Can anyone give me advice, help!

[carol1]

I had a heart attack 2 years come June, I have not taken statins for 10 months as I got memory loss and my joints ached. My throyroid is concern (underactive) my colestral is now 5.9 but the bit I don;t understand is one doctor said it was 3.4 and now 3.5, and said it was ok, had to come clean about not taking statins as I was told to take 40mg, then we agreed I should take 10mg. I have seen another doctor that has put me on another statin of 20mg with a view of going up to 40mg of statin. I was told that my thyroid had nothing to do with my colestral going up (it was fine last November) had blood tests in February when my thyroid became concern, the other doctor said that an underactive thyroid could cause raised colestral and joint pain.

I don't know what to belive?

No one is interested in my thyroid problem and all they are interested in is giving me statins.

can anyone give me advice please

Carol

[Mike262]

Hi, the confusion may be because there is a reading for total cholesterol and within that there is high density lipoproteins (HDL) - good cholesterol and low density lipoproteins(LDL) - bad cholesterol which have sub readings(numbers) of the total. One clear piece of advice - statins reduce cholesterol level and cardiologists like the total level below 4 which should stop you having another heart attack. There are various different statins -eg. atorvastatin, simvastatin, Rusavastatin which are prescribed at different doses 5mg, 10mg +. Different people may suffer side effects so work with your Dr. to get one that is right for you. What sometimes works is starting on a low dose and gradually increasing it to avoid any side affects.

[2squirrels]

Your thyroid should be treated immediately. Statins are becoming very controversial as the opinions differ especially for the over 55s and many people are not taking them because of side effects. I am about to stop but have not done so yet as it is a big step to go,against doctors advice but I have many side effects.

[carol1 in reply to 2squirrels]

Thank you, getting thyroid blood test again at the end of the month, I have been on border line since my heart attack, as I said the doctors are not interested.

I am a active person of 64 years do keep fit, my joints ache but only since my thyroid has gone above border line. Will start the statins any side effects then I will be straight back to the doctors

[Hidden in reply to 2squirrels]

I agree with you, 2 squirrels....statins are very controversial. The benefits for post menopausal women are reported as negligible and certainly don't warrant the side effects. In my experience I suffered muscle and joint pain, depression, fatigue, 'fuzzy' brain (couldn't think straight) and just about lost the will to live....until I stopped taking them. There is soooo much information now about the detrimental effects of statins it's about time the medical profession caught up.....imho!

[Manfred1946]

Hi Carol, I don't know if it is relevant, when I went on statins (Rosuvastatin)after about a 6month period I started to put on weight quite rapidly, I had stopped smoking after my heart attack and had not excercised for that period so expected to gain , but the rate at which I did worried me, after a visit to the GP and a blood test I was told my thyroid was underactive and given thyroxine, my weight continued to increase to 16 stone from 12, whether there is/was a connection I am not sure. Previous to my heart attack my weight had been stable for 20years...

[carol1 in reply to Manfred1946]

Thanks, I fight to keep my weight stable, by cutting out fats & excercise, but I am so tired all the time it's hard, the doctor puts it down to age.

[jillgloucester in reply to carol1]

Hi carol.. I know where you are coming from... It all gets very confusing to me! I dont know if im doing right or wrong but i have been off statins for nearly 2months nows only because i want to see if some pains would disappear but they havent really completely gone so im not sure if it change anything...I keep thinking i should tell doc...I dont want to go back on statins but im not sure what to do...I might go back on them for a bit and see how i feel again... Then I might come off them again before I have my cholestrol test to see what it is when im off them??????? tho ,, i have heard thyroid problems do cause high cholestrol but im not a doc and i dont know all the ins and outs of stuff..good luck..... I too had a heart attack about a year and a half ago,,, one stent ,,, i was fit and healthy as well ,,,,still am really

[malcolmp in reply to carol1]

Your looking in the wrong direction Carol.Your body actually needs certain levels of fats for energy.If you eat less fats you end up eating more carbohydrates ,which are fundamentally sugars.The more sugars you consume the more insulin your body produces.This is why we have a diabetes epidemic in the western world. This could be why you are tired all the time.

