Shall I take Statins?

[fraufruit 42,166]

Thanks. That was interesting. I've been on a statin drug for a few years after trying to control my cholesterol with diet and Omega 3 supplements. I have just decided to give up the Omega 3.

 

I am also currently weaning off of another drug that I've been on for years for depression/anxiety. It is going well. I will reduce my Calcium/Vit D supplement to once a day instead of twice. My bones are thinning.

 

The problem with supplements in the U.S. is that they aren't regulated so you never know what amount you are getting if any. Sometimes it is too much.

 

Like most people, I don't like taking meds that aren't totally necessary. I am checked regularly by my cardiologist. That should be enough along with the statin and beta blocker that I take. 

 

So basically, I'm reducing the amount of pills I swallow daily from 9 down to 5 or 6.

[keith2011 2,648]

48 minutes ago, fraufruit said:

Thanks. That was interesting. I've been on a statin drug for a few years after trying to control my cholesterol with diet and Omega 3 supplements. I have just decided to give up the Omega 3.

Very similar for me, I did manage to stop taking the statin for around 2 years but then my wife decided the margarine that is supposed to lower cholesterol was too full of chemicals to be good for us and went back to real butter and I went back to having hot  toast with oodles of melting butter and needing the statins again!

[snowingagain 5,354]

You can boost Omega 3 by diet and reduce Omega 6 the same way.  Things like flax seed in your muesli, and use olive oil not sunflower or whatever.  I use flax in a shake after sport.  But for goodness sake mill it first, or buy it ready crushed (it does not keep so well) or you can get pretty amazing bathroom experiences.   

 

A bit like the sodium thing.  Instead of just focussing on reducing sodium, work on seriously boosting pottasium via vegetables..  That is more fun, as some salt tasts so fab.

[MikeMelga 7,312]

1 hour ago, fraufruit said:

The problem with supplements in the U.S. is that they aren't regulated so you never know what amount you are getting if any. Sometimes it is too much.

It's the same in most of the world

 

[fraufruit 42,166]

The flax seed comments are interesting. I was told not to use it after I was diagnosed with estrogen receptor positive breast cancer because it can mimic estrogen which is my enemy. Based on your comments, I looked it up and now the consensus is that it can help prevent it. That seems to be the new research. I saw it on a few reputable sources. I will definitely consider adding it to my diet perhaps in oatmeal, jogurt, etc.

 

Damn, I'm learning a lot on TT today.

 

 

[catjones 1,691]

7 hours ago, fraufruit said:

My bones are thinning.

 

Was given Reclast infusion following bone density scan.

[Endyii 0]

I have been fairly fit my whole life, competing in sports, when younger at a very high level. I have good diet, devoid of fatty meats, high in veggies, fiber, etc. I have always had normal total cholesterol levels. I am not diabetic. I have taken supplements etc. I am now on statins to treat heart disease. Why since all the above looks normal/good? Because hereditary disposition and work stress. In short, Saying you cholesterol is x%, and it is the wrong unit and metric, doesn’t necessarily provide a full picture. And a forum is not a place to get medical advise. 

My use and my rational for statins, is from multiple specialist dr. , peer reviewed articles, and large scale studies. Statins are for a number of things including stabilizing plaque in the heart to prevent future heart attacks. They also shown to help fight inflammation in you arteries which allows plague to enter the lining of arteries and build up. Inflammation comes from smoking, stress, etc. 10+ years ago people focused on fat, but heart disease is looking to be an inflammatory disease. If I knew more about statins I would have started 20 years ago to reduce my heart disease severity, which is a treatment for people with hereditary disposition even before heart disease sets in. Statins are well tolerated by the vast majority of people especially at low to moderate dosages; and adjusting dosages usual takes care of fairly rare side effects. I was taking the max/very high dosage (80mg atrovastin) and had to adjust down due muscle pain, which went away. 
 

I do not rely on just statins. I exercise, I eat med diet, I lost weight, I take oil supplements, etc. I have one life and I going to give myself a higher chance of being around longer.

[Jonny 1,325]

On 07/11/2022, 16:11:58, MikeMelga said:

Surprise, supplements are bullshit.

 

I had very low levels of vitamin D. Couldn't raise the levels naturally.  I started using a high strength supplement.  When I got tested months later my levels had more than doubled. 

