Colesterol and statins

[november4]

I am not going to give anyone medical advice, my own doc said my levels (always test just at or above the ranges) are fine and that the levels were influenced a bit lower by american drug company lobbying. I get annual blood work done privately, doesn't cost much.

There is a great book to read around the subject from the scottish doctor Malcon Kendrik, The Clot Thickens - The enduring mystery of heart disease, which is pitched at the general population and a cracking read.

 

[ColinJ]

After my heart attack I realised I had been having small warning signs of the cholosterol build up for perhaps 10 years before the heart attack. I didn't know these were important and dismissed them.

What were they?

 

[Dogtrousers]

Going back a million years, I typed up my wife's MSc thesis which was all about HDL and LDL research she'd been working on. Back in those days I was quite a catch. Word processing skills!

 

[PaulSB]

What were they?

Very short, sometimes quite sharp, twinges around the left breast. Each would last less than a second. I thought it was muscular, I know the heart is a muscle, when I stretched or reached for something.

These continued for 6 - 9 months after the heart attack, stent fitted etc. This concerned me and I spoke to the rehab team. Yes, it's not unusual, the heart is repairing itself, getting used to the stent, etc. I asked if these could have been a warning of a problem building up before the heart attack. The answer was simply, yes.

 

[ColinJ]

Very short, sometimes quite sharp, twinges around the left breast. Each would last less than a second. I thought it was muscular, I know the heart is a muscle, when I stretched or reached for something.

These continued for 6 - 9 months after the heart attack, stent fitted etc. This concerned me and I spoke to the rehab team. Yes, it's not unusual, the heart is repairing itself, getting used to the stent, etc. I asked if these could have been a warning of a problem building up before the heart attack. The answer was simply, yes.

Oh crap... I get feelings similar to them! Er, and my cholesterol levels are slightly elevated. I have a telephone appointment coming up with my GP. I will discuss that with her!

 

[PaulSB]

Oh crap... I get feelings similar to them! Er, and my cholesterol levels are slightly elevated. I have a telephone appointment coming up with my GP. I will discuss that with her!

Keep in mind we are all different. I had these twinges for perhaps ten years. I haven't had any since I was fully recovered from the heart attack.

 

[mjr]

There is a great book to read around the subject from the scottish doctor Malcon Kendrik, The Clot Thickens - The enduring mystery of heart disease, which is pitched at the general population and a cracking read.

I would be very very cautious about believing anything by Kendrick, Harcobe, Malhotra and other self described cholesterol sceptics. As i think we all know now from Europe and the climate crisis, those who call themselves sceptics are often really deniers. Read their views by all means, especially if you can do it without buying their books or diet products, and it's always worth remembering that the cholesterol hypothesis is strictly speaking still only a hypothesis, because conclusive proof in biology in live humans is very difficult but they are a very small minority view. Some of the sceptics have a very hard time with the idea of inherited high cholesterol, which is one of the proven biological facts with mutations in the ldl receptor genes, and the associated shortened life expectancies and have no credible alternative explanation for that correlation.

 

[mjr]

Very short, sometimes quite sharp, twinges around the left breast. Each would last less than a second. I thought it was muscular, I know the heart is a muscle, when I stretched or reached for something.

More common symptoms of cholesterol deposit build up are small hard lumps around joints most often the knuckles and knees, small white bumps forming on the eyelids, and yellow flecks in the iris of the eye. They mostly slowly reverse and dissipate when cholesterol levels are lowered.

 

[mjr]

Following a heart attack 6-7 years ago I've been on 40mg Atorvastatin with no side effects. My cholesterol was 6.6 at the last test it was 3.8.

I discussed the medication with my GP. Her response was you're on a low dose of the oldest, best understood statin with no side effects. My advice is stay with it.

That was enough for me. I've no intention of stopping the meds.

Atorvastatin patented 1986.
Simvastatin patented 1980.
Mevastatin identification published 1976.
Did she really say that atorvastatin was the oldest? I'd be looking for new advice!

 

[PaulSB]

Atorvastatin patented 1986.
Simvastatin patented 1980.
Mevastatin identification published 1976.
Did she really say that atorvastatin was the oldest? I'd be looking for new advice!

I really can't remember, it's three years ago. There's a possibility I'm mixing that up with remarks in the same conversation about Lamotrigine.

I will though stick with my GP's advice than random Internet comments.

 

[PaulSB]

More common symptoms of cholesterol deposit build up are small hard lumps around joints most often the knuckles and knees, small white bumps forming on the eyelids, and yellow flecks in the iris of the eye. They mostly slowly reverse and dissipate when cholesterol levels are lowered.

Whether a symptom is common or not I know what I experienced and simply answered the question.

The possibility of the lay person noticing any of the above are slim. As someone who had high cholesterol I can safely say I've noticed these symptoms nor did my GP.

Twinges in the chest area are far more likely to ring an alarm bell for the lay person than yellow flecks in the iris.

 

[mjr]

I really can't remember, it's three years ago. There's a possibility I'm mixing that up with remarks in the same conversation about Lamotrigine.

I will though stick with my GP's advice than random Internet comments.

That's sound, and I hope you noticed I only suggested changing the doctor advising you (unlike some other comments). I have changed GP twice over the years because they came out with shoot that was factually incorrect and someone who hasn't been treated for decades might not realise. I've also heard of several relatives (sadly mine is inherited) getting various bad advice. There's a lot of nonsense and old wives' tales out there about cholesterol and statins and, sadly, it seems a minority of GPs remember that instead of checking the clinical guidance before they treat someone. Hopefully yours is a good one, but the guidance is on the NICE site if you ever want to check.

Whether a symptom is common or not I know what I experienced and simply answered the question.

Yes, I don't mean to contradict your experience, but I offer them as other symptoms people might like to look for. There are lots of other things which can cause chest twinges, but I suspect few would have the same cause as lumps or flecks. While iris flecks might not be easy to spot, lumps on eyelids or knuckles probably are, although I think they might make more people wonder about skin cancer than their cholesterol.

 

[yello]

Very short, sometimes quite sharp, twinges around the left breast

I get those, but also on the right side. Sharp stabbing pains. No idea what's going on (musculoskeletal? gastric? indigestion?) but as my heart has been checked out and okayed (and I get the pains on my right side too) then I'm not overly worried. I just put it down to 'getting old'

Btw, I came (back) to this thread because I'd just read an article on statins and cholesterol. It's a subject that still creates heated discussion. I'm no longer on statins, that was an interim thing whilst my heart was checked out. I'm due my annual blood test so it'll be intesting to see my numbers.

 

[oxoman]

Spotted this resurrected thread and read with interest. Back story. Advised after wellman check at work as cholesterol results came back borderline high. Spoke to GP and he carried out another test, results being my good cholesterol was way above the bad. Result after this was don't bother with statins. Fast forward nearly 15yrs and going to A&E with seriously high blood pressure, result of this was consultant stuck me on statins without a blood test and also BP medication. Quacks answer as well was exercise, eat better, lose weight, don't smoke or drink. They cannot get there heads around the fact I bike and run every week, only drink every few weeks, don't smoke admittedly I'm 2 stone overweight. Currently losing weight. Fast forward again 2yrs and lack of action by quack or any callback by consultant as promised, I've bitten the bullet and using workplace private health care to progress further as BP still high. Please don't ignore any signs as both high cholesterol and BP are silent killers.

 

[richardfm]

This may be of interest
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...ggs-weight-statins?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other