbling about like I'm 90 . I'm so forgetful these days specially with tablets x
Can you get a dosette box? Book an appointment with your pharmacist to go through all your medications. I was told to take some medication in the evening that I was taking in the mornings. It’s well worth having the chat. Good luck
Hi Helly unfortunately statins cause lots of people problems, good news there are so many to be prescribed. So I cannot understand whom is saying they won't change it. Is it because of your other health issues? Your GP has a care of duty so he/she needs to explain to you why this is not being addressed. You must and this is just as important, tell them how your feeling,it sound like your depressed, which may not just be due to your dilemma, but a med you are taking. Your not alone, all of us have been there and someone will always help with advice a kind word or something that will make you smile. 🤗❤
Thank you , I am absolutely depressed, cannot tolerate meds that would help with that ,they seem to bother my heart too lol the irony. Gps tell me to talk to cardiac rehab ,they tell me to go somewhere else but nobody is actually helping ,it's infuriating, I just want some quality of life 🙃
Ask your GP to write to your Cardiac consultant, explaining your concerns and she would like you to have a face to face appointment. Like I mentioned they have a care of duty. Reminder of this. Ask for a copy of her referral letter. You probably don't feel like it but as I once had to do I reported my GP and miraculously a letter was sent and I got an appointment. I hope you get this sorted very soon. Keep positive. 🤗❤
I live in Northern Ireland & within my trust you don't get follow up with a cardiologist, you just go to cardiac rehab ,I find this very strange and frightening to be honest x
Hi, sounds rotten and I know how you feel that you just can’t get to speak to anyone who can help. The cardio rehab is worth doing though. You could ask your doctors for a medication review, may need to just keep plugging away with them as I think these days you need persistence to get seen. You could always see a private cardiologist but this would cost a few hundred pounds. I wasn’t sure if I was still having issues a year after a stent op and a private cardio checked me over and put my mind at rest. Try and write symptoms down in a diary and keep notes on who you are trying to see and what you want to ask. Getting meds and dosages correct are part of your treatment so you have every right to keep asking til they get it correct for you. Good luck!
Good morning, that's a good thing cardiac rehab Cardiac rehab strengthens your heart. It may start with walking down the hallway in the hospital and progress to riding a stationary bike several times a week. But exercise is only one part of a cardiac rehab program. It also includes stress management, nutrition counseling and help managing your chronic conditions. It's a POSITIVE step, I had my HA & stents during the pandemic, I envy all the patients who got this after care. ❤
Hi Helly,Sorry to hear you're having this rough spot. I understand your view about not taking another tablet, because it sounds like you're saying the tablets side effects are making things worse. Depression is a tough condition as well and, if your like me, more tablets make it worse. It becomes a confusing nightmare because these so called trusted doctors keep telling us to keep taking them. Ugh! I'm hoping you can pull through this dilemma and your life makes a turn for the better. All my best!
Thank you so much , things have been pretty awful , a new diagnosis now too which means another medication, my body doesn't know what's happening, I'm losing my hair & my mind it would seem x
Have you started meds for hyperthyroidism yet? Hyperthyroidism can cause mood swings, so it's possible a tablet for that would even things out a bit for you.
Keep courage. You'll get through this.
Yes I was in hospital recently & my daughter brought a letter in which was about my thyroid, I gave it to the Dr & they had an endocrinologist round quickly ,so started the medication pretty sharpish ,it can take a few weeks to work apparently, thank you 😊
hi I couldn’t tolerate atorvastatin at all even a lower dose but there are many out there I found the o ne for me was rosuvastatin. Oh and I also suffered hair loss on atorvaststin. Good luck x
I had an overactive thyroid, many years ago and started losing my hair. It’s one of the effects of the condition. I was put on tablets for it and they put my thyroid back to normal. Not been on any medication for thyroid snce then. Every year they do a blood test for it and it’s been fine, so try not to let it get you down, I’m sure the tablets will help you.
