Scared to take statins

I woudl say that yes, you can reduce this by diet and by exercise. I have done that although I take fibrate and eztamibe as I am do not tolerate the statins and my Dr's recognise this. It is not a standard NICE approach but for me it works. One thing i take is a dose of metamucil.  I belive that this helps me and I only take one dose in the morning. 

Ask if you can see a diatician and see if your Dr will send you to a lipid clinic.

At the end of the day there are risks associated with everything in life and it is down to you to decide what risk you are able to take.

Remember when a Dr says there is a 20% of death within x years if you do not take this drug that also means there is a 80% of survival. Plus the Dr cannot really tell you if you are in the 20% bracket or not.

Have a full and honest discussion with you Dr. do reasearch and use that as part of your discussion. I do nto think it right of anyone on the formum to say dont but to suggest that you question, understand the risk and try and take control of your ailments.

My old Doctor told me exactly that....well I know a few people that have lowered it with diet and exercise including me I have had Heart bypass and I am on a low dose 10mg Atorvorstatin and exercise 5 or 6 times a week and my cholesterol is 3.7 and I'm fitter than ever I am 66 exercise includes Cycling walking 9 -10 miles a week spinning class circuit training (Heartsmart) and the Gym so I say get out and do stuff it's working for me I'm going to stop the statins to see how I get on 

Thank you Paul and Geoff, I have sent for a book and some plant sterols and will do the best I can. My Gp said I had a 14% risk and I said to him that meant 86% chance of not and I don't want to hang around in a care home. That was before I started with dreadful leg pain but even they have not been really diagnosed.

Opinion: exercise and drastically change your diet. Research, research healthy diets. Walk walk walk.  It's all the junk food, soy oil in everything with Omega 6, processed foods, enriched flour, sugar, fructose corn syrup that is killing us.

Statins may add to your pain and suffereing. And they won't stop you from having that heart attack. No research indicates that they change that prognosis at least not to a significant extent.

I have changed mine and it's not really that difficult. Life is good.

Good luck.

Went to vascular consultant yesterday who retested the pressures and pulses in my legs and he told me that the pulses were good and the pressure absolutely fine andbas far as he could tell I had perfectly healthy arteries. When I told him that the test was done when I was recumbent and nit flat he said no wonder they got the wrong reading. It was the practice nurse who did the first test and sent me into a tailspin by telling me I had hardening of the arteries. Relieved but also angry because I could have meekly accepted that and the statins and ended up in a much worse situation.

This is excellent news.

Well done and I assume that you confidence has gone through the roof.

 

Thank you Paul, yes particularly as consultant was concerned that nothing was being done about my several thousand ectopic heartbeats a day.