Carbonfiberboy 

I can't tolerate a statin. All of the ones I've tried, both hydrophilic and lipophilic, mess up my muscles. I've had brown pee from it. Recently I've started a prescription for Repatha. It's not a statin, rather a monoclonal antibody, and it really knocks the total and LDL cholesterol numbers down. Downsides: it's an injectable, and it's expensive, super expensive without insurance. Upsides: no side effects, one injects once every 2 weeks, with insurance the cost isn't too bad, certainly a better deal than the alternative (heart attack). It comes in an auto-injector device, one just pushes a button. It has to be refrigerated, so best to get it from a local pharmacy.

Carbonfiberboy 

Fenofexadine made no difference to my bp. Being calm is everything. Mine seems better after my morning coffee. Lisinopril seems to have the fewest side effects - some folks get a dry cough. Don't notice an effect on HR or exercise ability from it.

peterws

I came to the conclusion that my new dietary requirements (no cakes, bicuits, hard cheese, sugar, carbohydrates; beer, these are the bad guys) plus said statin will ensure not only that I'm totally miserable, but also contribute 90% of my exhaustion. Because I have nothing to draw power from.
I wonder if the bad press associated so often with statins is down to this. And so;
I've done away with the cakes and all sugar added chocolate. The rest stays, and I feel heaps better. Attended the Les Mills Sprint this morning, got the top bike and loved every minute.
And my pulse rate has stabilised somewhat. These statins aren't bad, are they?

Calsun

I have found many new beers that are low carb and low alcohol and yet taste good. Soft drinks and fruit juices are the worst and I have never cared for them so no pain to avoid.

The problem with statins is that your body needs cholesterol to function and the body will actuall produce it for that reason. The statin medications reduce ALL cholesterol production and that is a sledge hammer approach to health care. But it produces billions each year in profits for the drug industry and that is all that matters. People on statins live on average 3-5 days longer than those who do not take statins and that is what should count.

The primary factors with heart disease are ones related to inflamation. A diet high in animal protein is going to be highly inflammatory.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/stayi...t-inflammation

The downside is that a healthy diet requires one to do their own shopping and meal preparation. Nothing that comes from a box or can is going to be healthy (compounded by the plastic food containers and cans line with plastics.

peterws

It might be noted that statins also reduce imflammation of the venous system and stabilise blood pressure and pulse rate.
I'm enjoying my statin. And cheese . . .

terrymorse 

Statins, when combined with exercise training, can also result in:

"decreased athletic performance, muscle injury, myalgia, joint problems, decreased muscle strength, and fatigue"

-- Deichmann et al, The Interaction Between Statins and Exercise: Mechanisms and Strategies to Counter the Musculoskeletal Side Effects of This Combination Therapy, Ochsner Journal December 2015.

peterws

There might be other reasons for that adverse effect. After a fortnight on one 20mg atorvastatin pill, my BP has stabilised and resting heart rate after exercise is achieved much sooner than before I started on them.

friday1970

"Do you worry about your heart?"

Yes...
It's the primary reason I ride so darned much.

My great grandfather. Died of a heart attack walking up the stairs outside of a Chicago church
My grandfather died of a heart attack walking his dog outside in Colorado
My father, still alive, but only because of many bypass operations, both planned and emergency
Me... still alive. With some minor arterial blockage.

I don't believe it's a matter of "if", but rather "when". And I'd like to prolong that "when" as long as possible. The good thing I have going for me is the above mentioned people were smokers. I refuse to touch cigarettes. I also exercise far more than any of them ever did. My doc has me on crestor too. I ride 150+ mile every week in the summer, with at least one very strenuous ride each week. My doctor is also quite impressed with my fitness level, despite being aged 52. I'm slightly overweight, but I don't fluctuate in much in the winter, and usually lose 10 lbs by end of the summer each year (I gain it all back during Oktoberfest time).

But yeah, I worry about my heart constantly. I have to.

terrymorse 

Great-great grandfather: sudden death on a hunting trip, found with finger on trigger
Great grandfather: sudden death while chopping wood
Grandfather: sudden death while at work
Father: took lots of meds, two massive strokes, lingered for ~1 year before death

Me: delaying for as long as possible the inevitable, which hopefully will be quick.

79pmooney

Worry, stress - bad stuff for our hearts. I try to do what's right for mine. That has changed over the years. My previous GP specialized in heart health. Saw my highish cholesterol and immediately told me to go out and buy "The Omega Diet:, read it and adjust my diet. (Also had the book in all his exam rooms the entire 17 years I went to him.) He put me on on a statin and between it and diet, now lots of dark green veggies (I call them weeds and goat food), the low cholesterol came down to acceptable.

