Discussion
Evoluzione said:
A question for Dr PH 
How long do you think it takes for grapefruit to change your blood? (apologies I forgot the precise terminology).
The reason I ask is I've been on them for about 3 - 4 weeks now (will check back) and have been asked to come in for a blood test. They don't know i've changed my diet a bit and it'll be a good test to see what has happened. If it needs a bit longer i'll postpone it.
I did about a month on statins, but ditched them in favour of a dietary change to see what that would do instead when I read the accompanying sheet and then this thread popped up.
Also, is there any particular thing to test for in my blood that they may not do automatically and I could push for?
What i'm saying is you can use me as a Guinea pig and i'll report back. I am of course just an average man on the street and much of these heavily technical biological posts have gone over my head.
For the record, that ^ aside I have cut down on drinking a bit in between blood tests too so this will also have skewed the results. I haven't changed my diet though, apart from the addition of one pink grapefruit per day.
Ah, I'd noted your post about grapefruit and took some pics but forgot to post them up. Here you go...How long do you think it takes for grapefruit to change your blood? (apologies I forgot the precise terminology).
The reason I ask is I've been on them for about 3 - 4 weeks now (will check back) and have been asked to come in for a blood test. They don't know i've changed my diet a bit and it'll be a good test to see what has happened. If it needs a bit longer i'll postpone it.
I did about a month on statins, but ditched them in favour of a dietary change to see what that would do instead when I read the accompanying sheet and then this thread popped up.
Also, is there any particular thing to test for in my blood that they may not do automatically and I could push for?
What i'm saying is you can use me as a Guinea pig and i'll report back. I am of course just an average man on the street and much of these heavily technical biological posts have gone over my head.
For the record, that ^ aside I have cut down on drinking a bit in between blood tests too so this will also have skewed the results. I haven't changed my diet though, apart from the addition of one pink grapefruit per day.
I'm in my eighth-decade and a grapefruit lover (Red, that is, NOT Pink, and definitely NOT White!).
Talking of pills, yes some need them.
Of my large group of pals all take them, bar three of us, inc me, who take 'none' and are 'not' overweight.
Take my pal Brian, he's two yrs younger than me at 71, seriously overweight. He pops 9 (f hell! 9 pills daily!).
When I wake in the morning I do not want to reach for the medicine cabinet, even at my age, I want to eat my breakfast.
If I need to pop pills there has to be concrete evidence given to me. Not on a ‘whim’. If I get medical advice and I'm only the slightest bit unsure I ask for a second opinion. Always have. Not your right, but I've never ever been refused, in fact, I've been known to ask for a third opinion on occasion.
Guess what's odd?
I've had several occasions where the second opinion has been the opposite to the decision given first!
Oh those grapefruit (red!) pics I took. Lidl and Aldi are the cheapest. That bowl full were when Lidl had them on offer at 29p. No, I don't have one every day, but rare a week goes without one (two halves, two days, segments cut as shown. Takes no time at all. And today, cheap as chips, well actually cheaper!
Evoluzione said:
Stan the Bat said:
Evoluzione said:
Stan the Bat said:
I really wish there was definitive answer to this.
I was put on them last year, even though my cholesterol level has been highish for over 40 years.
Maybe you should ask Dr Statin and not Dr PH.I was put on them last year, even though my cholesterol level has been highish for over 40 years.
Just a thought
Why did you bother.
This thread has been very useful in highlighting issues and has raised a lot of questions. You're on the football field and someone has just passed you the ball, don't stand there gibbering, get on with it.
There is now a long list of possibilities and pointers here. If you want to know more then get a pad and pen and write them down, get an appointment with a specialist and talk them through.
Or act otherwise to get your cholesterol down. Blood tests don't cost, they're free.
It's all there for you to explore.
You are a f
king rocket.Back to the day job of this thread...
I take Atorvastatin and have done since about March this year.
All good until now except some pins and needles which or may not be related.
However, I'm starting to get leg cramps at night, which isn't nice. Does anyone else suffer, and if so, is there anything you do to manage them?
I take Atorvastatin and have done since about March this year.
All good until now except some pins and needles which or may not be related.
However, I'm starting to get leg cramps at night, which isn't nice. Does anyone else suffer, and if so, is there anything you do to manage them?
Yes, I did (do?) have very bad leg and foot cramps. I went onto Atorvastatin after my blood tests in May and after a few weeks the cramps started so I came off them and the cramps stopped, I'm now taking them again after reading and contributing to the other statins thread but will take a break again if the cramps get very bad as they are only mild at the moment. I've got blood tests today and it will be interesting to see what has changed after completely changing the way and what I eat three months ago (I had very elevated Triglycerides, low HDL and raised LDL and very high blood glucose even though I was taking Metformin).
colin_p said:
Back to the day job of this thread...
I take Atorvastatin and have done since about March this year.
All good until now except some pins and needles which or may not be related.
However, I'm starting to get leg cramps at night, which isn't nice. Does anyone else suffer, and if so, is there anything you do to manage them?
if you talk to your GP, you can probably be swapped to Ezetimibe, or a dual tablet with possibly less Atorvastatin I take Atorvastatin and have done since about March this year.
All good until now except some pins and needles which or may not be related.
However, I'm starting to get leg cramps at night, which isn't nice. Does anyone else suffer, and if so, is there anything you do to manage them?
https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/ezetimibe/ (it only reduces LDL though)
I've recently been prescribed statins (Atorvastatin) to lower my cholesterol, if I heard correctly the Dr. on the phone said my "high cholesterol" level was 6, it should be 2.5 or below, it has steadily been rising over the previous years, I am 49.