That's frustrating. It sounds really awful right now and I can only imagine the isolation you must be feeling. I'll keep you in my heart and mind.
Yeah it's rough ,my body just decided it was going to become a psychopath when I got into my 40s ,thank you ,I appreciate your kind words x
I'm so glad you can look at this with a bit of humor! I know all about the pyschopathic tendencies of my body! 🤣
and there’s a thyroid forum within health unlocked which you might find beneficial?
Thank you , I'm too scared to look just yet incase there's nothing but horror stories , we've all been through enough over this neck of the woods 🤣
Refuse to keep trying with Atorvastatin and request to start on a low dose of Rosuvastatin to build up from instead.Just tell your GP as you have other new health issues to be treated and you've tried the Atorvastatin long enough you want to change the statin.
If they refuse ask for their medical reason for that in writing as you know other people commonly swap from one statin to another when they have side effects.
What was the other medication?
Was it for your thyroid or another cholesterol lowering medication like Ezetimibe.
Really you are better trying various statins before Ezetimibe as they are more effective.
You only really want to have to use two medications if you have a cholesterol issue that requires both like Familial HyperCholesteroleimia, or use Ezetimibe if you find you can't tolerate statins of any brand.
You must be exhausted so I empathize with you it's a pain having to stand up for yourself with GPs whom act like you don't know anything or feel it's fine to keep using you like a test specimen. Take care , Bee
I am absolutely exhausted, the pain keeps me awake for days on end ,then the ectopics I'm having aswell , will have to just try again with the gp x
Until your thyroid condition gets back under control it will be causing a lot of your symptoms.It also causes you to feel more depressed and to get brain fog and not feeling in control of sorting things out will make those symptoms worse.
Have they done a full panel of nutrient blood tests for you or just the thyroid panel?
It's especially important for them to do your full blood count, kidney function ( electrolytes) , liver function, ferritin/ iron. Vitamin B12 , Folate , Vitamin D and Magnesium.
You can ask your GP to do this as part of your monitoring on the NHS because of how these results can affect how well managed your cardiac and thyroid conditions are.
It's best not to be taking any vitamin supplements for 4-7 days when you have the tests for accurate results.
Get a copy of the results don't just rely on them saying "normal" which they will even if your results are only just in range.
That generally means you are insufficient and that still makes your symptoms worse, and can be a contributing cause of things like hair loss , fatigue , palpitations, numb limbs and chronic pain.
With those results and a copy of your thyroid results you can tailor your diet and any supplements, if you need them , to what will work best to help you manage your conditions.
Ask your GP to contact cardiac rehab for a more urgent review.
There is a thyroid forum on HU , but it might be a bit heavy or confusing to join until you've got used to your condition a little. Feel free to message me if you need a chat or some info , I'll help if I can . Hugs , Bee
You have a choice and there are other statins out there! I couldn't take atorvastin as it affected my liver- although they said it would be fine I told them I wasn't prepared to put liver at risk! There is a med called ezetimibe which is not a statin but it helps reduce cholesterol,I'm now on rosuvastatin 10mg and so far no side effects that affect my quality of life! The drs just see high this or that but quality of life is important if you have to live with medical problems
They are actually making it sound like do what we say or clear off ,I just want some quality of life & some sleep.
If you're not happy tell them you're going to stop them,they'll soon offer something else
So sorry to here your story and you are young I am 74 and going through similar if I have a good day I am on such a high then bad day comes and I crash down but I'm trying to remember tomorrow might be a good day again my doc is pretty good but hosp seems to b forbbing me off so may blood tests as alvorstatin messes my liver then no alvorstatin and my cholesterol goes up this site is so good we can all help each other through our problems Stay strong 😊
Yes I believe I'm too young to be going through this but life decided otherwise . My mind absolutely fools me when I have a good day ,I do too much then there's a big consequence which leads to upset & distress . Thank goodness for this site & all of you ,I don't know where I'd be otherwise x
Helly75 when we first went to my husbands GP and asked for his statin to be switched she said no - because Rosuvastatin was very expensive and atorvastatin was working fine but if it stopped working they’d need options for something to switch to. It wasn’t until we brought it up with his heart failure nurse and consultant who wrote to the GP saying we want to switch to Rosuvastatin that she had to agree! Do you have a consultant or cardiac nurse you see in the hospital you could speak to? We also went in armed with some medical articles showing how Atorvastatin was likely causing my husbands issue (elevated liver enzymes) and switching to Rosuvastatin had worked for patients who had the same problem. Feels like pleading your case to a judge and jury sometimes!
