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Advice please?

Posted , 5 users are following.

josephine_30311
josephine_30311

I've had familial hypercholesterolemia (apparently) for years ..(un-medicated - my readings always hover around 8). I took statins on and off, but I never felt well on either, and eventually stopped taking them altogether of my own accord. I'd read the NHS  'risk' factors, and as a 64 year old female non-smoker (I quit two years ago) I apparently have a 20% chance of heart attack and stroke within the next 20 years. I figured I'd run with the odds (I have to die of something, after all), because while the statins promised QUANTITY of life, they were ruining the QUALITY.  I was  always fuzzy-headed, fed up, tired, and I ached all over.

However, We've just moved to a different town .. and my new doctor is strongly advising me to resume taking the statins. I've relented, and a presciption now awaits me at the chemists. But before I do start taking them again, can someone answer the following questions for me?

1. How do the doctors know for sure my high cholesterol is 'genetic' .. (as far as I am aware only the normal 'lipid' test was done) .. I have no family history of heart disease, and no outward signs (those little white lumps around the eyes and achilles tendon?). 

2. What other treatment - apart from statins - are available for the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia? I'd rather stick to a diet of dried seaweed, soya beans and sardines for the rest of my life if thats what it takes, rather than live the half life of a statin-zombie in my declining years!

I'm dreading it.

Any advice would be very helpful and much appreciated.

Thanks

Jo

1 like, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • jackie59258
    jackie59258 josephine_30311

    Posted

    I recognise all the symptoms you mention as my husband was put on statins and he was screaming with the muscle pains and also was not his usual self. I myself was told my cholesterol was 5.7 but was not put on any medication, I decided myself to try the age old remedy of having 35gms of porridge oats every morning and within 10 months was retested and it had gone down to 4.9. There was no other change in my diet so perhaps you could try this. My husband also has the porridge and his doctor put him on capsules called Omacor which I think is a type of fish oil, not sure about that but google it. I know the tablets are a lot more expensive than statins but have no side effects. There is no way myself or my husband would take statins. By the way the Omacor keeps his cholestoral at a good level. Please let me know how you get on as you might have to stamp your feet to get the Omacor but certainly worth the try.
    • josephine_30311
      josephine_30311 jackie59258

      Posted

      Thanks Jackie, I certainly will ask the doctor about Omacor. I'll let you know what she said.

      And I'll try the oats too!

      Cheers

      Jo

  • bikergraham
    bikergraham josephine_30311

    Posted

    Hi Josephine.What a beautiful name.

    I'm 63 and like you have had a fairly high ,well not quite as high as yours,cholestral at 6.5 for many years.My doctor has suddenly started talking about "doing this and doing that" he has known about it for years so why now? but anyway the point is that my 17% chance and your 20% chance can be construed as 83% and 80% chance of not having anything happen.Pretty good odds i think.However better to know and i'm tackling it by having a bowl of porridge every morning and having milk with plant sterols in,just a small change to start with.I shall be starting a gym membership soon ,[as i was a bodybuider in my younger days anyway ] i have now retired so am looking forward to the challenge. Be positive Josephine ,take the bull by the horns,you know what your capable of and how far you can change your life and most importantly nutrition.Im sure that by small changes to start with ,as you have already done by giving up the weed which should massively improve your life expectancy anyway,out of acorns grow Oaks small changes now will reep the benefits later.My advice for what its worth,ignore the doctor and make life changes,you know it makes sense.Good luck.

  • Sarah23456
    Sarah23456 josephine_30311

    Posted

    Diet and exercise.

    You need to see if you can raise your HDL level to change your LDL to HDL ratio, so while your total cholesterol will be high your ratio will have changed.

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