FH child and statins

[Seahorse]

I have a prescription waiting at the doctors to start my 14 year old son on pravastatin. Still not sure if this is the right thing to do. Would appreciate some advice/support from other parents with FH kids about their experiences or if you have FH and have been on statins since childhood. Thanks.

[Richbod]

Found Biglegs reply very useful, particularly the part re magnesium- thanks.

Richbod

[2squirrels]

Get a second opinion before you take this step.

[jeny1eye]

What an excellent quote - yet another reason to think twice about statins.

[suki65]

Please do not let your child take any form of statin search around for other answers .

intermittent fasting is good for helping with a few different illnesses

[Aliwally]

I do take everyone's comments on board but Seahorse has a son with a known and tested for, genetic disease, which means that the cells lack the receptors to take in cholesterol. Medics are telling her that this is associated with a high risk of early heart disease if her son doesn't have treatment with statins.

There are no long term studies on children and medics vary in their recommendation for starting children on statins. This is only adding to the dilemma along with no family history of heart disease.

A good suggestion on the FH Facebook site is to sit down and discuss everything with him, I know of 14 year olds who have made really big decisions about having surgery, although I know that is a different situation.

Actually what we do need is more research into FH and more targeted treatment, although that doesn't help Seahorse.

[DakCB-UK]

I was on statins but only from my late teens once Colestid ceased to be effective. Have they tried Colestid and all that sort of thing already?

[Seahorse]

Thanks Aliwally. Yes I think people loose sight a bit of the fact that my kids have a confirmed genetic condition and I also believe that in FH it's not all about raised LDL, I think there are other abnormalities that they don't test for like clotting factors which also increase the risk of heart disease. That might explain that it's not always the people with FH with the highest cholesterol levels that are affected with atherosclerosis. No DakCB-UK their consultant has never mentioned any other medication to me except statins.

[suki65 in reply to Seahorse]

hi seahorse ,my cholesterol was 12.1 ,triglyceride 5

i have the genetic type 3 hyperlipidemia i am only 8 stone i donot smoke or drink but both my parents side suffered with heart attacks i have just in 2011 found out i have this i have never been poorly before ,since takin statins i have had side effects from all 3 and from fenofibrate i am only 48 but i would advise anyone te first signs of any side effects stop the statin right away ,also if your son is to take statins i have heard that taking coq10 should also be taken alongside .as i may not have suffered if i was prescribed coq10 alongside .

these are the side effects i had please keep them in mind ,dpression ,low in myself ,feeling of useless,swelling to knees and ankles ,bones on elbows and knees sore ,muscle change in my thighs ,arms aching mostly my left at the top making it agony when stretching ,the atheros lumps under my skin becoming sore .

i wish you both luck and be very careful

[suki65 in reply to suki65]

some people can take thm with no side effects but please ,please if you or your son have any stop .

i dont take statins and never again will i am controlling mine by intermittent fasting i eat between 11am and 7pm andmy levels in the last month hae dropped from 7.9 to 6.2 the only hing i take are opti omega 3 capsules