Isn't it awful what you have to go through?! I'm full of dread at the idea of ringing the gp to the point I probably won't do it 😅
I've changed from Atorvastatin 20mg to Rosauvstatin on a much smaller dose 5mg. It's early days, one week since I changed, but my muscle aches have largely gone but as I say I won't know for sure until I've taking it for a longer period. Hope you get some relief as I know how the muscle aches can be really debilitating. My aches seemed to manifest themselves in my hands and hips.
I hope it works out for you ! The pain is in my shoulders arms and legs , it's keeping me awake at night too
I am prescribed rosuvastatin & they make me feel friggin awful, can't walk due to muscle pain on top of arthritic hips. I have taken the decision to stop them, told my gp, not had a response yet.
It looks like it's a case of trial & error doesn't it , they just don't seem too keen to work with me at all
I’m really curious about your hyperthyroidism. I have been hypothyroid most of my adult life (34 years) with no problems and completely stable bloods without the need to change med doses. My thyroid levels have been all over the place, tipping me into hyperthyroidism since I was diagnosed with AF resulting in a massive reduction in thyroid meds to get back into normal range They were controlled again until my last test when results showed hyper again, the only change since my previous blood test which was stable is that I’ve started on artorvastatin, so I’ll be asking whether it causes any affects on thyroid gland. I did ask whether it was OK at the time as it is in the precautions on the patient leaflet . Hope you’ve settled get the right combination of meds for you very soon, the trial and error of cardiac meds is frustrating and debilitating at times. Keep positive, we will come through this x
I'm very suspicious about it too , my thyroid was checked regularly & never an issue. I'm doing my best to not consult dr Google to try and dig too much because I'm already very down. I did read it can happen due to emotional distress long term which is me due to my heart issues . I'm taking 10mg carbimazole at the minute . I was shaking visibly , crying all the time ,very depressed & quite extreme anxiety, not sleeping 🙃 so the diagnosis answers some questions. The endocrinologist did another test for autoimmune disease , I'm guessing graves disease , blooming all I need
I’ve never seen an endocrinologist, always been treated by GP’s but have finally got an appointment on 5th November after 12 month wait following urgent referral by my cardiologist. I’ll be going armed with a list of questions and concerns. Cardiologist thinks thyroid is contributing to AF, had no problems with controlling thyroxine levels until started with AF. Bit of a chicken and egg conundrum!!!!!
Try not to worry about Graves’ disease- it’s the cause of hyperthyroidism rather than something else to deal with. I have no idea what caused my hypothyroidism- I was 21 when diagnosed- all I was told was old people get it 🤣
Dr Google can be devastating, try reputable organisations like British Thyroid Foundation. Take care x
I think I only got to see the endocrinologist because I gave the letter to the ward Dr & I was in the hospital otherwise I'd be on a waiting list too ! I keep getting told I'm too young for everything that's happened to me lol but here I am 49 next week & feeling like an 89 year old 🎉
Hi, sorry to hear about your difficulties with meds. I totally understand where you are coming from with a) being pushed from pillar to post b) being ignored about side effects c) worries about atoravastatin. My GP won't entertain changing my meds (after my HA) despite persistent ectopics, which I agree cause anxiety and can get you down. I hope you find a sympathetic med professional who will help you. I am going to see a different GP next week about changing my stating tabs as I'm convinced the atoravastatin is the culprit. Best wishes, take care. Pete
I too couldn’t take Atorvastatin it played havoc with my liver. My gp put me on a low dose of rousavstatin and then slowly increased it to 15 mg he also referred me to cholesterol consultant who added a new pill Ezetimbe it is not a statin as such but does do the same thing. I have been much better since. You need to insist that something needs changing.
