4 ms·

20 years ago my doc suggested I start taking statins but I always said no because "I'll improve my diet" etc which never happened. Now I finally started and its

20 years ago my doc suggested I start taking statins but I always said no because "I'll improve my diet" etc which never happened. Now I finally started and its not a big deal, no side effects and cholesterol is down to top end of normal for the first time ever.

mrbonner 6y ago
I started taking statin 2 years ago. My family has a history of cholesterol disease. Within the first year my LDH and HDH level was at the optimal range. Doc cut the disease by half and the second year was within normal range but a bit higher than the first one. I honestly don’t feel any different. Doc said mostly it could be that the negative news is the worthy ones to publish. I don’t think changing diet would make a lot of difference in my case. Without statin my LDL and HDL would be off the charge. I know those two numbers alone are not determining how I could die but what else I should believe in?
giardini 6y ago
There are some people for whom statins are a necessity, e.g., a bodybuilder/triathloner friend whose cholesterol is above 300 w/o statins and whose father died at 46 from a heart attack. He has little choice but to workout like crazy and take statins and is OK with that. But I have only borderline high cholesterol. My experience has been different: After starting 10 mg pravastatin daily, I drop things, my energy level is down, my legs feel weak (although they are not), gym workouts are miserable and I feel so extraordinarily heavy when I collapse into bed at night. Maybe for me it is "better to burn out than to rust" (though there's not much "burn" left in the rocket).
- x87678r 6y ago
  Yeah if you have side effects you should look to switch meds or maybe stop. I was just pointing out I was afraid of side effects but never saw any.
- giantg2 6y ago
  Family history can be a good indicator of risk too. Some societies have higher levels of cholesterol and still live long lives (that 1980s swimmer of Icelandic descent comes to mind). Also keep in mind that the cutoff for high cholesterol has been lowered over time. So if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't be too worried about borderline-high cholesterol. And you can always eat natural statins too which can be found in things like walnuts and oyster mushrooms.

mrbonner 6y ago

I started taking statin 2 years ago. My family has a history of cholesterol disease. Within the first year my LDH and HDH level was at the optimal range. Doc cut the disease by half and the second year was within normal range but a bit higher than the first one. I honestly don’t feel any different. Doc said mostly it could be that the negative news is the worthy ones to publish. I don’t think changing diet would make a lot of difference in my case. Without statin my LDL and HDL would be off the charge. I know those two numbers alone are not determining how I could die but what else I should believe in?

giardini 6y ago

There are some people for whom statins are a necessity, e.g., a bodybuilder/triathloner friend whose cholesterol is above 300 w/o statins and whose father died at 46 from a heart attack. He has little choice but to workout like crazy and take statins and is OK with that. But I have only borderline high cholesterol. My experience has been different: After starting 10 mg pravastatin daily, I drop things, my energy level is down, my legs feel weak (although they are not), gym workouts are miserable and I feel so extraordinarily heavy when I collapse into bed at night. Maybe for me it is "better to burn out than to rust" (though there's not much "burn" left in the rocket).

x87678r 6y ago
Yeah if you have side effects you should look to switch meds or maybe stop. I was just pointing out I was afraid of side effects but never saw any.
giantg2 6y ago
Family history can be a good indicator of risk too. Some societies have higher levels of cholesterol and still live long lives (that 1980s swimmer of Icelandic descent comes to mind). Also keep in mind that the cutoff for high cholesterol has been lowered over time. So if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't be too worried about borderline-high cholesterol. And you can always eat natural statins too which can be found in things like walnuts and oyster mushrooms.