Statins

[Grumps.]

Morning all!

My doctor has decided that I should start taking statins and has prescribed Atorvastatin and I understand why he has recommended them.

Does anyone else take these? Any side effects?

Seeing the current push for them it would be interesting to know some real world first hand experiences!

[Grumps.]

Panamax said:

American Heart Association suggest statins for four main groups of people:

People who don't have heart or blood vessel disease, but have diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, or who smoke.
People who already have cardiovascular disease related to hardening of the arteries. This group includes people who have had heart attacks or strokes.
People who have very high LDL ("bad") cholesterol.
People who have diabetes.

Family history is also part of the overall picture.

I understand I fit most of those categories

[Grumps.]

Thanks everyone, I’ll start popping them tomorrow!

:

[Grumps.]

Sauce said:

Unless you’ve had a previous heart attack stroke the main indication to start them is QRISK.

Towards the end of this document there are some nice graphics with smiley faces that give you your risks:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg181/resources/p...

Nice!



Trouble is when I spoke to the doc she was coming out with all sorts of percentages of risk I lost track a bit, which is one of the reasons I thought I would ask in here.

[Grumps.]

Lots of valid points raised here and I certainly wasn’t asking specifically for absolute answers as I would indeed read the leaflets etc.

It was more a general kinda ‘how you getting on with statins’ and if anyone has seen any real benefits, which it appears that many have.

My health isn’t great and I do like to think I have a reasonably healthy diet so as far as that goes, I can’t really do any more!

Regardless, thanks to all for both sides opinions and experiences etc.

[Grumps.]

Well, thankfully I don’t like grapefruit.

[Grumps.]

Doesn’t pink grapefruit have a relatively high sugar content, which wouldn’t suit diabetics and the like?

[Grumps.]

Thanks for all the replies.

As per my original post, I was asking about people who are taking them, how they are getting on with them, not about if people should take them or not.

Interesting about the grapefruit though!

[Grumps.]

Kermit power said:

I have to admit I'm a little confused by your motivation.

If you've already accepted you're going to take them, then why ask others for their experience?

If you haven't, then why only ask others for their experiences, rather than their potentially well informed reasons for taking them or not?

I have had the same doctor for over 20 years and I see him regularly due to my health. After my last mot, he said that I should start taking them.

As he discussed with me, and I here, there are a few different types and makes and was gaining people’s experiences to see if there was a common one.

It’s a conversation.

That’s it, nothing more, nothing less.