should I take statins for a mini stroke as I take requip

[Brenda48]

I have just been told I have had a mini stroke and should take Statins but I take Requip and do not know if I should

[ChrisColumbus]

You MUST discuss this with your doctor!

While statins have side effects, including making RLS worse for some but by no means all, they are also the quickest way to tackle high cholesterol. There are alternatives - other drugs and diet changes - but the vast majority of doctors will tell you that statins are essential after a TIA.

Just refusing to take a statin or any other medication is not a wise move after a TIA. And you may find that statins are not a problem for you.

As most doctors (and most of the NHS) know nothing about RLS, when you discuss your RLS with them they (i) probably won't think RLS is serious and (ii) will tell you that the NHS doesn't list RLS as a side effect with statins. You may have to take a statin and go back to doctors if it gives you problems.

Ezetimibe *may* be a better prescription than a statin for some people, and I have certainly found it so - I had terrible problems (RLS and other) on statins (firstly atorvastatin and then -less bad but still problematic - rosuvastatin) after my own TIA and this was the only alternative that my doctors would prescribe.

Ezetimibe inhibits the intestinal absorption of cholesterol, is recommended in the UK if a statin is “inappropriate or not tolerated”. It generally works more slowly than a statin, so may not be suitable for those with very high LDL.

All medications have side effects, and there have been some reports that ezetimibe also exacerbates RLS - but not for me. It did cause me some bowel issues, but then I had some bowel damage after radiotherapy.

Other alternatives to statins include bempedoic acid which works by reducing the production of cholesterol in the liver.

Nustendi (Nexlizet in the US) combines ezetimibe with bempedoic acid. This may be a good alternative for people who cannot tolerate statins.

Another possibility with no reported adverse RLS reports is fenofibrate (Lipantil,Supralip; Triglide in the US).

What medication you need to take may depend on how high your cholesterol really is. In some cases, it can be tackled without medications if you just change your diet. However, the very fact that you've had a TIA suggests that some intervention may be necessary.

[ChrisColumbus]

I can see that you've had previous advice about coming off ropinirole/Requip, augmentation, and about other common RLS triggers so won't belabour these points - but would advise you to take the advice from Joolsg , SueJohnson and others very seriously in the medium term. Meanwhile good luck with combating your TIA.

[SueJohnson]

I agree with ChrisColumbus.

A more difficult way to reduce cholesterol is to go vegan. My husband lowered his cholesterol from 221 to 131 this way.

[Joolsg]

I agree with Chris.High blood pressure can be triggered by sleepless nights and the 'wound up' feeling caused by augmentation.

Shumbah reported that, once she had her RLS under control, she slept properly and her blood pressure reduced.

So, once you're strong enough, look at the previous advice about augmentation.

[Eryl]

I have had a stroke and my descision was that the side effects like leg pain which stopped me exersising and likelyhood of raisng blood sugar leading to increased risk of diabetes weren't worth the gains which statistically only point to an increased lifespan of four days. As blood sugar is one of the major drivers of RLS this increased blood sugar was a no no for me. The stress hormone cortisol can push up blood pressure and I found that the herbal treatment ashwaganda brought mine down substantially.

Take a look at this and the following two episodes for fuller explanation. youtu.be/2NelIuNXuY4?si=BKD...(Not working as expected?)

[yhsbirny]

Was your mini-stroke actually diagnosed as a TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack)? Is this the first one you've had? I had a TIA about 10 years ago and when I left the hospital they told me 3 things (1) the chances of having a full-blown stroke greatly increase in the 3-6 month period after a TIA (not trying to scare you, and you probably already knew that, but just to emphhasize the importance of FOLLOWING DOCTOR'S ORDERS); (2) take folate (it is folic acid, but you want to take the folate form, since it is biologically active and folic acid is not); a nurse told me "anytime we release a patient who has had a TIA we always send them home with folate' and (3) FOLLOW DOCTOR'S ORDERS TO THE LETTER. Only your doctor can tell you what meds and what combination of meds is safe right now. I have been taking folate ever since my TIA, got my blood pressure down, and have had no problems since. Good luck to you.

[Eryl]

High LDL cholesterol is healthy. youtu.be/dOzgrhG0xKI?si=9-0...(Not working as expected?)

[DesertOasis in reply to Eryl]

That is so frickin fascinating about LDL. Cholesterol, in general, I just read helps to fight microbes and tamp down immune system (if I’m reading it correctly), but it’s only LDL that is specifically good for fighting certain types of bacteria. I feel better already about my borderline LDL. 😀. I would like more exact numbers, but that may not be possible. In other words, how do we know that LDL between 50 and 70 is not enough to fight bacteria and keep auto-immune diseases at bay? Or 70 to 100? When is it too much of a good thing?

My default position is always to look at the Hazda tribe of Tanzania. In general, they have little to none of our modern day ills. They have tuberculosis, fungal infections and snake bites coming out of their ears, but no atherosclerosis. They would eat meat (mostly strange wild birds) and honey all day long if they could, but they can’t or aren’t willing to work that hard to get it. They’re pretty laid back. So they end up eating ALOT of tubers and berries and other plants. About 150mg of fiber a day compared to 10-15mg for us westerners. The ratio ends up being 25-35% meat (including organs) to 65-75% plants. Plus, they’re very active for about 6 hours a day and they don’t sit when relaxing-they kneel or squat, which means a lot of muscles are still engaged. As a result of their lifestyle they do not have high cholesterol. That doesn’t mean that’s a good thing, especially in terms of infections, but they don’t suffer from heart disease. Watch out for those wild Buffalo though 😅