Hello I had loads of probs with atorvastatin leg pains and feeling awful. I asked my Dr for Rostorvastatin instead and I feel loads better. It does take a while for your body to adjust. But there are statins that do have fewer side effects...I'm so sorry you're having probs take care x x
hi Helly I had problems with both Simvastatin and Atorvastatin and was changed to Rosuvastatin which seems to be OK. If that doesn’t do a good enough job I will be referred to the lipid clinic for alternative treatment. There are other drugs available . Good luck x
It's all trial & error isn't it , but it's us left dealing with the side effects!
Dear Helly so sorry you are going through such a bad time I have had hyperthyroid for 13 years. It can honestly cause so many things. Certainly depression and anxiety, mood swings joint pain, tremors and weakness
The medication takes a while but it does get better, I'm on 80mg of Avortstatin I'm lucky it doesn't really effect me, so I wish you good luck with getting that sorted, but also I'm sure things will feel better once your thyroid is sorted. Good luck with everything and lots of love
Contact your Cardiologists Secretary for help. I've done this a couple of times as I have no faith in GP's what do ever. The response is generally pretty swift, or at least mine is.Outline all your concerns.
You can usually find their email address on any letter you have received from Cardiology.
Failing that contact your Hospital PALS department and make a complaint that nobody is listening.
I couldn’t tolerate statins I saw a lipids specialist who prescribed Nustendi no side effects and works, it’s not a statin.
That's what they are suggesting along with 40mg atorvastatin but that dose causes the same side effects so don't see their logic x
You might be statin intolerant in which case you should consider stopping them. There are alternative cholesterol lowering drugs like Ezitimbe. I would consult your GP and discuss changing to that one. There are side effects to all of these drugs it's a case of what you are prepared to put up with. I read a book recently which said its stress that is the enemy and causes endothelial damage to arteries. So don't stress about the pills. Easier said than done. Good luck.
Yes I absolutely believe the stress I've been under for the last 6 years has played a big part x
Hi Helly, I changed statins 4 times before I found one that I could tolerate. I’m on ezetimibe now and I’m ok with them. I think the hyperthyroidism is the reason for most of your problems, as it can take a long time to get it under control, and the symptoms can be similar. Good luck, hopefully you’ll find the right medication soon.
I was having terrible side effects from Atorvastatin and my Doctor reduced the dose to the smallest possible and added Ezetimibe. No adverse symptoms since. Might be worth asking about this dual medication approach.
There are a number of statins out there atorvastatin being only one. Your GP (or whoever is responsible for prescribing) should be working with you to find the one that does not give you unpleasant side effects and achieves the lipid management profile required. If however you still suffer side effects from taking statins whichever one it is you are classed as statin intolerant and there is other medication available to manage your lipid profile including ezetimibe. If you are under NHS England your GP/medic should be following the Statin Intolerance Pathway which I have linked below. In the end if you find that lipid managing medication is giving you side effects on a daily basis and is affecting your quality if life and even your health you may need to consider stopping taking it, but that has to be balanced against the increased heart health risk that comes with that, although of course lifestyle measures such as diet exercise etc will have helped.
england.nhs.uk/aac/wp-conte...
Thank you , I had joined a cardiac research programme which is primarily about lipids , it was the nurse specialist there that said I could change ,then my gp got a letter saying something different, a reduced dose of atorvastatin & nustendi I think . I cannot cope with another medication, my body is going mental with it all. I will try again with my gp on Monday, maybe
I looked up Nustendi and found that it is a combination of bempedoic acid and ezetimibe and is mentioned in the 'Pathway' I linked as an alternative to taking statins where intolerance applies. Apparently it can be prescribed with or without a statin. If I were you I would be suggesting to your GP on Monday that you drop the atorvastatin and trial the Nustendi on its own, or trial another statin e.g. rosuvastatin (which people on here have reported works better for them when they have switched from atorvastatin), either with or without the Nustendi. And I would not be taking no for an answer without a real justification for saying no. Its your body as only you know only too well and your GP should helping you to overcome the problems you have with the medication tools available at their disposal, rather than just hoping you just go away and put up with it.
