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Original poster

Cholesterol and statins - what was your level when you started statins?

110 replies

Nik2015 · 14/08/2023 18:09

My doctor suggested I go on statins today. My level is 5.7, but has been raise for many years. The highest has been 6.5 last July and has fallen since then.
My blood pressure and general health is fine.

I am very reluctant to take statins as want to try and address my lifestyle first.

Can you please tell me what your cholesterol level was when you first started statins and did they have an immediate effect?

OP posts:
viques · 14/08/2023 20:47

I have some heart issues recently so have been put on both blood thinners and statins, my cholesterol was pretty stable, though higher than desired at about 6.8and I had got it down a bit by cholesterol drinks and a handful of almonds daily ( apparently works for some people) but have so far had no issues with the statins after resisting them for years. 10 days later it was down to 6.2 with LDL 3.9. It is probably much lower now.

My dr says recommended is <5 and LDL <3

FinallyHere · 14/08/2023 20:50

Has anyone seen any evidence of clinical trials of statins on women, rather than on men? I have not, my GP also has not been able to dig up any and I'm guessing there are not any.

Would be very interested to hear from anyone who does manage to find any.

I lost weight (5st approx) on a low carb high fat diet (lots of fresh green veg, meat and butter/creme) and my cholesterol stats righted themselves GP admits off the record that cholesterol probably caused by inflammation rather than eating fat but says the NHS is yet to catch up with the latest evidence.

TiredArse · 14/08/2023 20:55

Mine is similar but I haven’t been offered statins as q risk was low. I have tried benecol but I gives me stomachache.

Other than maybe eat a bit less chocolate there isn’t much else I can do.

Interested in this thread?

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General health Heart disease
Sorchamarie · 14/08/2023 20:57

Please do some more research on taking statins. They can have some nasty nasty side effects (my father has had his life badly effected as they've caused horrendous muscle wastage and can barely walk now).

RandomMess · 14/08/2023 20:57

Mine dropped massively to 3.8 in a month of statins.

Theacademicswife · 14/08/2023 21:01

Mine was 8.5. I'm not overweight and am fairly active.
I'm on Atorvistatin and Ezetimibe.
I was referred to have a genetic test as all my siblings have high cholesterol.
It came back negative.

Original poster
Nik2015 · 14/08/2023 21:05

How do you know if it’s familial/genetic?

OP posts:
daisy2002 · 14/08/2023 21:07

Nik2015 · 14/08/2023 21:05

How do you know if it’s familial/genetic?

I was referred to the lipid clinic at my local hospital, the doctor ordered the genetic test to check if it was genetic.

Original poster
Nik2015 · 14/08/2023 21:08

@daisy2002 wish I’d posted on here before I went as a genetic link would definitely mean I’d take the statins!!!

OP posts:
Crikeyalmighty · 14/08/2023 21:16

@Sorchamarie gave me horrible weak , wobbly legs and weak feeling arms /muscles - so reduced to 3 a week and it's settled.

Lifeinlists · 14/08/2023 21:36

Honestly OP with your family history take the statins. I wish I'd been offered them years ago but was told my risk was low despite family heart disease. Turns out they were wrong as I now have coronary heart disease and 2 stents in my left artery.My blameless lifestyle wasn't enough Grin

My cholesterol was around 5.6 and is now 3.1 thanks to statins and LDL is fine and I've had no side effects.

frolp · 14/08/2023 21:44

@Nik2015 I'm going to ask for a trial of statins to see how I get in with them. One parent couldn't tolerate them, the other has had zero side effects.

Sleepeazie · 14/08/2023 21:55

I have familial hypercholesterolemia. I found out at 7, when my dad had his first heart attack and my cholesterol on testing was 7! Impossible to be lifestyle at that level at that age! It was then always high, and. A brief trial on simba statin was unsuccessful. I also thought I might want more kids and can’t have them on statins. These factors both stopped me continuing.
a couple of years ago, after another high result (around 9. It’s never been okay) i got referred to a specialist and he sent me for genetic testing and they identified the gene. My gene causes a low number/inefficiency of the cholesterol clearing spikes in the body. Some genes cause extra cholesterol instead. As they know the gene, they tested all my immediate family. My sister and her kids also have it. Thankfully my boys don’t 🙏. I also got tested for blood stickiness as this can work (in a bad way) in tandem with the high cholesterol.
i persevered with artorvatsatn . Started on 20mg and am now on 40mg (having trialled 80mg). My cholesterol was 6 after 8 months regular use. My specialist is happy, as he was looking for a % reduction and not necessarily to meet NHS figures.
I take statins, for my dad as he never had the chance as medicine went what it is now. He died at 54. I owe it to him, and my kids to embrace my fortune.

