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)
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