They changed mine from 80mg to 40mg didn't make any difference at all
Definately get your statin changed to another one, the one you are on my also have created your hyperthyroidismThere are lots of different ones, the one you are on is the cheapest but has most side effects, worth trying another,
Don’t know if it will help but I had to stop atoravastatin for side effects they caused and my GP changed me to a water based statin which has been fine for me - it is called rosuvastatin. Hope you can get this sorted,
So sorry you're having such a bad time. I'm also hyperthyroid. It can mess with your heart rhthyms, and lead to some hair loss, quite a lot of things.When I was on carbimazole it did stop the hair loss so that is good news. The medication should also help with your exhaustion, being hyperthyroid makes it hard to get restful sleep.
Good luck.
Thank you for this , I thought I was going mad for a long long time , all of a sudden my heart just went all out of whack ,very upsetting x
I know just what you mean, although in my case it was gradual rather than sudden. I was subclinically hyperthyroid for years, and despite my pleading I couldn't get any treatment, until by accident last year I found a lust of symptoms that could be attributed to that, even at a subclinical level.You do need to know why, that is do you have Graves disease or is your thyroid overactive for a different reason, because that has a bearing on your treatment. A simple blood test should tell you.
Although I'm always happy to listen if you have concerns, but I can't really offer much in the way of advice based on my own experience as I have another endocrine disorder too, and because of my multiple allergies things are rarely straightforward, and I prefer to find out as much as possible, I need to know everything and anything and I get the impression that you don't feel that way, apologies if I'm wrong.
Good luck with it all, reach out if you want to.
It's just fear at the minute , a couple of people have scared the life out of me about it already & I'm not really over the heart attack, I feel like I can't take any more bad news or emergencies. I'm wondering how long the thyroid medication takes to make some difference?! I just want to feel half way normal , thank you xx
Okay, are you on carbimazole? That's the one I started on, but only a very low dose, because I'm old apparently. The literature says it has a lag of about 4 to 6 weeks, that is how long they would expect you to take it before you felt a difference. I would say it was about 5 weeks for me, and then I was a bit like the energiser bunny, able to do much more than previously.Sadly it had quite a lot of side effects for me, that is not unusual, I must have record numbers of stuff I can't tolerate or am allergic to, very inconvenient. I will probably have to try the other one, propylthiouracil, in the not too distant future, but my T4 is still just in range so they're holding off for now.
You will probably be fine on carbimazole, it's usually well tolerated according to Thyroid UK, I'm just odd. It will help quite a lot I think, and give you back some quality of life.
I've grown up knowing about thyroid issues, both my paternal grandparents, 3 of my father's siblings had issues, my father had an overactive thyroid, my elder sister has a granulated thyroid, my younger sister has had an underactive thyroid for over 40 years, her daughter has an underactive thyroid, so it wasn't likely I would escape.
If I can give you any more info, or answer any questions, I'm happy to do so. I can only speak from my experience, obviously I'm not medically trained. We are all different, and like you have had a heart attack I have heart issues and another endocrine problem plus multiple other infirmities just to muddy the waters a bit more.
Oh bless you ,thank you so much for this ! I'm taking 10mg carbimazole but I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to spot any side effects because I have felt awful with multiple chronic illnesses for the last 6 years ,including all the heart stuff ,so my waters are muddy aswell ,this is probably why drs want nothing to do with me lol 😆
Hi Helly,
Are you going through the menopause? Some of your symptoms maybe symptomatic to that. I'm assuming you re on Levothyroxine? It would be useful to discuss LT4 treatment and the link with cardiac function. if you've just started this it may well be one of the reasons you are feeling rotten as your body needs to adjust. Speak to your GP.