Original poster
Nik2015 · 14/08/2023 22:01

@Sleepeazie i think the genetic route really interest me.
If I knew I had that I’d go for it. 5.7 seems low though. I feel a bit of an idiot at the moment as I’ve not really paid any attention to the previous levels.
However my dad was 39 when he had his one and only heart attack.

OP posts:
Original poster
Nik2015 · 14/08/2023 22:04

Oh wow @Lifeinlists that’s shocking!
Glad you’ve managed to reduce it now though. That’s really shocked me!

OP posts:
Sleepeazie · 14/08/2023 22:06

@Nik2015 i don’t know how old you are? I’m 43 and have had this all my life. My specialist says it’s the cumulative effect. It’s not that yours is 6, and so is Jane’s down the road at 60.. it’s that your whole life, you’re body has had excess cholesterol running through its veins. That’s where the damage can occur. I’d pursue it.
as I understand it, other medication (injections) are also available. 39 is no age, sorry for your loss 😞

BusinessClass · 14/08/2023 22:15

Mine was 9.6 and also
had very high triglycerides. I take rosuvastatin 10mg and 67mg fenofibrate- my levels are perfect now. Well they were in my last test about 2 years ago - must get another one. Mine is hypertryglicerideamia

JessicaBrassica · 14/08/2023 22:16

Mines 6. Ratios of good:bad are fine and GO not concerned.

Runner, climber, slightly overweight (which nobody seems to believe so I carry it well), vegetarian for most of my life, occasionally vegan and currently pescatarian. Drink a little at weekends.

I assume it's genetic because there's not much I can change in my lifestyle.

I'm actually just grateful my diet is as good as it is. If I ate the same food as dh which includes red and processed meat regularly, I think I'd probably be in a bit of a mess.

fantasmasgoria1 · 14/08/2023 22:38

I have familial type IV hyperlipidemia. There is nothing that I can do to change it. I have been taking a type of medication for a while and I have been barely eating and it went to 4.5 but it's now 6.5 and I have begun statins. I have felt bad about it but my consultant at the lipid clinic said I could eat extremely healthily and exercise etc but it would make little difference.

Original poster
Nik2015 · 14/08/2023 22:54

How do I get to a lipid clinic?

@Sleepeazie you've put it really well. It’s been running round my blood vessels for years….

OP posts:
vitDsunshine · 14/08/2023 23:11

For those of you on satins, were/are there side effects?

I'm sure I will need to take them soon - runs in family. Need to have a blood test as last test was around 7 but GP wasn't concerned then

TheOnlyAletheia · 14/08/2023 23:33

I have FH like many others on the thread - and have been on statins since I was 30 (coming off them to conceive DS2) Untreated my cholesterol is 8.5 and statins bring it down to 3.5. Diet makes no difference.

ItsNotRocketSalad · 14/08/2023 23:42

vitDsunshine · 14/08/2023 23:11

For those of you on satins, were/are there side effects?

I'm sure I will need to take them soon - runs in family. Need to have a blood test as last test was around 7 but GP wasn't concerned then

None. They're generally a very safe drug, though there's always a slim chance you'll get bad effects. Just make sure to read about them so you can spot it instantly.

EBearhug · 14/08/2023 23:52

Think it was about 12. Not sure what it currently is, because didn't get round to asking for the results. It's been high since my 20s, when I shared a house with one of the hospital dieticians, so she knew I was telling the truth about diet and exercise. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I do exercise. I stopped worrying about it, because stressing over it didn't help. I started taking statins a couple of years or so ago.

Needmoresunshine · 15/08/2023 00:01

I too have FH. Been on statins for nearly 30 years (apart from when pregnant and BF) . Untreated my cholesterol is around 14. Now take statins, eztamibe and the elocumab injection. Finally got it down to just under 5

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