Posted , 5 users are following.
wondering if anyone can give me some advice. I'm 47 and total cholesterol is 5.8 which is down from 7.8. my GP said I was too young for statins but friends are saying I'm a walking heart attack waiting to happen. should I be worried.? i have changed my diet and eat no dairy or red meat but I am a smoker and drink about 20 units of alcohol per week
0 likes, 12 replies
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brian3357 sharon46441
Posted
I have the same dilemma. My cholesterol is 7.4. Trying to reduce myself as statin's have side effects. Not sure as there is no family history
Leajayse brian3357
Posted
Hi,
Cholesterol too high. Avoid statins if possible and definitely Simvastatin! You might find my advice to Sharon useful. Your choice.
sharon46441 brian3357
Posted
to get mine from 7.8 to 5.8 I cut out red meat and dairy and use benecol spread
Leajayse sharon46441
Posted
Hi,
What a sensible doctor! The average cholesterol level for the UK is 5.7 so don't panic YET!
Try to reduce the cigarettes and I've been a smoker for many years. Apart from damaging your health it will cost you a fortune and is my biggest regret. Make sure it's not yours when you're 80!
Stupidest thing I've ever done. And don't vape, that's causing a killer chest disease apparently.
Cut back significantly on the sugar. That is the killer and check tins and packets it's in all sorts. eg small pot of yoghurt 25g. Use olive oil. Eat lots of veg but don't overdo the fruit. Avoid processed food. Limit your intake of alcohol.
Sounds daunting but it's not really. You make it your way of life as opposed to your way to death. and yes I've been there, 2011, heart attack in Tesco. I have to be different! LOL
Good luck with it all. Follow YOUR path and ignore your friends. . It's YOUR life not theirs.
sharon46441 Leajayse
Posted
thank you
Leajayse sharon46441
Posted
You are welcome. Hope it has helped.
linda36668 sharon46441
Posted
You might want to look at the results of the Hunt 2 study out of Norway and a similar study out of Japan. Hunt 2 indicates that women live longer on average if their cholesterol is higher, such as between 5 and 7 or so. I'm 64 and I no longer take statins due to some nasty effects I suffered from them when a veterans doctor here in the U.S. stuck me on a statin back when I was in my early 50s. Research the subject yourself, try one out if you feel you should, see how YOUR body reacts to it, and then decide what's best for you.
Also, check out a post by a vascular surgeon in the U.K. entitled "Why I've ditched statins for good." Very interesting.
Leajayse linda36668
Posted
I had a heart attack in 2011 in Tesco! I was rushed to A & E, a stent was put in and the artery unblocked. My cholesterol was 5 but I was put on statins. Simvastatin 40mg.
After week or two I began to have pain in my left arm, deep in the muscle and started my research. I was horrified at what I found. I saw my doctor and told her that I wasn't taking them anymore. She didn't argue, waste of time really! lol
I slowly began to lose weight which I thought was great, change of lifestyle was paying off and I was 13st. 9lbs. A year later I was 11st 7lbs. I then went to Australia for a month and lost half a stone. I've been losing steadily since and I'm now 8st. My doctor says that it is not the statins as I had stopped them so I then asked her why it was that people continued to suffer terrible muscle pain after they had stopped taking them . She couldn't answer me.
In 2013 I fell heavily onto my chest which somehow affected my digestion. and no, my doctor doesn't know why! I can no longer eat fruit or bulky meals, or sugar and heaven knows what else. I have a belt sensation under my boobs which tightens if I eat something I shouldn't, burning in my back for the same reason. The belt oddly enough is relatively common and yet no one can get an answer. BUT on the positive side, having been plagued with indigestion for years, I now longer get it. Bizarre or what. So as you can see, I have my own story. lol
sharon46441 linda36668
Posted
will have a look at that. thanks
jen86183 sharon46441
Posted
Sharon,
My cholesterol went from 7.3 to 5.1 when I added coconut oil to my diet. I gave up believing doctors knew anything about cholesterol after that and educated myself about cholesterol from the first 'research',
sharon46441 jen86183
Posted
interesting as I thought coconut oil was bad for you
jen86183 sharon46441
Posted
Sharon,
We have all been brainwashed for the last forty years, it is so hard to undo brainwashing.
About six years ago I got scared, every single family seems affected by someone with cancer, alzheimers, diabetes, most children have modern conditions, this did not happen when I was young. Ever since doctors have interfered and told us what to eat the health of the nation has deteriorated, that is when I started educating myself about health and food.