Then I changed GPs to a nurse with more words in her title than I can keep straight. Her focus was on healthy life and where appropriate, non-traditional medical approaches. She very much wanted me off the statin. Also off dairy. So I've been off both a few years now. Feel great. I'm past feeling the hole from no cheddar cheese. (My dad passed on to me the love of the sharp Vermont cheddars. I settled in region years later where the local cheese is from a cooperative that makes really good cheddar! My cholesterol has crept up some. Due for blood work and next physical soon so we'll see where I am at. I'll go in evaluating whether I should stick to her services or change to someone who specializes in older patients as I just hit 70. (My time with her has been a gift. She listened to me talk from my first visit of using and being intimately exposed to fiberglass resin building boats and that I'd lived the symptoms we all heard about in former fiberglass workers. Wrapping up my second physical, she said there was a naturopathic "liver cleanser" that would be a mini-chemo to clean out toxins. 90 days, two pill a day. I did it. Middle 5 weeks were not fun. But it was life changing. Allergy-like sensitivities and symptoms went from ruling my life for 35 years to barely noticeable. The very expensive inhalants that I went through two bottles of every 8 weeks now was one OTC generic and one one of those prescriptions - per year.

rowerek

I got curious and skeptical about "liver cleanser" so just to make sure, I run a quick google search. The results are below, and I agree.


Did you mean: naturopathic liver cleanse does it really work

A healthy lifestyle, balanced diet, and regular consultations with a doctor are far more valuable to the health of the liver than any fad diet or cleanse.
Liver cleanses offer no proven benefits. To protect liver health, people can adopt a more comprehensive, long-term health strategy.

79pmooney

I did zero research. Just took the pills. For the first month, I felt nothing. Then an increasing level of spacey-ness and all the feeling that came from breathing styrene fumes emitted by catalyzed polyester resin. Feelings I hadn't experienced in 35 years but were once a regular feature of my life. With about three weeks to go in that 90 day regime, those feelings started to wear off and the last two weeks I felt better then I had in many decades.

It was very obvious that I had the same chemicals running through my system again. That study may argue otherwise. Wouldn't be the first time I've been told what I was experiencing was wrong. (I've also noticed that I've never seen a major medical study of the long term effects from exposure to catalyzed fiberglass resin and fumes. Apparently those who had stepped out of boatbuilding for health reasons and told me what I was in for when I started were lying, just as I am now telling you what I experienced.

fastcarbon

At 81 I have arrythmias (mostly AF) which have been controlled with an Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator that is downloaded to show when AF occurred. My cardiologist/ electrophysiologist who installed the ICD has done ablations twice to control the spurious electrical signals causing arrythmias like AFib and Atrial Flutter; I do have slightly leaking heart valves which I am told don't need work for about 10 years.
The bottom line is that I have done workouts and raced for 40 years and continue to have a cardiologist who wants me using my heart and is not concerned about hitting my max heart rate of about 156 BPM. I continue to keep my US Cycling race license up to date and primarily do TT's.
As long as I do not develop heart disease I will continue two interval smart trainer workouts a week, a trail run of 8 mi, two group rides and a day of golf. I do FTP measurements every few weeks and am increasing my numbers .after slowing due to polycystic kidney disease which required surgery on multiple occasions.
I could die on the bike in the future but believe that would be a positive outcome. For all others if you can still ride, "ride on".

rsbob 

Today’s stats

gregghorv

My blood panels are perfect and my cholesterol and blood pressure are solid. I don't wear any devices to check my resting heart rate or anything else. I figure the bike is what keeps me healthy.

rsbob 

A big fan of Alfred E Newman? (I used that phrase in my high school yearbook, much to my parents’ consternation - but things did work out for the best)

I have similar labs and BP, but with some very minor occasional AFIB.

terrymorse 

24 minutes in zone 5?!

Holy sufferfest, Batman!

Calsun

For statins it takes 100 people taking them over a 2.5 year period to have one fewer CV events - not one less death but one less event. Mortality does not change for those taking statins but it is a multi-billion dollar industry. Physicians proscribe them for two reasons, first for the kickback in paid holidays and second because statins are considered by the corrupt AMA to be a "standard of care" legally. If someone has a heart attack and dies and their doctor did not proscribe statins that person could be liable. Safer for the doctor to proscribe statins and follow the computer model created by the drug companies.

Heart disease involved inflamation and statins have a minor impact on inflammation caused by LDL cholesterol, which is why the 1 less CV per100 patients. Far better ways to minimize inflammation for people that do not have the significant downsides of statins.

drbarney1

Because they advertise statins on television and the JAMA published an analysis showing that the ineffective drugs are advertised on television to try to get people to ask for them, otherwise the drugs would be unprofitable because they do not work. Lipitor was among the first advertised and it had a football coach as its authority figure on why you should demand your physician prescribe it.
Statins can cause sarcopenia with muscle tissue itself destroyed, they can cause short term memory loss and loss of IQ. Even if the risks are very small, and even if they could add a few years to my life, I do not consider them worth it.

peterws

Blimey! The big guns are out. To be brief, my missus wouldn't be around without statins. Whatever else they do, they pulled her BP back from 200 to 118. My BP has fallen somewhat, and a short cross trainer stress test by me saw my pulse descend from 137 (my "comfirtable" max) to 96 within a minute. It's never done that so quickly before.
I deduce my cholestoral is now down which enabled this. This in turn reduces my chances of developing Type 2 diabetics, amongst those well documented other benefits.
I been on 'em a month now with no discernable reduction in performance levels.
But maybe some of the cheese has to go . . .healthy cheese, anyone?