Anybody on a Statin?

[El Wood]

Well, my doctor finally talked me into a physical. I'm 34 years old and figured it was time. What could it hurt, right (I told him to hold off on the prostate check until after 40...)? I should also add that my wife had a say in the matter too...

Anyway, I just got my results back and my cholesterol was 259. HDL was 51, LDL was 166 and Trigly-something was 209. From what my doctor said, it's high and we should talk about going on a Statin. I should add that I do have heart disease in my family. My dad had heart surgery and my uncles have stints in their hearts. My mother has high cholesterol too. She ended up becoming a vegan instead of taking meds. I don't think I could do that. I like my steak and taters too much. I exercise about 3 days a week and weigh in at about 185. Bad genes I guess...

Is anyone here on a Statin? What's your opinion on taking them?

 

[gwdixon]

I take them. They definitely lower cholesterol if that is your concern.

Do a Google search for side effects. Mayo Clinic usually is a good place to start.

 

[Egbert]

Although your LDL is too high, your ratio is within the desired range. 51 HDL is very good. I have trouble getting mine to stay around 40.

For me, I've opted away from statins and use something that stays out of the liver.

Statins have a long list of "great" side-effects - but - they also have a long list of "bad" side-effects. I may eventually have to use them but not until I have exhausted all other options.

 

[DABSGT]

El Wood I had a Herat attach at age 46 almost 13 years ago. I have been on statin since. Thing is I had the complete physical a week to 10 days before and my total number 186! Any way the drug has been doing its job only side effect I have had some leg, thigh, pain.
Best of luck and now with your family history go for regular check ups. You wouldn't let your tractor go with out regular maintenance would you?

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[radioman]

I been taking them. I have tried several varieties due to cost. There was one I wont go back to that made me have a dry cough. Now I am not taking any due to no insurance.
Wife lost her job and I have to wait till enrollment to switch over for me and then start new in jan. (there is more to this story about innsurance so dont say three is cobra and such as we cannot afford it). When new insurance kicks in, Ill be back on statin drugs again.

 

[dave1949]

Thirty four sounds young to go on statins, assume you will be taking them for the duration.

What other options did your doctor give you? Diet, lose weight, more exercise, yadda, yadda?

If you need them, statins are a great thing, but all medicine has side effects. At your age, looking at 50 years of pills, I would try to get things under control without pills, if that is possible. If not, then be grateful they are available. My Mom has been down the same path as your family; bypass surgery, stents, catheter roto-rooting, blood thinners and statins. She's 87 and still kicking but she watches her diet and has for the past 28 years now since her bypass.

I have been taking a statin for two years, I am 64. Haven't had any side effects yet. It's time to get back into the gym though for some cardio workouts.

 

[SPIKER]

I been on them but usually not very long as they caused too much BAD side effects. I ended up with rather high amounts of joint, leg and arm pain. It took away my motivation and I wanted to sleep all day & wake up to the joint and extremity pain... Even tried Red Rice yeast stuff which also caused issues on top of terrible indigestion.

Mark

 

[JimRB]

I do not know anything about them personally. I heard something about memory loss. Major Side Effects of Statin Drugs

 

[300UGUY]

I have been on anti chorlestrol drugs of of some sort since I was 34. Statins work, but they do have side effects. I was never able to diet or exercise enough to get my numbers down. I tested @283. After a year of diet, losing 20lbs, and eating basically grass, I came out at 286. You can do a lot with diet and exercise, but genetics are pretty powerful. At least that's what my doc said. I am now on a generic, atorvastin. I was taking Caduet, a combination bp, chl pill, but the generics are cheaper. I don't notice a side effect except a dry throat, I use cough drops to lessen that. But I am not positive that the cough is due to the drug. It is a pia, but you need to get those numbers down. Losing weight and exercise is always good.

 

[Egbert]

300UGUY, I hear ya'. I've spent hours and hours and hours and years in the gym and on bikes ... cholesterol never moved more than 10 points.

 

[DABSGT]

Most think of family history and diet as the cause of high cholesterol true enough but a risk factor that is often overlooked is stress. Exercise and diet are great for lowering your numbers and remember to do something for the stress.

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[El Wood]

My father ran miles and miles a week for many years of his life. He always told me exercise is a good stress reliever which I've found to be true. He still ended up going in for heart surgery though. I hate running but make myself do it three days a week. It does help a lot with stress but must not be powerful enough to battle genetics. My mother was able to get hers down with a grass diet. I just can't see myself eating grass only.

