Very nervous about taking a statin, please educate me

[Anonymous]

Also get your cardiac calcium score.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I sounded like you once too. I had a heart attack and now I fume at the anti-statin rhetoric. If your doctor wants you in a stain, take it.

+1

My 70yo brother, a doctor, had a heart attack last year and said that he wishes he had been on statins ten years ago.

[Anonymous]

I started Lipitor a few months ago despite good cholesterol, bc doctors discovered (a bit by accident) that I have an extra flap of tissue between two chambers of my heart. It’s not a big deal under most circumstance but it could allow a clot to evade the usual filtering process, making a stroke more likely. So they want my LDL at 80 or below. I also started taking a daily baby aspirin.

Initially my dose was 40 mg. That was WAY too high for me. I noticed within days that my legs felt weak and I was a lot more tired. We dropped dose to 20 mg, which felt a LOT better. LDL dropped to 80 at this dose very quickly.

I do notice that I sleep harder and I am less of a morning person than I used to be. I love the hard sleep, but also I love waking early. I’ve found taking Lipitor earlier in the evening (rather than at bedtime) helps quite a bit. But we are also testing a dose of 10 mg. If LDL starts creeping back up, we’ll try 15.

Please don’t listen to internet randos over your doctor. But do work with your doctor to experiment with dose if you notice side effects. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started Lipitor a few months ago despite good cholesterol, bc doctors discovered (a bit by accident) that I have an extra flap of tissue between two chambers of my heart. It’s not a big deal under most circumstance but it could allow a clot to evade the usual filtering process, making a stroke more likely. So they want my LDL at 80 or below. I also started taking a daily baby aspirin.

Initially my dose was 40 mg. That was WAY too high for me. I noticed within days that my legs felt weak and I was a lot more tired. We dropped dose to 20 mg, which felt a LOT better. LDL dropped to 80 at this dose very quickly.

I do notice that I sleep harder and I am less of a morning person than I used to be. I love the hard sleep, but also I love waking early. I’ve found taking Lipitor earlier in the evening (rather than at bedtime) helps quite a bit. But we are also testing a dose of 10 mg. If LDL starts creeping back up, we’ll try 15.

Please don’t listen to internet randos over your doctor. But do work with your doctor to experiment with dose if you notice side effects. Good luck.

Very informative. Thanks for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also get your cardiac calcium score.

And if it's low, you should start a statin to keep it low. If it's high, you should be taking a statin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You really don’t need a statin. My cholesterol and triglycerides were high and Dr prescribed Wegovy because of fear of statin side effects. It’s worked very well in just 3 months!

Sounds like you need a statin and Wegovy.

[Anonymous]

Depending on age, a CAC scan might be useful. I held off on a statin until a carotid ultrasound showed some mild plaque. My LDL dropped 60 points on 5 mg rosuvastatin. No side effects.

We started with the lowest dose of rosuvastatin because that one seems to have the least side effects and I was worried about muscle damage. Given how effective it is, I could probably go lower if that were available.

[Anonymous]

Adding to my post above, if you have a family history, doc might want your number under 70. Soluble fiber and decreased saturated fat might work.

L(p)a and ApoB are also good labs to track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don’t understand the fear of them. They are extremely effective with very few side effects.

Person with cholesterol of 400. I don't see why OP would start taking a daily medication, probably for life, as an initial step before seeing if a few dietary changes address her relatively minor issue, which is she just on the boundary of normal for LDL.

It is not a “minor issue.” High LdL leads to heart attacks. Period. We have decades of studies proving this.

[Anonymous]

My DH got the side effects. He tried the different versions and had side effects which each. Insurance won’t cover the last option, which is an injection. So, he’s just not taking them.

I don’t take statins but if I did, I feel confident that I would have no issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don’t understand the fear of them. They are extremely effective with very few side effects.

I had three valves replaced in 2014 and have been on a statin ever since, with no side effects. I'm skinny and have low blood pressure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don’t understand the fear of them. They are extremely effective with very few side effects.

Person with cholesterol of 400. I don't see why OP would start taking a daily medication, probably for life, as an initial step before seeing if a few dietary changes address her relatively minor issue, which is she just on the boundary of normal for LDL.

It is not a “minor issue.” High LdL leads to heart attacks. Period. We have decades of studies proving this.

Of course high LDL leads to heart attacks. But 100 LDL is not high in that context. Statins are recommended if your LDL is over 190 or, in some cases, over 160. They are also recommended if you are over a certain age and have diabetes.

OP did your doctor calculate your 10 year risk of heart disease? You can do this online. See this site for all the latest recommendations for statins and a link to an online calculator for your 10 year risk of heart disease. If, based on this site, you are not finding statins recommended, I suggest 1) making dietary changes to increase soluble fiber and decrease saturated fat, then restesting after three or four months and/or 2) seeking a second opinion.

https://www.brownhealth.org/be-well/new-treatment-guidelines-high-cholesterol-what-you-should-know

[Anonymous]

Absolutely no reason to take it at 178. Just monitor it every year.

My cardiologist said I could wait taking it even though my cholesterol is 240 because my LDL is 168, ratio is 2.95, and my calcium score was 0. I also had a scan to check for plaque, and I had a tiny bit in my ankle and one other place, can't remember.

I know I will need to take statins at some point in the future, but I am going to wait as long as I can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH got the side effects. He tried the different versions and had side effects which each. Insurance won’t cover the last option, which is an injection. So, he’s just not taking them.

I don’t take statins but if I did, I feel confident that I would have no issues.

what were his side effects if you don't mind sharing.

[Anonymous]

How do you get a cardiac calcium score?