Statin

[Merlo9]

Hello how long do you normally stay on 80mg statin ? Anyone know

[Grenfell37]

Hi, I was told it was forever. I guess it depends on your personal situation and risk analyse.

[Merlo9 in reply to Grenfell37]

I thought maybe the dose would be lowered after a while suppose I'll have to get used to the horse pill 🫤

[Blueberrylover in reply to Merlo9]

Hello I was on 100 mg statin for 10 years and then lowered me to 40mg as my cholesterol came down from 7.5 to 4.3.

[Sheffield55 in reply to Blueberrylover]

Congratulations. This is very encouraging. My cholesterol is 5.6 and I am sticking to a low fat diet to avoid been placed on statins. It's a struggle tho.

[Lowerfield_no_more in reply to Merlo9]

if you are on 80mg atorvastatin 'horse pills' they can be cut in half to help get them down. A pill cutter helps with this

[Holmbury333 in reply to Merlo9]

Ask to change to 2 x 40mg....much smaller & easier!.

[Merlo9 in reply to Holmbury333]

🤣👍

[Lrfc]

Hi I was on 80mg atorvastatin for 4 months .my legs muscles were hurting so much . Cardiologist reduced to 60 mg still get bad aches every now and then.

[Slekud70]

Move to Scotland you are given a month's supply of medication on leaving the hospital then your on your own I have to go to the supermarket today to get asprin had an NSTEMI 16 December on my 3rd day with no medication Considering throwing my passport into the sea 🌊 🤔

[ArdenPrimary in reply to Slekud70]

Hello. I’m in Scotland and that sounds odd to me. I had NSTEMI in Sept last year. Was put on medication including Atorvastatin and was told this would be for life. Maybe you should speak to your GP again just for clarification. Good luck 👍

[Orcachaser in reply to Slekud70]

I'm in Scotland and the NHS care for my husband during and after his HA has been fantastic. Amazing cardiac nurses, consultants, rehabilitation and medication.

[Slekud70 in reply to Orcachaser]

Good to hear..I'm wondering how many supermarket aspirin to take 🤔 Lousy rhymes with with Blunts they are

[Sanmo in reply to Slekud70]

I'm in Scotland, on statins, aspirin and lisinopril all provided by NHS Scotland, I've also received great cardio rehab and full 'mot's'. You may want to speak to your GP, or maybe there's something you're not telling us?

[Slekud70 in reply to Sanmo]

I was being sarcy..I been in contact with the hospital pharmacy,no joy left a message with the doctors pharmacy line no joy Spoke the doctors secretary Friday the very one I gave the repeat (non repeat) prescription to still waiting ✋

Bypass surgery coming up I'd rather go to a vet

[Qualipop in reply to Slekud70]

That's very wrong. You are not on your own. Your GP should take over and prescribe your tablets. Ring them urgently. You should be taking them for a full 12months. Maybe the hospital forgot to send your discharge or the GP forgot to do it.

[Merlo9 in reply to Qualipop]

Spoke to my gp yesterday im up to date on everything now 👍

[Qualipop in reply to Merlo9]

Thank goodness. Someone slipped up there. Make sure the GP does blood tests after 3 months then annually. The first one is to make sure no tablets are affecting your liver or kidneys then the annual one is a check on everything. Cardiology really do seem to just kick you out after your initial treatment as if they're saying "We fixed yoru plumbing, now let your GP keep a check on everything. Even one follow up appointment with cardio would be a great help in getting all those questions answered after the initial shock wears off. Have you been offered rehab yet? You should usually hear after 3 or 4 weeks. If not, chase them up.

[Merlo9 in reply to Qualipop]

Im having blood tests tomorrow 👍doubt I'll be going to rehab as ive not had surgery and was discharged after the angiogram x yes a follow up would have been nice x i honestly thought that would happen but 🤷‍♀️ luckily for me i have a good gp I'll make sure i make periodic appointments with her 👍

[Ham1846 in reply to Slekud70]

Hi I’m in Scotland and was treated for an NSTEMI on 19th Dec and was given a months supply of medication to take home but I was referred for an urgent angiogram as an out patient and 3 weeks later I’m still waiting for the appt 🤷‍♀️

[Mister1]

80 mg is normal the dose for morbidly obese or diabetic patients. This dose should be reduced if that is not the case with yourself.