Part of me thinks why start taking pills now. Maybe I'll wait and see if it does become an issue with high blood pressure or something more then just high cholesterol. Maybe that's a bad idea though given my family history.

 

[sailfast]

Check out the movie...

" Fat Head"

From your library.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Well, my doctor finally talked me into a physical. I'm 34 years old and figured it was time. What could it hurt, right (I told him to hold off on the prostate check until after 40...)? I should also add that my wife had a say in the matter too...

Anyway, I just got my results back and my cholesterol was 259. HDL was 51, LDL was 166 and Trigly-something was 209. From what my doctor said, it's high and we should talk about going on a Statin. I should add that I do have heart disease in my family. My dad had heart surgery and my uncles have stints in their hearts. My mother has high cholesterol too. She ended up becoming a vegan instead of taking meds. I don't think I could do that. I like my steak and taters too much. I exercise about 3 days a week and weigh in at about 185. Bad genes I guess...

Is anyone here on a Statin? What's your opinion on taking them?

I cant take them.. Too much mucle pain. Gemfibrozil (for triglycerides) also caused my joints to ache like Rheumatism. So now I'm on fish oil only.. 9000mgs a day.

 

[troutsqueezer]

I also think you might be a little young to start when diet and exercise can fix your problem. Doesn't mean you have to stop eating steak, just mix it up with some green.

I've been on them for three years, no side effects.

 

[300UGUY]

My father ran miles and miles a week for many years of his life. He always told me exercise is a good stress reliever which I've found to be true. He still ended up going in for heart surgery though. I hate running but make myself do it three days a week. It does help a lot with stress but must not be powerful enough to battle genetics. My mother was able to get hers down with a grass diet. I just can't see myself eating grass only.

Part of me thinks why start taking pills now. Maybe I'll wait and see if it does become an issue with high blood pressure or something more then just high cholesterol. Maybe that's a bad idea though given my family history.

I really wouldn't screw around. Either with b/p or the chl. Trust me, you don't want it to become a "issue". You could end up dead or worse. A friend of mine had a stroke @36. Ruined his life. He lasted until 50, couldn't work, talk very well, or do much of anything.

 

[tallyho8]

I started on Lovastatin at age 63, 5 years ago. I now have normal cholesterol and never observed any side effects and it only cost $10 for a 3 month supply at Wal-Mart and other places.

 

[bcjmmac]

I was on them for 6 months or so (Lipitor I think). During the 6 months I got "serious" and shed 15 lbs + started doing some weights in addition to cardio. That was 6 years & while my #s aren't as they were on drugs they are fine - especially since my LDL is less than 3 times my HDL (but total # is at high end of normal range).
Family history of heart problems so I have my #s checked every year. I now live in the country so get most of my workout working around my 80+ acres.

 

[dmccarty]

My father ran miles and miles a week for many years of his life. He always told me exercise is a good stress reliever which I've found to be true. He still ended up going in for heart surgery though. I hate running but make myself do it three days a week. It does help a lot with stress but must not be powerful enough to battle genetics. My mother was able to get hers down with a grass diet. I just can't see myself eating grass only.

Part of me thinks why start taking pills now. Maybe I'll wait and see if it does become an issue with high blood pressure or something more then just high cholesterol. Maybe that's a bad idea though given my family history.

There was a report in the Wall Street Journal a few years ago about a study regarding family histories of heart problems. I don't remember the numbers they mentioned, but the younger a family member had a heart problem, the great the odds the younger generation would have similar issues. In other words, if the father had a heart attack in his 30's, the odds of the son having a heart attack were increased. On the other hand, if the father had a heart attack at 60ish, the son did not need to worry about heart issues. Genetics is very important and I really wonder how much cholesterol is genetic vs what one eats...

Anyway, given your family history and what your doctor is saying, I sure is heck would pay attention and do something. You might not get a second chances with heart problems. TXDON has done wonders with diet to control his health problems. You might not want to be a grass eater, but eating grass is better than being buried under the grass.

Later,
Dan

 

[dfkrug]

Is anyone here on a Statin? What's your opinion on taking them?

More than 20 y for me. Simvastatin works well for me, and is quite cheap now (generic). I take 60mg/day
to get my LDL down below 80-90. Genetic reasons. No side effects I am aware of. First tried Mevacor in the
early 90s and got the muscle pain. Zocor was new and expensive back then, but it works very well. There
are 5 or 6 statins currently available.

Before statins, I tried restrictive diets, then niacin, then cholestymamine. I already exercise a lot and weigh
149.