Cholesterol and alternatives to statins

[Juliette40]

Hi there!

Is your GP trying to persuade you to take statins for cholesterol? Mine tried...I refused. I have read so much about the side affects and possibility of heart attacks and stroke that I daren't touch them. My GP has given me 3 months to lower my cholesterol by other means before being retested and reviewing the situation.

I have done much research. Statins cause muscle degredation by reducing the body's ability to make a co-enzyme in the liver called Q10. A lack of Q10 is the cause of muscle loss, fatigue, low energy and muscular aches and pains. It can affect the heart as this is one big muscle. It is the lack of Q10 rather than the statins themselves which cause this deadly side affect. From the age of 40 your body becomes less able to produce co-enzyme Q10 naturally so adding statins just accellerates the reduction in its production.

Additionally, Q10 may also protect against blood clots, lower blood pressure, lessen symptoms of Raynaud's disease and relieve chest pain. It is thought to prolong life in those with breast or prostate cancer. The list goes on! It is also helpful in stabilising bood sugar levels in us diabetics and I must admit that since taking a co-enzyme Q10 supplement I have noticed the latter improving.

So, I have found that avocados, nuts, seeds, soya, turmeric and oats are especially good at lowering cholesterol. In addition to these foods, I also take supplements of garlic, omega-3 and artichoke which are all renowned for lowering cholesterol.

 

[Anonymous]

I think I read on here this week that someone was taking a Q10 supplement to counteract what you're describing (but I may have dreamt it).

I hear a lot about muscular problems (particularly aches) as a side effect of statins and I experienced just that when I was on Simvastatin. I complained and was moved on to Atorvastatin and have had no problems so far. I have tried to compare the two online but it's over my head - perhaps someone more knowledgeable will be along later.

 

[anna29]

Hi julie and swimmer.
Have read your posts and am wondering ...
Where do you get the Q10 supplements from? How much do they cost?
I was on simvastatin till suffered from the awful side effects its known for!
Refused to continue taking it as it was making me worse than any improvement, plus
my cholestrol levels have crept up despite being on it... :thumbdown:
Have read both of your posts with great interest and wish to consider other options
safer and better .
All of my family parents,brother,uncle,aunt are on statins.
Only my father is on Atorvastatin, rest are on simvastatin.
Anna.

 

[Juliette40]

Hi julie and swimmer.
Have read your posts and am wondering ...
Where do you get the Q10 supplements from? How much do they cost?
I was on simvastatin till suffered from the awful side effects its known for!
Refused to continue taking it as it was making me worse than any improvement, plus
my cholestrol levels have crept up despite being on it... :thumbdown:
Have read both of your posts with great interest and wish to consider other options
safer and better .
All of my family parents,brother,uncle,aunt are on statins.
Only my father is on Atorvastatin, rest are on simvastatin.
Anna.

Hi Anna

I got my Q10 from Holland & Barrett on sale at £5.99 though it depends on the strength you buy. They have a buy one, get one for a penny offer on at the moment but full price is about £15 I think...not sure. Either way, it's worth every penny! My brother is type 1 and takes it too.

Good luck
Juliette x

 

[anna29]

Ta ...
Guess where I am going this week then :thumbup:
What strength would be suitable ?
My thinking is, need it to work n be effective, but not take wrong strength :?
I had such a bad experience with simvastatin , I would be willing to try
something more safer [natural sourced] than medicinal drug if you see
what I mean.
Anna.

 

[Juliette40]

Ta ...
Guess where I am going this week then :thumbup:
What strength would be suitable ?
.

Hello again Anna

Q10 is not an alternative to statins as it doesn't lower cholesterol. It needs to be used alongside them or a cholesterol lowering diet. It merely prevents statins from depleting your natural levels of this co-enzyme which are needed for a lot of chemical processes in your body. Q10 prevents side affects of statins such as muscle degredation, pains and aches. I take 2x 30mg a day. This is quite a low dose, but I wanted to see the affect of this first before increasing it. It seems to do the job for me as I feel more energetic and my sugar levels are a little lower than they used to be.

For cholesterol lowering, I recommend the foods and supplements listed in my earlier email..artichoke supplement and avocado pears being particularly beneficial. I also take benecol dairy free drink as it is soya based. Soya lowers cholesterol and this has the added benefit of containing fewer carbs than the fat free benecol as it is lactose free.

Good luck
Juliette. x

 

[carty]

I take a plant sterol called Lestrin boots have it in its 3 for 2 range .I refused statins and reduced my chol from 6.9 to 5.4 along with my reduced carb diet and more exercise
CAROL

 

[anna29]

Hi juliette,
I usually use all the flora proactiv[lowers cholesterol] milk and spread.
Hubby buys these in for us 'both' to use.
Daily use and take the benecol 'light' plant sterol probiotic drinks...
Am due to see my consultant on the 22nd august, for chat about possibilities of different statin?
For now would like to try the Q10 and eat advocado pears! [will add half of one into my salads]
As surely something would be better than nothing?
If and when I start a new statin or fibrate will continue to run the Q10 alongside it
as you explain its more effective if used together.
Many thanks for your valuable help and info... :thumbup:
Anna.

 

[dawnmc]

Well seeing as Unilever are the power behind Flora pro active, I would be highly suspicious that it does any good. In fact Dr Briffa has tried to interview them to get evidence to back up there claim that Flora does any good, they didn't respond. Conclusion was that you would be better off eating yogurt because that has useful probiotics in them. I don't think we were meant to eat sterols, which is what is in Flora amonst other unmentionals.

