quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I know total cholesterol needs to be below 200 and the LDL is too high. Are there alternatives to statins that I could try?

You could try a different statin. I know from personal experience that I had different side effects to the two that I took:

Atorvastatin (Lipitor) - I was on this for about 12 years. Mild joint aches, zero migraines, or other side effects. My HDL was always low, but the LDL could creep up if I got lax on diet and exercise.

rosuvastatin (Crestor) - my PCP switched me over to this. The additional side effects took 6+ months so I didn't put 2+2 together. The joint aches increased so I started down the path of MSM, glucosamine, chondroiton, and turmeric. The real MF'er that I didn't realize was I began to get migraines again. If my stress level increased then I'd begin getting multiple migraines in a week or two. I had a real stressful time in my life and the migraines increased to 11 to 15 per month. My new PCP was also a migraine suffer and referred me to his neurologist that specialized in migraines. The migraines specialist didn't eliminate anything, but instead turned me into a human chemistry experiment for 2 years. Had to work my way through a series of "off-label" inexpensive medications before insurance would let me try drugs actually designed to prevent migraines. One of the drugs had a nasty side effect that actually caused a new type of migraine so I had to go on a drug to counterract that. That counterraction drug tried to shut down my liver and I ended up in the hospital for 3 days. The gastroenterologist took me off everything (prescriptions, OTC, and vitamins) and I began noticing the I didn't have a migraine for a week, then a month, then months, and now it's 5+ years. I've slowly added back in the prescriptions and OTCs, and through process of elimination it was the rosuvastatin that triggered the migraines.

I put on some weight, my LDL increased, and the cardiologist wanted me to go on a statin. I refused on the grounds that 11 to 15 migraines a month is not a quality life. My cardiologist fought through the insurance BS, and now I'm on an every other week injectible called Repatha. It's damn expensive but it works and no side effects for me.

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Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

Diet works for me. Go hardcore keto/carnivore for 2 months. Just do it, not fun and really sucks 1st week but just do it.

I'm 74 and my #s were similar. I took simvastatin for 10-15 years along with 3 bp meds and a couple type 2 diabetes meds - all were low dose generics and none were solving the root cause.

I went keto for 2 months spring 2024 and dropped 25lbs. Against my drs advice I stopped all spripts, again they were low dose generics - how much good could they do?

My blood work came back as good w/out meds as w/meds and my gut health is much improved. Diabetes meds seemed to cause the gi discomfort but while on the statins I did have lower leg cramps. I'd try clean diet first but it took me 20 years to figure that out.

I'm Type 1 diabetic, and this year at my annual checkup with my family doctor he really got on me about my cholesterol. He said he wants to see my LDL down to 70 by next year, or he's going to recommend I start taking Cholesterol meds. That seems unachievable, especially with my diet.

My last tests results were as follows:

Cholesterol Total: 198
HDL: 67
LDL: 120
Cholesterol/HDL Ratio: 2.96
Triglycerides: 56

Is this really that bad?

after having my cholesterol numbers rise a few years in a row during my annual physical, doc put me on the lowest dose of what he said was the weakest statin (prevastatin??)

after a couple of years, my numbers improved, but I started getting pains in my mid section, hips and waist, like my belt was way too tight or I had done something,

so I dropped it,
did 2 or 3 fish oil each day, and watched my diet before the next tests, and all was good,

*Update to older thread*

Well I have been on a 5 mg dose of Rosuvastatin now for 6 weeks and have an appointment to get a blood test done at Quest at 8 weeks to see how my numbers look.

What is really interesting is that I have not had a single bout of AFib, not even a single little twinge now for 6 weeks. Could this statin be helping to keep that from occurring? I noticed my episodes of AFib went WAY down after going on a CPAP but I'd still get a bout every once in a while that lasted 5 min to 30 min but realized that too has stopped.

I have been on Atorvastatin for 2.5 years but was switched to Rosuvastatin in early April.

It would be awesome if it helps with AFib. I have not had any bouts since my cryoablation in November but...

I quit taking mine (avortastatin) back in March when I had my physical. I dropped 15 lbs in a month on keto/carnivore and got tested out of pocket and my triglycerides came down to normals.

I’d been on it for 10 years de to the stroke because my brain doc said she would take it forever to prevent future strokes. My stroke was a clot not cholesterol. My hip pains have been severely reduced since stopping.

I had been on 10mg of Simvastatin for over 20 years until about a year ago I started getting the side effects, muscle aches, hip pain, etc. My PA switched me to 5mg rosuvastatin to try. After a few months the same side effects returned so I stopped taking it in March. My Cholesterol went from 166 6 months ago to 201 as of Tuesday, May 13th. She said to try red yeast rice since it wasn't a statin but had the same effects. She said that was what was prescribed for her husband and it worked and he has no side effects. She said it can be found in most health food stores. I read up on it and it can also give the same side effects as a statin. I'm going to give it 6 months until my next checkup to see what my numbers will be before I try it. She thought that was a good plan.

The interesting part of the story happened recently at my last cardiologist appointment. Everything looked good, but I'm still at that highest number of the "normal" range. The doc asks me if I'm sure it was the statin that caused the pancreatitis... WTH?!? Am I sure?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I bet he asked because the MAIN reason for pancreatitis in Alcholism. Many docs are afraid to ask about alcohol consumption since they drink themselves or because asking about booze pisses off many patients.

Update here for 2 months in of 5mg of Crestor a night.

Wow, those numbers are good! I’m sold. And ALL instances even little twinges of AFib went away in the past 60 days. After going on a CPAP in 2021, the regular episodes went way down, but I’d still get a bout maybe once a month or so and several twinges every week but that’s all gone now.

