Statin tablets

[mjr]

Ezetimibe aka Ezetrol is an absorption inhibitor IIRC. It stops the body getting so much cholesterol from diet.

Statins inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, thereby disrupting cholesterol production, amongst other things. (Again IIRC)

Completely different mechanisms of action, so if you can't tolerate one, the other may still work.

 

[slowmotion]

I've been on Atorvastatin, Ezetimibe, Ramipril and Bisoprolol Fumarate for the last four years, and I seem to be pretty much free of unwanted side effects apart from a very mild sniffle.

Here's a website that may entertain those with a sense of gallows humour...

https://www.drugs.com/sfx/

You just tap the drug of choice into the Search box and you get told how it's going to kill you by mistake.

 

[raleighnut]

[QUOTE 4526574, member: 9609"]How do you know if you need them ?
is it a standard test from the doctors, and do you only get the test if there is a reason to have it?[/QUOTE]
Have you had the 'bloke over 50' MOT thingy from your doctor, that was when mine was checked.

 

[mjr]

[QUOTE 4526574, member: 9609"]How do you know if you need them ?
is it a standard test from the doctors, and do you only get the test if there is a reason to have it?[/QUOTE]
Common test, available from doctor's, else a simpler initial screening cholesterol test is administered by pharmacies. There are QRISK calculators and a high enough level on that, plus total cholesterol above 5.5mmol/l and LDL-C above 4 that can't be reduced further through lifestyle changes is when statins are often tried IIRC. There are two main controversies with this, as I understand it: some doctors are thought to give up on lifestyle changes a bit readily, and the QRISK score goes up with increasing age.

 

[mjr]

The test I had was a fasted blood test.

That's because some labs won't attempt to give an LDL (low density lipoprotein) measurement unless it's a fasting test. (It's more reliable anyway.)

 

[mjr]

Yes. It was my understanding that statins wouldn't be prescribed on the basis of the pharmacy tests alone. User9609 was asking how you know if you need a statin, but the readily available tests are not the answer to that question it seems.

Well, the pharmacy or home tests can suggest that you don't need one and I suspect most doctor's would order the fuller test if the screening test suggested that you might.

Actually, whether anyone needs statins is both controversial and a philosophical question...

 

[ufkacbln]

I've been taking them for years............what was the question again

You remembered to answer.........

 

[david k]

20 years ago a test showed my cholesterol as 8.9.
I asked "what does that mean"?
The Doc said "you are a heart attack waiting to happen". She wanted me to go on Statins.
Bearing in mind that I am reasonably fit and eat a good diet (love my veg & salad etc) I went to a naturlist/herbalist type person who said in effect"load of b****ks.. depends if its good or bad cholesterol.
Anyway.....aged 69 I'm still here and enjoying cycling, walking, golf, booze and life in general

Which did you believe? The one with the result you wanted?

 

[nickyboy]

Probably, but we don't know for sure.

And are you sure there's no side effects? I think it took mine five years to show up badly enough and be linked to the statins.

I've now been through all the current statins except one, they all farked up my cycling (which is itself worth a 20% drop in cholesterol), so I'm on a cocktail of other drugs. We'll see how they work...

Oh and don't worry about statins for much longer. They'll blow over soon. They're starting to move on to PCSK9 inhibitors which, at something like £15k/year per person for fewer doses until the patents run out, could be far bigger business.

Zero side effects. I've been taking them for about 3 years. When I had my LDL checked it was about 2.2 which I was very happy with

 

[Dave7]

Which did you believe? The one with the result you wanted?

Actually it was the one that made sense. If you wish to believe everything a doctor tells you then go ahead...knock yourself out

 

[david k]

Actually it was the one that made sense. If you wish to believe everything a doctor tells you then go ahead...knock yourself out

The nurse at my doctors put me on statins when my cholesterol was 6.something. He phoned me up a week later and said don't bother, you have an under active thyroid and that's normal, continue if you want. I didn't want, stopped and tried to,lose weight......still trying

 

[PaulSB]

I've been on Atorvastatin, Ezetimibe, Ramipril and Bisoprolol Fumarate for the last four years, and I seem to be pretty much free of unwanted side effects apart from a very mild sniffle..

I had a heart attack 12 months ago last Sunday and was prescribed Ramipril amongst other things. The Ramipril gave me a dry cough, a known side effect for some people. This could be the cause of your sniffle? Might be worth asking.

On the self administered cholesterol tests the BBC "Trust Me I'm a Doctor" programme tonight showed them to be very inaccurate.

While I was in recovery my support nurses told me high cholesterol in some people can be 80% genetic and 20% lifestyle meaning for some drugs are the only answer.

 

[slowmotion]

I had a heart attack 12 months ago last Sunday and was prescribed Ramipril amongst other things. The Ramipril gave me a dry cough, a known side effect for some people. This could be the cause of your sniffle? Might be worth asking.

On the self administered cholesterol tests the BBC "Trust Me I'm a Doctor" programme tonight showed them to be very inaccurate.

While I was in recovery my support nurses told me high cholesterol in some people can be 80% genetic and 20% lifestyle meaning for some drugs are the only answer.

Thanks. I hope you recovered well. My sniffle is just that, a very slightly runny nose, and the need for a handkerchief in my cycle jacket pocket. It's not a big deal at all, given all the side effects that I don't have from such a large drug intake. I used to be opposed to long-term medication, but now I don't care. My current attitude is that if they don't cause me any grief, I'm willing to submit to the chemical suggestions of experts.

 

[mjr]

While I was in recovery my support nurses told me high cholesterol in some people can be 80% genetic and 20% lifestyle meaning for some drugs are the only answer.

Yes, but that's thought to be about one in a million and statins are not the only drugs. Even heterozygous genetic cases (not quite as serious) are still only one in 500 people and statins seem prescribed much more widely than that. Edit: The most serious cases of both aren't taking drugs anyway: they use LDL-apheresis, basically filtering the blood outside the body. It's also not well understood what provokes high cholesterol to start depositing itself in troubling places.

 

[PK99]

Probably, but we don't know for sure.

And are you sure there's no side effects? I think it took mine five years to show up badly enough and be linked to the statins.

I've now been through all the current statins except one, they all farked up my cycling (which is itself worth a 20% drop in cholesterol), so I'm on a cocktail of other drugs. We'll see how they work...

.

I was on lipitor but following an interaction with an antibiotic, I developed a statin induced lupus like syndrome, that manifested as a facial rash. Stopping the statin stopped the rash instantly.

I'm now on Exeterol which reduces cholesterol in a different way - statin blocks production, Ezeterol sits around in the gut wall and blocks uptake