40 years old and 7.5 cholesterol

I recently had a cholesterol test and my result was borderline but when the GP put my exercise, diet and other factors into his computer it came up with a 12% chance of having a heart attack, etc, that's also 88% likely not to happen.  He said he'd only prescribe statins when the score got to over 20%.  You might want to ask your GP about your risk factor and then make a decision if your cholesterol remains increased.  It is your choice, your GP can only recommend to you.

Hi Nico, 

?Not sure what you would do if you can't get it down. I think you have only two choices. Take the meds or take a chance.  I had a high cholesterol level of 295 and I'm sure it was genetics. I'm not sure of your numbers of 7.5 as compared to mine.  I tried to do the diet that the doctor suggested and did cardio but still nothing brought it down.  I went on medication Liptor 20mg. for several years.  Within the first year I noticed lower calf pain a couple times a month on only one leg. Then as time went on it was both legs and more often.  Last year it was driving me nuts as the pain was nightly and my lower calfs and knees when resting or trying to sleep. I decided to stop the medication just to see if there would be a difference and if not than I would go back on the medication. I noticed a difference in the pain being reduced within the first week and every week after just got better and better and less pain. Within a month all seemed normal and I have not been back on the meds.  It has been a couple of months and my doctor does not know I went off the meds but I plan to tell him next week. I will be asking him the same question you asked. What do I do if I can't bring it down because I cannot live with the pain in the legs. It was really driving me nuts.  Try the diet and hope for the best.  Let us know what happened. Hopefully you will be a sucess story.

Around 25 years ago my cholesterol was 8.5, it is now 6.4, what brought it down I have no idea.In November I had a mini stroke and was put on statins, I was only on them for two weeks but in that time they caused so much damage that I thought I was on the way out, no idea at all that it was the statins until my sister started investigating  and I stopped takling them. I am still suffering from the effects two months later. Prior to the stroke I was fit and healthy, didn't drink or smoke and had lots of exercise. My GP in the past had said that a cholesterol level of 6.4 was nothing to worry about taking everything else into account.

We were brought up on a very fatty diet but it did my parents no harm, they lived until 86 and stayed in reasonable health until then. My sister and myself have also had no problems.

A GP I saw recently said it was impossible to lower cholesterol by diet alone and tried to persuade me to try a different statin but I refused and will go on refusing as I do not want to go through that nightmare again. I have changed my diet drastically, cut out all chocolate, cream cakes, biscuits, sugar (all of which I loved), processed food and I am trying to eat more fruit and vegetables, oats, oily fish and go for a walk each day. That is all I can do really and so it is in the lap of the gods but no more statins for me.

Hi Nico, i'm the same as you 7.5. I was told by my doc that i am a heart attack waiting to happen. He put me on statins and i went from an active heathy happy person to a grumpy old man all in six months. I felt like i had aged 20 yrs.

The doc wouldnt listen to me. I took matters into my own hands and threw the statins in the bin. It took me a year to recover and become myself again.

That was three yrs ago, i am happy and healthy and still running in the red at 7.5 exercising daily and i fired my doctor for not listening to me!

I have also as a precautionary measure been to a cardiologist and my heart is in perfect health with no narrowing of the arteries.

i was first diagnosed with high cholesterol at 40yrs old. I am now 50 and in perfect health.

Hope this helps with your decision making.

I was also told a few years ago that it is the ratio as well.  Someone with for example 4.5 reading could have worse ratio than a higher reading.  A few years ago mine was 6.5 and good cholesterol was 2.8 my husband that 4.5 reading and only 1.2 good cholesterol so in fact I had a better ratio.  Interestingly since exercising so much mine has gone up overall.  I don't understand how some people weigh more, do no exercise, eat like...... And have low cholesterol

My recommendation would be to do everything you can to avoid taking them. Diet, exercise, meditation, eliminating stress in your life are all helpful ways you can reduce cholesterol levels. I was on 20mg of atorvastatin for 5 to 6 months and i had all kinds of serious side effects. They ranged from severe muscle cramps in neck/shoulder area, dizziness, confusion, memory loss, short temper and anxiety just to name a few. I quit on my own as Drs kept saying it's not the statin. After 6 months almost all of those symptoms are gone but it did take that long once I quit them for my body to heal. They recommended trying a different one but I'm not ready to take that chance yet. If you do decide to take them start off w smallest dose possible and if you notice any of those symptoms tell your dr right away and don't wait 5 or 6 months like me as it almost ruined my life. Don't let them tell you it's not the meds because it very well could be. Good luck..

We all should fill the yellow card system in uk for letting pharmaceutical companies know of the side  effects.  I did.  I think if I had stayed on them I would be dead now.  The calcium in joints my body has made since them due to the muscle wastage at the joints is irriversible.  I now have very large calcium deposits on the rotator cuff.