I've been told I'm in perimenopause & assumed a lot of my symptoms were down to that but my thyroid is playing a part now x
Thanks you. Your body needs to get uses to Levothryroxine since either is a new diagnosis. With perimenopause there are soo many symptoms, flushes, heart racing, lack of sleep etc. It all parts a part. Your body is going through a change.
Regarding the Atorvastatin it would be good to have a discussion about the WHOLE picture with your GP.
When it's like this it feels it won;t get better. But it will. Just give it time and advocate for the best care for you with your GP.
Helly, one thing strikes me and that is your age. Are you perimenopausal? That brings its own challenges and that involves physical changes and sometimes psychological blips. Yes get your medication stabilised with your Gp, and try to focus on the enjoyable activities in your life which will help you feel more uplifted. Think about what you can do rather than what you can’t and spend time with people who make you feel good. The menopause passes. If you need anti depressants then go on them. I’m on atorvastatin and I get a lot of trapped wind which is embarrassing as I have to run to the loo to pass wind. However I’ve got used to it and my cholesterol has come down. Always pluses and minuses. There is life and fun to be had. I am in my sixties; working and enjoying life even with obstacles. You are young. My hair went thinner in my forties but is now back. There is hope. Think about the good things in your life and the rest as obstacles to take one at a time. All the best.
Atorvastatin is usually the first choice of statin to be prescribed but many people cannot tolerate it due to side-effects. In this case GPs switch to an alternative, often rosuvastatin which is generally well-tolerated. Changing a statin medication is commonplace, and there should be no reason for your GP not to do this for you.Your recent diagnosis of hyperthyroidism must have been worrying, but the endo has begun treatment quickly and your levels should stabilise soon, I hope. Are you aware that some of your symptoms could be linked to, or be made worse by, this newly diagnosed condition? Palpitations, insomnia, breathlessness, anxiety and nervousness are common with this condition, but should improve with treatment.
Personally, although you have been recommended to join the thyroid group within HU, I wouldn't advise it. Not only are the majority of members hypothyroid, like me, rather than hyperthyroid, I have found the general attitude within the group dogmatic, depressing and unhelpful. Just my opinion, of course.
Wishing you well and hoping that you will find life easier soon.
Yes thankfully I was seen in the hospital by the endocrinologist otherwise I'd probably have never seen one ! I was putting my symptoms down to perimenopause but it was becoming quite extreme, it had become quite difficult in speaking to drs so I just said nothing. Yes I don't want to look at that site I'm depressed as it is & don't think I can handle anymore misery at the moment. The anxiety & nervous feeling I was also putting down to a delayed reaction to the heart attack & cardiac arrest. Knew something was up 🥲
This is all quite surprising .I've been on this for years with no ill effects.
Firstly, you’ve got us lot to share your challenges with, so use the forum to chat with us. I suspect the vast majority of us have had an issue or two with our meds! Funnily enough, atirvestatin was pretty much the ONLY one that did t play havoc for me. Bisoprolol has been my joyous one 🙁
Basically don’t be fobbed off, if you feel like shit then tell your doctor, you deserve to get the right treatment, so don’t suffer in silence. The issue is clearly playing on your mi d a lot, so maybe try doing some meditation or breathing exercises. Grounding really helped me as did hypnotherapy. Before you laugh about both of those, if you’d told me two years ago that I’d walk around on wet grass in bare feet or that I’d be seeing a hypnotherapist, I’d have been very dismissive if not downright rude in response, my words would probably have been “don’t give me any of that piko- weirdy bullcrap”. How wrong I was!!!