 

Same thing happened with B12 supplements. 

 

So not all supplements are bullshit as you so eloquently put it. Many supplements aren't needed and are questionable. But not all. 

[optimista 5,885]

I tend to think God gives with one hand and takes with the other. Not into the idea of taking stuff preventively. Don t fix wot ain t broke. You can so easily end up taking a cocktail of pills which interact with each other. Downing any drug really should be the very last resort.

[slammer 888]

On 12.5.2022, 23:39:55, colincostello said:

And sometiimes I sit in the sauna surronded by naked women. That is probably why my cholesterol is high

That’s not cholesterol...!

[Mr.Bear 1,039]

On 11/9/2022, 6:22:25, optimista said:

I tend to think God gives with one hand and takes with the other. Not into the idea of taking stuff preventively. Don t fix wot ain t broke. You can so easily end up taking a cocktail of pills which interact with each other. Downing any drug really should be the very last resort.

 

 

What you say here is harder to understand:

On one hand you are saying that "Not into the idea of taking stuff preventively" but on the other hand you are saying that vaccination and boosting is ok.

 

Is this just stupidity on your part or is this simply how you are every day?

 

Sorry, I'm just trying to understand how some of us think.
What you're saying doesn't make any sense.

[keith2011 2,648]

35 minutes ago, Mr.Bear said:

Is this just stupidity on your part or is this simply how you are every day?

 

No it is stupidity on your part if you don't understand the difference between vaccination and taking medications and or supplements regularly (daily) as a prevention. For example what does doubling your vitamin D level actually do if you were not suffering a problem when it was only half?

[fraufruit 42,166]

Dear god. Please don't engage with this idiot again on this subject.

[Mr.Bear 1,039]

39 minutes ago, keith2011 said:

 

No it is stupidity on your part if you don't understand the difference between vaccination and taking medications and or supplements regularly (daily) as a prevention. For example what does doubling your vitamin D level actually do if you were not suffering a problem when it was only half?

 

 

Is medication... vitamins, or a vaxx, and both are doing "prevention".

What is there to understand?

If you take some vitamins every day or a vaxx every 3-4 months is not the same?

 

In case you don't know: our body piss the vitamine surplus when you use the toilet.

 

Ah, sorry, indeed is not the same.

Because I didn't heard anyone dead from taking too many vitamins.

You are right and I am wrong.

[fraufruit 42,166]

Told ya.

[Mr.Bear 1,039]

2 minutes ago, fraufruit said:

Told ya.

4 minutes ago, fraufruit said:

Dear god. Please don't engage with this idiot again on this subject.

 

Don't worry.

I have better things to do with my time and energy.

You, guys, don't deserve it.

[Eric7 555]

13 hours ago, keith2011 said:

 

No it is stupidity on your part if you don't understand the difference between vaccination and taking medications and or supplements regularly (daily) as a prevention. For example what does doubling your vitamin D level actually do if you were not suffering a problem when it was only half?

 

You probably wouldn't notice something like osteoporosis until it was more advanced so maintaining a healthy level is important even when not actively suffering.
 

It's also possible to take too much vitamin D though so best to check out your levels before hammering the supplements.

[fraufruit 42,166]

2 hours ago, Eric7 said:

You probably wouldn't notice something like osteoporosis until it was more advanced so maintaining a healthy level is important even when not actively suffering.

 

Unless you ask your doc for a bone density test every few years like some of us do.

[Eric7 555]

Just now, fraufruit said:

 

Unless you ask your doc for a bone density test every few years like some of us do.

 

How's that done? CT scan or something else?
 

I had a full skeletal CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy last week. The CT scan didn't show anything obvious. Still waiting on the biopsy results.

[fraufruit 42,166]

I haven't had one in some years and I'm embarrassed to say I've forgotten the exact procedure. I have so many scans etc. (just had one this morning) that they all tend to bleed into one another. I believe it was CT on part of my spine.

 

Earlier, I had been diagnosed with pre-osteoporosis and so I got an a calcium regimen and watched my diet. The last scan I had showed that I had stopped the progress in its tracks. I've had bigger fish to fry.

 

(I have suggested on TT for people to get a bone density test before getting dental implants. Due to my results, I was not eligible for an implant. I think dentists should recommend it instead of selling implants to all and sundry.)