If you have had recently treatment at hospital then the regular protocol is to put people onto 80mg but at point of discharge this should be reduced.

I am on 40mg daily.

I would also like to add that Statins aren't necessarily used for control of cholesterol as they are predominantly anti inflammatory which helps lower plaque build up and keep cardiac pathways more open.

I have been told that my cholesterol is fine..

[Merlo9 in reply to Mister1]

Im not obese (9st3) or diabetic i have a family history of heart disease i have a 70% diffused right artery no surgery planned im on various medications inc the 80mg statin was just wondering if the high dose was a permanent thing

[Mister1 in reply to Merlo9]

It's probably at that dose for antiinflammatory purposes.

Dependant on other medications you are on depends wether Statins are still relevant for you and at that dose

[momander in reply to Mister1]

I have never heard of 80mg statin being normal dose for morbidly obese or diabetic patient???? i do not fit in to either of these categories!!!! I was prescribed 80mg after all 3 heart attacks and double CABG 2 years ago

[Mister1 in reply to momander]

I do not fall with these factors either as I was a 19 stone weight lifter with low cholesterol. It's standard protocol to prescribe 80mg within hospitals and for predispositions of Morbid obesity or diabetics.

You are probably on this dose because you have had three attacks and a double CABG for it's anti inflammatory properties because you want to limit vasoconstriction within your blood vessels

[momander in reply to Mister1]

I am on it because my surgeon and cardiologist put me on it I am very happy to be on all the meds I am on as they keep me alive. No offence, but anyone else's pseudo Doctor's advice, just leaves me cold..As far as I am concerned I listen to the professionals/ experts in their field.

[Mister1 in reply to momander]

That is fine and I respect your opinion but my view point comes from 14 years working with the pharmaceutical industry specialising in Cardiology medication and clinical trials and the research publication of Dr Aseem Malhotra Cardiac consultant at the Harley street clinic on 'how to live a Statin free life'.

I wish you well with your health journey and please carry on with what you are happy with doing 😊

[momander in reply to Mister1]

Thank you, I will.

[Mister1]

I would recommend reading a Statin free life book written by Consultant cardiologist Aseem Malhotra as it is quite an eye opener and backs up my knowledge from the pharmaceutical industry about Statins .

[MoretonCross in reply to Mister1]

I heartily recommend that book as well.

[Cocoadonkey]

Hi there

My future daughter in law works at Harefield heart hospital and she said you are usually on statin for life after a heart attack.

There are 4 groups of tablets you usually stay on forever as a preventative measure, blood pressure tablet eg ramipril/losartin, statin, aspirin (blood thinner) and beta blocker to slow the heart rate eg bisoprolol.

The cardio rehab team my husband saw after his cardiac arrest also said the same thing.

The statin apparently stops the blood from being sticky and therefore less chance of clotting.

My husband is on all the above and a couple of extras and no sign of anything being removed even though his cholesterol and blood pressure are all low !

Good luck with your recovery.

[RogerN123 in reply to Cocoadonkey]

It is actually anti-platelet drugs such as aspirin and ticagrelor that make you blood less sticky, not statins. Statins lower your cholesterol levels which helps reduce the risk of plaque building up and narrowing your arteries.

[Merlo9 in reply to Cocoadonkey]

Ive not had a heart attack or any surgery im being treated with medication only im taking all of what youve mentioned it appears to be preventative for me x thanks for the reply

[Qualipop in reply to Cocoadonkey]

I had a heart attack (NSTEMI) 6 years ago. I Only take a statin and aspirin. Bisopralol was stopped because it lowered my heart rate and BP far too much

[DWizza in reply to Qualipop]

It’s been suggested by my consultant that I stop my 1.25mg bisoprolol . I had nstemi July 2023 and quadruple bypass. I’m trying to cut in half at the moment, fiddly. I tried just stopping but felt funny after a few days and could feel my heart thumping occasionally. Such a small dose. I’m also n half a 1.25mg tablet ramipiril .. My blood pressure is pretty good , when I do 3 BP readings it may start in 130s/80s for first reading but by 3rd (5 mins apart it drops to 117/74 -120/80 and get the odd 114/64. Did you do a hard stop or taper off the biso?

