Very nervous about taking a statin, please educate me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you get a cardiac calcium score?

DH just did this. His score was zero. Cholesterol in the mid 200s though. Dr dies not rec a statin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!

That sounds like the nuttiest thing I’ve ever heard.

I’m not sure why you call this nutty?

Because losing weight and ldl, hdl, and triglycerides are completely separate issues. Wegovy does not treat high cholesterol.

They’re not separate issues. My cholesterol and triglycerides were high. I lost a bunch of weight on Zepbound (obviously eating better), and now my triglycerides and cholesterol are in normal range, along with my weight.

[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!

Ah, yes. pay $500/mo + for Wegovy, versus $7/mo for a statin.

[Anonymous]

I have been on statins for years and never had any side effects; same with DH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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!

Ah, yes. pay $500/mo + for Wegovy, versus $7/mo for a statin.

Some people just can’t take statins.

[Anonymous]

Both DH and I take them. Different statins. No side effects of which we are aware.

Wish they had been around earlier. Then, I might have met my FIL. Except he died at 59 after a heart attack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went on low dose of statin at 46. I tried all the things to lower it. (LDL about 140). Didn’t work. I am not overweight and am female. I have no side effects at all in 5 years. My cholesterol is great now. I do have family history of heart disease so I didn’t want to fool around. [/quote


This sounds like the effect of perimenopause - highly recommend HRT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

His main issues were muscle weakness and muscle pain. He couldn’t hold things or grip things with his hands. He actually thought he had ALS. I think his hands were shaking too. I remember him showing me over dinner one night. They were shaking uncontrollably.

He also complained of general sort of mental dullness, like he lost his edge. At that point, it’s hard to tell if that was from the stress and fear of the other symptoms or something else.

His doctor tried a couple different things and it was all the same. His body simply does not like that type of medication.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

His main issues were muscle weakness and muscle pain. He couldn’t hold things or grip things with his hands. He actually thought he had ALS. I think his hands were shaking too. I remember him showing me over dinner one night. They were shaking uncontrollably.

He also complained of general sort of mental dullness, like he lost his edge. At that point, it’s hard to tell if that was from the stress and fear of the other symptoms or something else.

His doctor tried a couple different things and it was all the same. His body simply does not like that type of medication.

Statins can cause myopathy, which means muscle weakness. It is a condition that can be far, far worse than it sounds. And the possibility is heightened if you are prescribed even a relatively low dose of prednisone on top of the statin.

[Anonymous]

Been taking them for years and other than the fact that they taste terrible if you don’t swallow them quickly, never noticed any discernible side effects. I have hereditary hyperlipidemia so diet and weight loss really are not effective at controlling cholesterol levels, but my statin has gotten me into the normal range for the first time in years…

[Anonymous]

I have high HDL, high LDL and low healthy triglycerides. A strange pattern for a skinny vegan. It's actually caused by my panic disorder, found a research paper. I produce more cholesterol at night regardless of diet.

Couldn't fix anything via any diet, exercise or supplement combo. I then decided to take the lowest dose of rosuvastatin, generic Crestor, 5 mg. Instead I took it at 2.5 mg, cut the pill in half so a very tiny dose. That amount has zero side effects and knocked the cholesterol down to normal ranges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have high HDL, high LDL and low healthy triglycerides. A strange pattern for a skinny vegan. It's actually caused by my panic disorder, found a research paper. I produce more cholesterol at night regardless of diet.

Couldn't fix anything via any diet, exercise or supplement combo. I then decided to take the lowest dose of rosuvastatin, generic Crestor, 5 mg. Instead I took it at 2.5 mg, cut the pill in half so a very tiny dose. That amount has zero side effects and knocked the cholesterol down to normal ranges.

I'm a PP whose LDL skyrocketed since my last doctor's visit. Following up with my doctor tomorrow, but your post is very interesting. I don't have panic disorder, but I am an anxious person. Plus, I just went through a personal loss (my dad died) and I understand that stress can cause these numbers to increase. Seriously hoping my doctor will agree to retest in a few months instead of starting medication now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have high HDL, high LDL and low healthy triglycerides. A strange pattern for a skinny vegan. It's actually caused by my panic disorder, found a research paper. I produce more cholesterol at night regardless of diet.

Couldn't fix anything via any diet, exercise or supplement combo. I then decided to take the lowest dose of rosuvastatin, generic Crestor, 5 mg. Instead I took it at 2.5 mg, cut the pill in half so a very tiny dose. That amount has zero side effects and knocked the cholesterol down to normal ranges.

I'm a PP whose LDL skyrocketed since my last doctor's visit. Following up with my doctor tomorrow, but your post is very interesting. I don't have panic disorder, but I am an anxious person. Plus, I just went through a personal loss (my dad died) and I understand that stress can cause these numbers to increase. Seriously hoping my doctor will agree to retest in a few months instead of starting medication now.

You don't have to take a medication just because your doctor recommends it. You can always say I'd like to give some diet changes a chance first and get retested in a few months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have high HDL, high LDL and low healthy triglycerides. A strange pattern for a skinny vegan. It's actually caused by my panic disorder, found a research paper. I produce more cholesterol at night regardless of diet.

Couldn't fix anything via any diet, exercise or supplement combo. I then decided to take the lowest dose of rosuvastatin, generic Crestor, 5 mg. Instead I took it at 2.5 mg, cut the pill in half so a very tiny dose. That amount has zero side effects and knocked the cholesterol down to normal ranges.

I'm a PP whose LDL skyrocketed since my last doctor's visit. Following up with my doctor tomorrow, but your post is very interesting. I don't have panic disorder, but I am an anxious person. Plus, I just went through a personal loss (my dad died) and I understand that stress can cause these numbers to increase. Seriously hoping my doctor will agree to retest in a few months instead of starting medication now.

You don't have to take a medication just because your doctor recommends it. You can always say I'd like to give some diet changes a chance first and get retested in a few months.

It’s not wise to do it if Calcium score is not zero.

[Anonymous]

My neighbor had a calcium score of zero and had a heart attack 8 months later at 50. No family history.

I don’t think calcium scores correlate with heart attack risk.