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Fish Oil as an alternative to Statins?

Posted , 4 users are following.

jude65855
jude65855

I was prescribed statins after a heart attack nearly 4 years ago when I was aged 63 and Ithink I've tried every formulation in existence by either my cardioligist or my GP.   Side effects from all of them have been extreme & sudden episodes of fatigue (dangerous when driving a car!);  muscle weakness;  muscle pain only slightly relieved by codeine which I can't take regularly because it's addictive plus weird nerve pain which varies from burning to prickling to something akin to electric shocks in all areas of my body.

I felt my life was over and at one point told my dr I'd rather risk another heart attack than continue living like this.   I was too tired to do anything other than the bare basics of surviving:  no energy for gardening, going out, playing with my grand-daughter.   I often felt suicidal and began counselling for severe depression.

I tried taking Q10 on my pharmacist's recommendation because statins deplete this enzyme in the body:  this made a bit of difference but not much.  I also tried cayenne pepper recommended by "alternative" type friends - didn't make the slightest bit of difference to my cholesterol levels.

Every new statin wd be ok for 3 -4 weeks and then the same old side effects would return, and every time I stopped the statins I'd be back to my normal energetic & reasonably happy self.

Now I'm trying Omacor, a prescription only fish oil BUT it costs A$56 for 28 and I'm supposed to take 4 a day - that's $56 a week which I can't afford on the pension.  I've managed to scrape up enough $ for the current script and another one & will then get my cholesterol checked:  if it's starting to come down I'll have to find the $ somewhere.    Unless I can get myself a casual cleaning job, which I'd have the energy & strength for now I'm off the statins, I'll have no choice but to use up what's left of compensation from being raped 4 years ago -  not a good choice to have to make.

Has anyone else had experience with fish oil and in particular Omacor?  One person has told me she got her cholesterol down with 4 caps of ordinary over the counter fish oil a day, so I guess I can try that if the Omacor has any effect.

Sorry for longwinded post!

0 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

  • sonya10
    sonya10 jude65855

    Posted

    Hi jude

    sorry to hear how you've suffered on statins but Unfortunatley these drugs give millions of people terrible side effects.

    i would ask your pharmacist for the best Omega 3 oil available without prescription, I'm sure there's plenty on the market that will work just as well as your prescribed ( expensive ) one.

     

    Fish oil doesn't lower cholesterol as such. It raises the ' good' cholesterol which is a good thing.

    can I suggest you also cut back on carbs, this will have huge health benefits and will lower your cholesterol.

    hope that helps

    • jude65855
      jude65855 sonya10

      Posted

      I was already taking Omega 3:  info I have from my research that Omacor is prepared in some special formulation which does lower cholesterol.  Why do you assume I haven't already tried cutting back on carbs???

      Sorry but I didn't ask for gratuitous advice, just info on other people's experiences which it doesn't seem you have.

    • derek76
      derek76 jude65855

      Posted

      How to make friends and influence people:-)

       

    • sonya10
      sonya10 jude65855

      Posted

      Well I am shocked!!! What a reply.

      i am completely amazed that you read my reply as anything than helpful.

      i really do take offence to your attitude to me when I simply offered advice, this I am sure is obvious with my final sentence. 

      No pleasing some people 

    • derek76
      derek76 sonya10

      Posted

      She is a depressive who tells the world she was raped so I guess that we should make allowances for her. To have been raped and have a heart attack in the same year must have been an  'annus horribilis'
    • margaretx
      margaretx derek76

      Posted

      I agree why be nasty the person was only trying to help.
  • derek76
    derek76 jude65855

    Posted

    Seems like the NHS is stopping prescriptions for Omacar.

    http://community.bhf.org.uk/group/discussion/stopping-omacor

     

    • jude65855
      jude65855 derek76

      Posted

      I'm in Australia and Omacor isn't one of the govt subsidised scripts.  I had already seen stuff on the net about NHS in the UK but  not relevant to my situation.
    • derek76
      derek76 jude65855

      Posted

      Well it is called UK Health so perhaps we are not the place for you.
    • jude65855
      jude65855 derek76

      Posted

      I don't see why:  it's the same product and all I'm asking for is other people's exerience with it, ie, successful or not.   Not a very welcoming comment!
    • derek76
      derek76 jude65855

      Posted

      You were not very gracious to the person who answered you.
    • jude65855
      jude65855 derek76

      Posted

      I didn't intend to be ungracious, but I do get a bit impatient when I ask a specific question on the net and people take it upon themselves to waste my time & energy with irrelevant and inappropriate responses.    
    • sonya10
      sonya10 jude65855

      Posted

      I could be wrong but I doubt any member would take it upon themselves to answer your so called ' specific' question for fear of being accused of wasting your time and energy with what you view to be inappropriate and irrelevant responses.

      If I received a reply to a question on here that gave me information I felt I didn't need, or advice I already followed I would still be polite and appreciate the time they took in replying to me. 

      Please bear in mind that although you say you asked a specific question your post was a long one full of info which I'm sure you would hope people would read in its entirety with the question at the very bottom, if you didn't want anything but just an answer to a question at the very end then it might be best to keep your posts short and ' specific'

      I took the time to read your post and after the feedback you gave me I wish I hadn't bothered.

      Regards

      Sonya

    • derek76
      derek76 jude65855

      Posted

      Perhaps you should take your leave of this Group as we Poms obviously are not your schooner of Amber Nectar:-) 

      Most of us here have had Statin side effects. I will never take them, Warfarin or Amiodarone again.

      How high is your cholesterol reading?

      I used to think that Americans were the fattest people in the world until visiting Australia where obesity must be a major problem.

    • jude65855
      jude65855 sonya10

      Posted

      Sonya, I'm really sorry if I came across as rude and I did appreciate yr time & energy responding to me, even if I didn't say so.   My only excuse is that I've been getting the run around for nearly 3 years now from medical specialists/pharmacists/various alternative practicioners and well-meaning friends and strangers.

      I was delighted when I found this forum because I thought it wd be a place to find people who'd also tried Omacor and whether or not it had been effective, so I can decide whether or not to borrow money to stay on it.

      Regards to you too and I'll try and be more polite in future!

      Jude

       

    • sonya10
      sonya10 jude65855

      Posted

      Thank you Jude, appreciate your apology and I hope someone can answer your question.

      best wishes

      Sonya

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