My diet is good, don't eat crap, fried food, takeaways or processed food, I mainly cook from scratch and eat plenty of vegetables and fruit, don't smoke and am very active averaging 21,000 steps per day with 3 bootcamp sessions per week, day off work I will do a 5-7 mile dog walk.
I have just changed my breakfast routine from 2 eggs scrambled on a slice of sourdough toast to overnight oats with various fruits, chia seeds and spirulina (good for BP and cholesterol) and other healthy bits, almond milk instead of cows milk too.
I also have high blood pressure and have done for decades, of which I am taking medication for, this runs in the family!
Currently on 1, 20mg tablet a day which needs to be doubled after 4 weeks which is in 2 weeks time, my god I ache, feel lethargic and just generally bleurgh like I can't be arsed, these are documented side effects, are they likely to pass or do I need a chat with the Dr.?
My diet is good, don't eat crap, fried food, takeaways or processed food, I mainly cook from scratch and eat plenty of vegetables and fruit, don't smoke and am very active averaging 21,000 steps per day with 3 bootcamp sessions per week, day off work I will do a 5-7 mile dog walk.
I have just changed my breakfast routine from 2 eggs scrambled on a slice of sourdough toast to overnight oats with various fruits, chia seeds and spirulina (good for BP and cholesterol) and other healthy bits, almond milk instead of cows milk too.
I also have high blood pressure and have done for decades, of which I am taking medication for, this runs in the family!
Currently on 1, 20mg tablet a day which needs to be doubled after 4 weeks which is in 2 weeks time, my god I ache, feel lethargic and just generally bleurgh like I can't be arsed, these are documented side effects, are they likely to pass or do I need a chat with the Dr.?
Edited by HTP99 on Thursday 16th May 21:38
HTP99 said:
I've recently been prescribed statins (Atorvastatin) to lower my cholesterol, if I heard correctly the Dr. on the phone said my "high cholesterol" level was 6, it should be 2.5 or below, it has steadily been rising over the previous years, I am 49.
My diet is good, don't eat crap, fried food, takeaways or processed food, I mainly cook from scratch and eat plenty of vegetables and fruit, don't smoke and am very active averaging 21,000 steps per day with 3 bootcamp sessions per week, day off work I will do a 5-7 mile dog walk.
I have just changed my breakfast routine from 2 eggs scrambled on a slice of sourdough toast to overnight oats with various fruits, chia seeds and spirulina (good for BP and cholesterol) and other healthy bits, almond milk instead of cows milk too.
I also have high blood pressure and have done for decades, of which I am taking medication for, this runs in the family!
Currently on 1, 20mg tablet a day which needs to be doubled after 4 weeks which is in 2 weeks time, my god I ache, feel lethargic and just generally bleurgh like I can't be arsed, these are documented side effects, are they likely to pass or do I need a chat with the Dr.?
Given the exercise and eating regime it's unusual that your HDL is not mitigating the 'high' overall cholesterol level?My diet is good, don't eat crap, fried food, takeaways or processed food, I mainly cook from scratch and eat plenty of vegetables and fruit, don't smoke and am very active averaging 21,000 steps per day with 3 bootcamp sessions per week, day off work I will do a 5-7 mile dog walk.
I have just changed my breakfast routine from 2 eggs scrambled on a slice of sourdough toast to overnight oats with various fruits, chia seeds and spirulina (good for BP and cholesterol) and other healthy bits, almond milk instead of cows milk too.
I also have high blood pressure and have done for decades, of which I am taking medication for, this runs in the family!
Currently on 1, 20mg tablet a day which needs to be doubled after 4 weeks which is in 2 weeks time, my god I ache, feel lethargic and just generally bleurgh like I can't be arsed, these are documented side effects, are they likely to pass or do I need a chat with the Dr.?
Mine was 5.8 at the last check (over the NHS guidelines) but the GP was not considering statins when I asked the question based on my other figures? I was left with the view it was my choice weighing up the side effects against the overall benefits. I decided against which contrasts with my good friend who doesn't have a particularly high cholesterol who insisted on them as he sees the benefits reducing the risk of a serious health condition.
You could discuss changing to a different statin to see if it lessens the side effects? My pal gets no side effects from his.
HTP99 said:
I also have high blood pressure and have done for decades, of which I am taking medication for, this runs in the family!
Currently on 1, 20mg tablet a day which needs to be doubled after 4 weeks which is in 2 weeks time, my god I ache, feel lethargic and just generally bleurgh like I can't be arsed, these are documented side effects, are they likely to pass or do I need a chat with the Dr.?
It could be a period of adjustment, but there are other ones you could be swapped to instead, everyone is different so plenty of choice. I'm on Rosuvastatin and Losartan for blood pressure and have no side effects.Currently on 1, 20mg tablet a day which needs to be doubled after 4 weeks which is in 2 weeks time, my god I ache, feel lethargic and just generally bleurgh like I can't be arsed, these are documented side effects, are they likely to pass or do I need a chat with the Dr.?
You sound like you might have familial hypercholesterolemia? I've been on meds for > 30 years due to my mother. If i'm off statins, I can go mid teens. Last blood test i was in the 4's.
My levels were picked up when i was in my late teens. I used to swim over 80k metres a week, plus gym sessions. Even now, i row over 50k metres a week and normally average around 150km cycling. Unfortunately, genetics will get you.
Edited by bigdom on Saturday 18th May 16:41
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