Baseline blood test on 3/21/25:

Total cholesterol: 211
LDL: 141
HDL: 43
Non HDL: 168
Triglycerides: 147

Blood test after 60 days of 5mg of Crestor:

5/30/25:
Total cholesterol: 142
LDL: 77
HDL: 42
Non HDL: 100
Triglycerides: 133

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
I'm Type 1 diabetic, and this year at my annual checkup with my family doctor he really got on me about my cholesterol. He said he wants to see my LDL down to 70 by next year, or he's going to recommend I start taking Cholesterol meds. That seems unachievable, especially with my diet.

My last tests results were as follows:

Cholesterol Total: 198
HDL: 67
LDL: 120
Cholesterol/HDL Ratio: 2.96
Triglycerides: 56

Is this really that bad?

Not at all. Your high hdl is cardioprotective, so the rest of the numbers really don’t matter- if you have an hdl over 60 and someone suggests you take a statin, they are an idiot - speaking as a medical practitioner with 35 + years experience

quote:

Originally posted by captain127:

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
I'm Type 1 diabetic, and this year at my annual checkup with my family doctor he really got on me about my cholesterol. He said he wants to see my LDL down to 70 by next year, or he's going to recommend I start taking Cholesterol meds. That seems unachievable, especially with my diet.
My last tests results were as follows:
Cholesterol Total: 198
HDL: 67
LDL: 120
Cholesterol/HDL Ratio: 2.96
Triglycerides: 56
Is this really that bad?

Not at all. Your high hdl is cardioprotective, so the rest of the numbers really don’t matter- if you have an hdl over 60 and someone suggests you take a statin, they are an idiot - speaking as a medical practitioner with 35 + years experience

Thank you.
I refuse to take a statin citing the BS that Big Pharma pushes. There are plenty of examples such as what smschulz posted just on this page.
I take red yeast rice with CoQ10 and call it good.
Remember, WE ALL DIE OF SOMETHING!
Nobody wants to be a cardiac cripple but statins IMO are Big Pharma bullshit. Their gains are just above placebo benefits.

quote:

Originally posted by KMitch200:

quote:

Originally posted by captain127:

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
I'm Type 1 diabetic, and this year at my annual checkup with my family doctor he really got on me about my cholesterol. He said he wants to see my LDL down to 70 by next year, or he's going to recommend I start taking Cholesterol meds. That seems unachievable, especially with my diet.
My last tests results were as follows:
Cholesterol Total: 198
HDL: 67
LDL: 120
Cholesterol/HDL Ratio: 2.96
Triglycerides: 56
Is this really that bad?

Not at all. Your high hdl is cardioprotective, so the rest of the numbers really don’t matter- if you have an hdl over 60 and someone suggests you take a statin, they are an idiot - speaking as a medical practitioner with 35 + years experience

Thank you.
I refuse to take a statin citing the BS that Big Pharma pushes. There are plenty of examples such as what smschulz posted just on this page.
I take red yeast rice with CoQ10 and call it good.
Remember, WE ALL DIE OF SOMETHING!
Nobody wants to be a cardiac cripple but statins IMO are Big Pharma bullshit. Their gains are just above placebo benefits.

Dr Ovadia has some great info and I would avoid drugs if all possible. Don’t trust what pharma or most doctors say, the doctors have been brain washed and pharma has lied to us for years.

If the heat drugs are so great, why has heart disease not declined? Because like all other medicine, they never treat the underlying issue and only mask symptoms. There is not enough money in curing illness.

quote:

Originally posted by KMitch200:
but statins IMO are Big Pharma bullshit. Their gains are just above placebo benefits.

Ummmm...what?

I just showed how my LDL went from 141 to 77 in 60 days of 5mg of Crestor nightly.

That ain't bullshit

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by KMitch200:
but statins IMO are Big Pharma bullshit. Their gains are just above placebo benefits.

Ummmm...what?

I just showed how my LDL went from 141 to 77 in 60 days of 5mg of Crestor nightly.

That ain't bullshit

No, you are right it does move those numbers nicely but the big pharma hook is that it is all it does.

Sure, those numbers are better by conventional thinking but in reality it is extremely incomplete.
Just reducing LDL is a massively inefficient test of cholesterol.

If you don't weigh in all the other health factors or have a complete test that considers the real threat > Triglycerides or look at the particle more in depth then just reducing LDL is meaningless.

What the Big Pharma Bullshit is that Doctors now days only do a basic test based on artificial numbers, do not look in depth of what is causing, don't promote a more healthy salutation.
No they just take the easier more profitable route of prescribing Statins.

Sure in some cases meds are necessary even great but in general Satins are way over-prescribed simply to make money.

My Triglycerides went from 784 to 150.

HDL 35 up to 56

LDL went from 218 to 98

Chol/HDL ratio 8.0 to 3.2

Total Cholesterol is 180 from 320.


The statins are working for me.

Personal experience...
1. My LDL number was high and rose over time even higher.
2. I experienced two LAD blockages in series (90% and 85%). Couldn't jog a quarter mile without slowing to walk the next quarter mile. One could infer that high LDL and two blockages are related, correlated, causal.
3. I received two stents 2.5 years ago. Felt better immediately.
4. I don't want to plug up again. Statins don't feel good for me. But, other drugs and OTC remedies are not lowering the LDL to the current target level.

I am 64 and in good physical condition, but have a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol. Simvastatin dropped my cholesterol nicely, but after awhile I started experiencing horrible muscle soreness and stiffness. I went off it and the stiffness and soreness improved but the cholesterol went back up. My doc has me on something else now, and I hope it works out, but I was ready to trade the high cholesterol for relief from the pain and stiffness.

I went from 40mg daily to 5mg for reasons unrelated to cholesterol. And my numbers are good. I don't trust the current state of the medical statins establishment. Not one bit.