I’ve been on statins for a few years with no side effects. I only started taking them because my then GP more or less forced me to with scary stories of heart attacks and/or strokes otherwise. V had problems with her 1st brand of statins but these went away when she was prescribed another type.
I know a couple of people personally who report the same thing Flowerpower.
A decorator who since taking statins has been unable to climb a ladder, and a prolific walker who never gets out now due to arthritis. They are just too risky for me to take, I love being able to get out walking every day and mobility is so important as we age.
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Statins have always been a lively discussion on the various forums I have been on. In my view if you have only slightly raised cholesterol diet and exercise will help. In my case with a family history of high cholesterol I think statins are the only way to go. My brother and father both died of heart attacks at an early age and I am still functioning at 84.
My Dad was never the same again after he started on statins. He was of the generation that didn’t question people in authority like doctors. I pointed out to him that before going on statins he was driving, shopping every week, doing daily crosswords, reading and gardening and kicking a ball about with his grandchildren so I suggested it was the statins making him forgetful, muddled and causing him aches and pains. he would not even consider going against what his doctor told him!
Malcolm Kendrick is a British GP and author of the book The Great Cholesterol Con. He has researched statins for decades. I read his book at the time my GP wanted me to go on them and that really helped to make up my mind to avoid them.
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This is a very interesting read, particularly the bit about GPs getting all that extra money for prescribing statins.
https://www.patrickholford.com/advice/how-gps-are-paid-to-prescribe-ineffective-drugs
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Your posts have made me think Flowerpower but I think I will keep on the statins.
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See, fix a life expectancy in mind, then, subtract five years and, stop any medication, let nature do the rest.
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You might as well, else you will never know if they suit you or not.
Good luck, Carol.
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If I was you scot I would keep on taking them, you are on a low dose and if you are not experiencing any bad reactions no problem.
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Agreed. I would never tell anybody to stop taking them BUT if your GP is trying to encourage you to start on them, then read up all you can and make up your own mind.
Years ago when my GP was trying to put me on them because she considered my cholesterol was too high I went away and read up all I could. There was no history of heart disease in my family and the part that kept jumping out at me was “Unless you have had a previous heart attack statins have no effect on overall mortality. They don’t prevent heart attacks or stroke in women with no previous history of heart disease.”
At the same time I was chatting to the Practice Nurse who was days away from retiring having worked at that practice for decades. She told me that several years ago they started calling in older people for blood tests to check their cholesterol. She said she met people she had never seen before in all the years she had worked there because they were so healthy they didn’t need to see a GP! Yet when they were tested they nearly all had what is now considered “high cholesterol” and were encouraged to go on statins. She said that the cholesterol levels had come down and down over the years she had worked there so just about all older people came into that category. I think as her retirement was imminent she felt she could open up to me about her discovery.
I decided not to go on statins and that was 17 years ago and I am fine. I am a bit overweight but generally I am well. I try to eat healthily and I take a 30 min walk every day and ride my bike when I have time. I also packed up smoking 17 years ago.
In my Dad’s case it was too much of a coincidence to say it was something other than statins that caused his problems. Until he went on them he was able to do all his own gardening and his garden was huge, drive, do the weekly shop, go for walks, do the crossword daily, play football with his grandkids. Had he not been called in for blood tests he would never have known he had high cholesterol as he was perfectly healthy. He had only been in hospital once in his life for a hernia op.
A dear friend of mines husband was put on statins he was changed from an active man into a man so affected he could barely walk. He came off them and took his chances . Years later he died from MRSA contracted in hospital for another unrelated cause,
They don’t suit everyone.
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