The no fat low fat diets are outdated and yet we still get information from the nhs telling us to go on a low fat diet and exercise.How can you exercise when you body is in a state of blood sugar flux all the time.

Have you had any testing for diabetes.Would recommend if you have not.

As for being down to age.That's what they used to tell my mum,Then when she was diagnosed with diabetes every illness she got was down to the diabetes.

If doctors looked more for the cause rather than looking at the condition then we would truly have a health service,rather than a sickness service.

[carol1 in reply to malcolmp]

Hi,

my sugar test was ok, waiting for my results from thyroid test. I have had a bad chest infection, now I am bad again flu like symtoms, so tired all the time no energy.

I halfed the simvastatin (10 mg) I had fast heart rate & fever all night went away 7am the next morning. I think maybe the Diltiezem I take had something to do with it? as reading about it can interact. I am trying 5mg of Atorvastatin ( had some from before) so far ok. All was ok last November, tests done in Feb showed change inThyroid, that's why I had it done again Weds gone, I have been on border line for 2 years. A slow progress as Doctors like you say don't look at the cause.

Thanks

[malcolmp in reply to carol1]

If your taking statins are you aware that they deplete your bodies coq10.It might be worth looking at adding a good qaulity coq10 supplement along side your intake of statins.

However with your cholesterol levels being so low it makes me wonder why you are even on statins at all.Are you aware that having to low cholesterol can actually damage your health also.I dont understand why he is trying to get your cholesterol down to such dangerously low levels.

[carol1 in reply to malcolmp]

Hi,

the doctor said as I have had a heart attack I must take statins regards to what my cholesterol is, he said it is the wonder drug. I have taken coq 10 when not taking statins, but I have to be careful as Diltirzem interacts with a lot of other medications. I felt better when I stopped taking statins. Before my heart attack by blood pressure was 120/80 for years spot on & my cholesterol was 4. I am on a blood pressure tablet only 5mg of Remipril now my blood pressure is 112/70.

We are in the hands of doctors, I am having my cholesterol taken again on the 1st of May then see how that is then go from there.

It does say if you are on Diltiezem you should only be on a low dose of statins, but why don't the doctors read up the side effects on other medication that people take.

[malcolmp in reply to carol1]

Good luck Carol.As for statins being a wonder drug the jury's out on that one.Only time will tell if the true facts come to light.

But i understand that you want to trust your doctor.Even if he may be misguided and biased.

[2squirrels]

I did not have a heart attack but from going on statins I doubled my weight in 6 years which has had a terrible effect on the rest of my body and mobility.

[sandybrown]

Hi,

Advice? I am afraid advice is not possible! You need to work very closely with your GP to go on the medication suitable for your situation.

Web information can be confusing as well!

[carol1]

Hi, I have read the articles and now more confused, I suppose I shall have take the statins as if i don't my cholesterol will not go down, then I will be given a higher dose.

[Mike262]

It's confusing because various people post negative comments about statins here. I would suggest you listen to the experts the Cardiologists, GPs and individuals professionally qualified to prescribe treatments not cranks. Take advice from your GP and those qualified to advise you.

[malcolmp in reply to Mike262]

There's nothing wrong with doing your own research,to draw your own conclusions.At the end of the day if the treatment and advice you are given is not getting results,why would you want to continue.Only a fool runs to cliffs edge at full speed with no concept stopping before it is to late.

The professionals that you speak of have there training funded by the pharmaceutical industry and are heavily influenced to prescribe treatments that are manufactured by that industry.

Do your research or just carry on blindly believing everything that medical fraternity tells you.

Yes there are some cranks on here,but there also some people posting some good information that does have scientific credibility.Not all of it based on take this pill and that pill.

[Mike262]

Training is going very well thank you I regularly do a gym session of just over an hour & also swim - 500m in 9:38 last week. I also do spin classes at my local gym and looking forward to get back on the bikes - road and mountain if the weather ever improves. Planning on doing a Sprint Triathlon in June. Thanks for the interest.

[Rosy_Holly]

Very hard in these days to tell who the Cranks are and those who are genuine in their advice. Big problem for us all.