Cannot tolerate statins, help please!

My GP said of a cardiologist at the local hospital when talking of statins.. 'He'd put it in the local water supply if he could'

Well he should try the pain and the side effects of these so called wonder drugs and see what its doing to us long term,,it killed my dad of last year who died 81 and up until he was 78 was fit and strong and never had a problem till he had a cancer  scare and these  wonder drugs sneaked there way into his life aches pains new hip etc etc same stuff ive had but i did not realise what they were doing till unfortunatly i started the same drugs but not warfrin it drove him mad and ended in hospital for 5  weeks  where  he died on the ward of a massive stroke due to nurses telling he had no chance shock killed him and the drugs

Luckily he can't...

Oh that is so scary!   But the drug companies would love that, wouldn't they?   I keep hearing of people put on statins as a "preventative" measure when they've never had high cholesterol and have no family history of it - who benefits from that???

I'm on similar meds to you Graham.  Atorvastatin, clopidogrel, aspirin, bisoprolol and ramipril after a May heart attack.  When on a cocktail of drugs it's not always simple to work out which one is causing which side effect.  Don't think there is much choice but to grin and bear clopidogrel - you can probably come off it after one year and leave aspirin to do the trick. 

I would think that sexual appetite going downhill relates to bisoprolol which is a beta-blocker and renowned for blocking more than just betas.  Too much booze not a good idea either. Speak to your doc

Will leave the statins for others to discuss but you need to write to Fisherman re adopting his healthy lifestyle and Bobsleigh for his beetroot and avocado smoothie recipe. 

Welcome to this forum and hope this year is much better for you. 

Alex

 

Graham - I'm sorry for the loss of your father but I think it's a bit unreasonable of you to blame all his medical problems at the age of 80 on medication, especially I don't think warfarin "drives you mad" and I don't think anything nurses say would cause a stroke without other factors existing.

I don't see why he would've been prescribed statins (the subject of this site) for cancer, as they're specifically for high (or "high") cholesterol.

 

Statins DEFINITELY affect libido, also most information on the subject says "erectile disfunction" - being a woman, I didn't have that problem with statins, but I did have loss of libido and orgasmic disfunction.

I haven't taken beta blockers for over 3 years and it's not about booze with me (I think that's a male thing anyway, isn't it?), it was totally noticeable that my libido vanished when on statins and returned within a week or so of going off them, vanished again on  non-statin cholesterol reducers, then came back again ...

 

hi read with interest to all BUT my dad was fine up till ages  78/79 he had cancer of the colon first  and always had abnormal heart condition which the RAF picked up in the 70s and stopped him flying as he was a pilot of the cold war vulcan in those days no drugs so desk job in high inteligance as the big wig he retired in late 80s and was heathly normal bloke until the 2012 cancer and also when the doctors picked up on heart problem but he beat the cancer and all the other problems that arose with those drugs,,, but as soon as went on heart tablets he needed a hip replacement two eye cateraks constent pain in shoulders and feet  and in right arm could not sleep  by NOW he was going down hill and was admited to hospital for heart bi ventucal heart replacement device at kettering hospital  amazing little thing which is ebeded in the chest..As he was getting worse in hospital after getting 3 hospital bugs in the 4 weeks the opperation was cancelled he suffered from constant itching in his head and back he  had horrible nightmares and his time clock had gone in to over drive with day turning to night he saw  dragons and demons in the ward and started the next early signs of dementia but doctors could not see this within 4 weeks of bieng admited he now had got stomach cancer which hed never been dianosed with he was given the last rights by a so called trainee doctor on the thursday nite and died the next morning at 6am total game over and thats what he said when told he would be put on more cancer drugs..Now as for me i was adopted and do not know my birth parents but what i do know is stress and bad diet in early days have caught up with me and bit me on the arse I do not smoke not a big drinker overwieght by 17 stone but very active work in a horrible industry selling to the public so mine is stress related never done drugs but to have them prescribed for something like cholesterol problems was a big shock and to have 2 stents// buy one get one free has been a Massive shock to  me i have cut my food intake down and lost a stone cut my drinking down and bad foods out accept for the odd chocky bar...will keep you all informed about progress on stopping my drugs and if i can get 10 years +more i will be very happy dont want to end up as a criple yet ..sorry about spelling and gramer no my best