 

[Juliette40]

I take a plant sterol called Lestrin boots have it in its 3 for 2 range .I refused statins and reduced my chol from 6.9 to 5.4 along with my reduced carb diet and more exercise
CAROL

Hello

Thanks for your reply. The more advice, the better. We have to work together to stay healthy the best way we can. I shall be revisiting Boots for the Lestrin. I got the artichoke extract from there on the 3 for 2 offer.

Regards
Juliette x

 

[Karlm]

Hi Juliette,
I was on Simvastatin up until a few weeks ago and decided to stop. Since then the crippling muscle pains in my legs have gone and I feel I will be able to start running again ( I had stopped for over a month due to the intense pain ) its the best thing I have done. Having read the alternatives to statins I think i'll give them a go!

k

 

[suejat]

hello all,
I am new to this forum, and have been reading this post with great interest. I'm lucky in as much as my cholesterol is nicely towards the lower end of normal. I don't eat as well as I might, but absolutely refuse to eat any white carbs, or any type of margarine type spread. I cannot believe that anyone could take heart healthy unsaturated oils, and do the awful things they do to make the horrendously heart unhealthy spreads marketed as good for you. I use butter whipped up with olive oil on the rare occasions that I use a spread. Like most of you here, I would not touch statins with a barge pole. If cholesterol readings are too high to get down naturally, I suppose they would have to be used, but personally I think all other alternatives should be tried first, Just my opinion.

 

[Juliette40]

hello all,
I am new to this forum, and have been reading this post with great interest. Like most of you here, I would not touch statins with a barge pole. If cholesterol readings are too high to get down naturally, I suppose they would have to be used, but personally I think all other alternatives should be tried first, Just my opinion.

Hey Suejat

You are a kindred spirit. I haven't used marg or spreads for years...long before diagnosis. I think my cholesterol readings are of genetic source as I eat no saturated fats, am on a low fat/low-carb diet and never really did eat stuff like biscuits and crisps. The only indulgence I used to have was a Danish pastry or two after doing the weekly shop. Now I rarely go near such things. Don't even get me started on fried food! Never eat it...never would. Grill and steam, that's what I do. Oh, there's no justice in the world! My reward for low BG is high cholesterol...whoopee!

Anyway, I'm certainly with you on the 'try all other alternatives first' approach to statins. Fingers crossed it works. I pray you'll never have this dilema.
Regards
Juliette x

 

[Defren]

I had my HbA1c done recently along with my cholesterol. My results were:

Plasma total cholesterol 3.4mmol/L
LDL 1 mmol/L
HDL 1.2 mmol/L
Trigs 2.6 mmol/L

I have a low carb high fat diet. I do this for many reasons. Low fat products are usually high sugar - they have to replace the taste of the fat with something. By ultra low carbing, I have to fuel my body with something, fat works for me. I am on statins, and although my GP wants me to stay on them, I don't, but we have reached a compromise. I am on a different statin and smaller dose, and we will see where that leads us. I do take CoQ10 as it does help the liver.

I fry a lot and use tons of butter, oils and cream. With cholesterol as low as mine is, and an HbA1c of 4.9 I must be doing something right.

 

[noblehead]

I think my cholesterol readings are of genetic source

Could be Familial Hypercholesterolaemia which is inherited form of high cholesterol, take a read of the following from Netdoctor:

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/fac ... laemia.htm

 

[Juliette40]

I think my cholesterol readings are of genetic source

Could be Familial Hypercholesterolaemia which is inherited form of high cholesterol, take a read of the following from Netdoctor:

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/fac ... laemia.htm

You little saint!

Thanks for this web link. I've just read the web page and this could be what's causing my problem as both parents and my brother have high cholesterol. I have also had intermittent thyroid problems, though it seems to have cured itself. My only confusion is that my cholesterol levels have been normal in the past. It's only since being diabetic that it's shot up (diagnosed June 2011). I was on orlistat for weight loss and this works similarly to a statin. Once I came off this, my cholesterol shot up despite being normal beforehand when I weighed over 19 stone. Now I'm just 10 stone. I think I'll raise your suggestion with my GP and see what he says. Thank you so much.
Juliette. x

 

[noblehead]

I would (although can't be sure as I'm not medically qualified to say) have thought that if it was FH then your cholesterol would have been high even before your diabetes, with your parents and brother having high cholesterol there could be a connection so there's no harm in discussing things with your gp and I wish you the best of luck

 

[tisme]

I also refused to take statins i used plant sterols for a while i am now on fenofibrate it has had no side effects for me this is what they use to give before statins found rice bran oil best for cooking no cholesteral at all .
I met a herbalist in a large health food store who told me about fenugreek tablets taken 20 minutes before a meal leaves a jelly like substance which prevents the absorption of sugar and fats . i was on four 80gr of gliclizide a day now down to 2 fenugreek breakfast and lunch and 1 gliclizide in the evening and feel so much better no constant craving for food

 

[Juliette40]

I also refused to take statins ....I met a herbalist in a health food store who told me about fenugreek tablets taken 20 minutes before a meal leaves a jelly like substance which prevents the absorption of sugar and fats .

Hey there you!

Fenugreek sounds really interesting. Did this jelly form in the gut or the mouth? Did it cause any horrible stomach/bowel upsets? Did you have any cholesterol tests which proved it was successful?

Juliette x

 

[khrishlabrioll]

Hmm .... I never heard of the side effects ...
Maybe this article about Statin Alternatives Lowering Cholesterol will be interesting for you...
http://www.healtharticles101.com/top-10-statin-alternatives-lowering-cholesterol/
Enjoy good health! Good luck!