Give it a go, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Peter
I have not read all the other responses to your post, I hope you got something helpful from them
but I will add one thing :nobody can force you to take medication - if the side effects of a medication are causing you problems which seriously affect your quality of life your doctor has a responsibility to offer alternatives
also, it's partly up to you to weigh up the benefits against the downsides and make your own decision - it is your body, health and life, so in the end you decide
I will try again with them , I'm worn out with it all
so sorry to hear that, you deserve better
I think they tried every statin made before before the hospital clinic relented and put me on Rosuvastatin. Thus one is designed for those who cannot tolerate the regular statins and is prescribed as a last resort because it is a more expensive than others. Initially I did have some problems, aching arms mainly. So I stopped it for a week, then started up again, once every three days, then every two, and now I take it daily with no side effects. Might be worth asking if you could have it.
That's what I'm hoping for ,I will try again with my gp
so sorry to hear this. I hope you manage to get the correct medication and dose to meet your needs c it can be a long lonely journey.
Do yourself a favor if you are getting any type of side effects such as aching muscles etc don't bother taking them according to a leading Asian American cardiologist statins have less than 3% chance of stopping you from having a heart event so don't bother all you have to remember is eat healthy wholesome foods and not the trash take aways in process foods stop smoking and no alcohol keep fit by using the gym and do resistance training with weights that's what I do at 81yrs Having had triple bypass in 2007.
Keep fit and healthy and live long
and keep your stress management under control anything that bothers you that way simply walk away from it find. quiet place and chill out remember stress can be a killer
Montyblue 2
Bergamot is safe and can reduce Cholesterol.
Hi Helly75.
I am also in NI in the Northern Trust Area. It is 15 months since my heart attack and I am still getting used to the post HA life. I was a bit surprised that after the period of cardio rehab I was left to my own devices. I really expected at least a review after 12 months but seems I just have to go to my local clinic.
My experience is that GP's don't really seem to be up to scratch on heart stuff, medication etc. I found it beneficial to speak to the pharmacist at my local clinic, who seems more aware of side effects and interactions of various medications. After a year I stopped taking 80mg of Atorvastatin due to joint, muscle pain, brain fog and nightmares. I started on 5mg of Rouvastatin and have now increased to 10mg. Joint and muscle pain have eased and the brain fog has gone. Time will tell.
From what I read on here, everyone is different when it comes to their event and their medication. It seems to be just a matter of trial and error to see what works for you.
It might be an idea to make an appointment to see the cardiologist who signed you off after your event There should be a phone number or email for his secretary on some of your correspondence.
Wishing you well in your journey.
Thank you , I'm in the southern trust ,I'm going to try my gp again , I find it really strange there's no actual follow up with a consultant after a heart attack & my situation is so complex & odd , it's left me feeling very unsafe at times . My cardiac rehab is over now & I missed half of it because I wasn't well enough to go ,asked them repeatedly for help
I’ve been on Atorvastatin simvastatin and two others I can’t remember names. Stopped each one because of twitchy calf muscles and cramps in feet not nice at 3 in the morning. Recently tried taking at 7:30 pm not bedtime and no issues at all so I’m happy and my consultant too. I could get the type of statin changed easily by phoning the surgery pharmacist have you tried that?
Hi - I've tried 4 different types of statin and am intolerant to them all. I am now on Ezetimibe and incliseran injections, and so far no side effects. I have also radically changed my diet and exercise, and my LDL level is now where it needs to be. I had to stop each type of statin because of severe side effects - mostly pain and brain fog/fatigue - so I fully understand how you are feeling. There are alternatives, so if you are struggling with side effects, try another type of statin, and there are also alternatives to statins if you are intolerant like me. I found just stopping spurred the GP into action to prescribe a different one, and I felt better within days of not taking them - but that's just my experience.
I stopped taking Statins 3 months ago and noticed a difference 2 weeks later. I keep a diary of any significant changes ie meds, diet, exercise blood pressure and sugars. My GP actually takes note of the readings and has allowed me some latitude in adjusting my meds.
I've an appointment for blood tests and then a consultation afterwards next week so I'll have a bit more of an idea.
I hope you can find the right balance that suits you.
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