[Mentdent]

80mg for 4 years. No side effects. Low cholesterol. Doing me no harm and may be doing some good. No reason now to change.

[Merlo9 in reply to Mentdent]

Thanks ive no side effects so far so I'll carry on

[BobbyB1962]

I was on 80mg for about 4 months and then reduced to 40mg. Been there ever since (3.5 yrs) with no issues

[RogerN123]

I'm on 80mg of atorvastatin since a heart attack last April, following which I had two stents fitted. I've also been told this is for life. It has been very successful in lowering my cholesterol and I have had no issues with it. As per a previous reply I think the situation very much depends on your personal circumstances and you should seek the advice of your cardiologist, GP or pharmacist. I hope that helps.

[Merlo9 in reply to RogerN123]

Thanks for the reply im not a suitable candidate for surgery (at this stage anyway) so its treatment with a coctail of meds

[SmokeAKipper]

I was on astorvastatim 80 for a year changed to rosavastatin much better

[GraunReader]

Hi. Not exactly clear whether you mean how long to stay on that particular dose (80mg) or how long to stay on statins. The former may vary, according to what you & your gp agree is best for you - you may even want to try different types of statins, if you feel that one or another doesn't suit.

The latter Q. is easier to answer. The literature I've read is quite clear that taking statins is a life-long commitment in that benefits are accrued once you start taking the prescription, taking weeks & months to accumulate. If you choose to stop (which is obviously your right) you begin straightaway to lose the benefits that you have gained.

[Merlo9 in reply to GraunReader]

Thanks

[Lowerfield_no_more]

If your 'natural' cholesterol levels are above the recommended norms and 'lifestyle' measures haven't done much for you (perhaps you were doing all the right things anyway) then an appropriate dose statin is prescribed for life, with the proviso that there are some who are statin intolerant due to side effects, and for that group there is alternative medication available. However that's for people without CHD and who have not had a heart event and is known as as primary prevention. For those of us who have had a heart attack or have known heart disease the recent recommendation is to prescribe the max dose of statin, which for many like me is 80mg Atorvastatin. This is known as secondary prevention. Statins do not 'cure' high cholesterol they merely modify how the body produces it so as soon as you stop the body returns to its natural state, which is why they are prescribed for life, but they do have an additional function which is to stabilise arterial plaque so bits are less likely to break off leading to strokes and heart attacks.

[Merlo9 in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Thanks

[Survivor1952]

I’m told it is for life.

[Harefieldfan]

they told me for ever.

[L8Again]

The effectiveness of statins is not linear. For example, I have read academic reports that indicate that 10mg of Atorvastatin might reduce LDL cholesterol by 37.5% compared to 51% for 80mg of the drug. You can only be guided by your cholesterol test results and your clinician.

It is also worth searching for articles on QRisk3. Age is a risk factor and an acceptable level of cholesterol at, say, age 74 might not be acceptable at age 75.

[Lowerfield_no_more in reply to L8Again]

QRisk only applies to people who have no known heart disease.

[MoretonCross]

The answer to the question is "never" as far as I'm concerned. No matter what the strength is...

[richard_jw]

I had a STEMI 5 years ago. I was put on 40mg of atorvastatin. About a year ago, a cardiologist after a review said that the NICE recommended dosage had increased to 80mg for "people such as myself. He said that my cholesterol level was OK for people who had never had an MI, but the objective for those who had had a heart attrack was to get the cholesterol down as far as possible.

So 80mg of atorvastatin it is.

[TasteLessFood4Life in reply to richard_jw]

80mg is standard after an event, lower doses typically for prevention starting from 10mg.

[sandandkev]

Goes on cholesterol levels and what your heart problem is

[TasteLessFood4Life]

I think it is forever. Unless you have major side effects, they might downgrade or change the type of statin.

[momander]

Hi,

I have had 3 heart attacks and a double CABG 2 years ago. I was told that I would be on a statin for life

[Merlo9 in reply to momander]

🩷

[bluemoon572]

It appears that cardiologists have differing opinions about this. One school of thought is to treat to their goal of LDL of under 70. The other school just uses highest dose forever in patients who are considered as having high risk cardiovascular current or potential disease.

[bluemoon572]

I forgot to add that in the UK,an LDL of 70 =1.8 mmol/L