Thank you for your post Graham it was very interesting and your dad sounds like he was a wonderful person.  First off, well done you for making such efforts to get back to a healthy lifestyle, it's fantastic you've managed to lose so much weight and you deserve a massive pat on the back for that, I know myself just how hard that is.  I hope you reap the benefits and that you can get your body health to where it should be without having to resort to masses of toxic pharmaceuticals.  Stress is the biggest killer there is, most of my health issues have been caused by my reaction to stress.  I've always known that my weight issues have been directly connected to how much under stress I am; funnily enough there's now a tv programme about dieting (in parts at 9pm on Tues evening) and they've clinically tested the people involved and found that cortisol is a factor in some of the overweight members.  Have a try at activities that will decrease or help you manage the stressful job etc that you have.  Meditation, exercise, cutting out certain foodstuffs, relaxation techniques etc.  Often just being 'happy' will heal the body immensely.  Good luck hon, keep strong re your diet etc., you can do it. xx

Thanks for the understanding came on this site to get feedback and what it's like to have this so called disease from others and hoe long people who have come of certain drugs are living to.Obviously I m still youngish but don't want to end up as a dependent in wheel chair.Today is my 3rd day of a avastatin and I feel heck of a lot better but time will tell.Getting rid of all my stress and her indoors as this has been some of the faults in 2014 changing my job and going travelling around the world later in year..So Big changes ahead..

Just a quick comment re beetroot.  A lot of scientists/doctors etc are now dismissing the notion of 'superfoods' - quite rightly in my view - but I read up about beetroot and it truly is a foodstuff with quite miraculous properties.  Maybe doctors should be thinking of prescribing it instead of all these toxic high profit chemicals.

Takes quite a long time to cook doesn't it?  I normally buy the ready cooked beetroot in M & S  but guess that the uncooked is the one with miraculous properties. 

 

My apologies Jude.  Thought you were a member of the male species.  I do think that we need to retain a sense of balance here.  Different strokes for different folks and all that.  There is no right way forward.  I've said this before.  We can attempt to do what is right for us but something is going to get us in the end.  Meanwhile we should all be happy that we are alive and kicking.  My doctor prescribed 40mgs of statins which keeps my cholesterol at 4.  On 20mgs, it's 5.  He wants me at 4 as I've had a heart attack. I've opted to remain on 20mgs and stay at 5.  I don't know who's right and who's wrong but I've made my choice for now. 

Re libido.  I would not want to see everyone come off statins solely because of loss of libido.  Lots of things affect libido.  Ill health for one.  Different medications.  Relationship issues etc etc etc.   No-one wants to be on medication -we've just got to weigh up the options and take our pick.

On another topic completely, did you read that they are working on a pill to make you fall more in love with your partner?!  Anyone got a view on that one?

Have a good evening.

Alex

HA HA... Thank goodness for a sense of humour!

However - might i suggest you start a new 

topic...LOL

I should think it will be a winner Alex....!!

Tinned beetroot contains a lot of sugar and salt as well as the vinegar.  I haven't heard anywhere that you have to eat it raw to get any medicinal effects:  I've recently learned how to cook it easily.  Wrap in tin foil and bake in the oven until soft, rub off the skin under running water (rubber gloves if you're worried about dyeing your fingers) and that's it.

You can juice it raw but I don't particularly like the taste, not too bad with carrot & celery and maybe cucumber though. 

Or you can grate it raw for beetroot salad, put it through the juicer to make into a dip ......

I think it's a fantastic vegie and easy to grow too

Good idea, Jude.  I will wrap and bake tomorrow.

I dare say, alzheimer.  Maybe tomorrow.  Statins and beetroot will suffice for today!

Thanx Graham and get bets soon!

PLEASE NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!