Hi everyone many thanks for the messages of support and information.A quick question, I’ve been advised by my doctor to take statins which I believe are for high cholesterol.My doctors haven’t received my discharge paperwork from the hospital so I’m assuming he thinks I have high cholesterol but I haven’t had a blood test!I was given statins from the hospital,these gave me incredibly painful leg cramps. I’ve managed to arrange an appointment with my doctor next week.I think he assumes I’m an older grey haired bloke and a carnivore……I’ve been vegan for 15 years!
Shwmae @philrug, I was given Atorvastatin which caused horrible nerve pain, it has a long list of side effects, so I switched to Rosuvastatin which has very few side effects, I am on a low 10mg dose. As with anti-platelet medication, statins are the bog standard precautionary medication supplied after stroke. Like you, I didn’t feel I needed them as I did have blood tests and my cholesterol levels were not too bad but my GP felt they weren’t low enough to warrant not taking statins. I would rather not take them to be honest. However, in your case, a vegan or vegetarian diet can have high levels of saturated fats, they are just found in other food sources and higher cholesterol levels can be genetic. But it is your choice to accept the medication offered. Next time I have a blood test, and my levels are satisfactorily low, I will definitely stop taking statins. At the moment, I am trying to put on weight, so am eating all sorts of things, so I guess I ought to stick with them for now.
@philrug statins are a standard treatment if you’ve had a stroke caused by a clot I believe. There are different ones out there so if one type doesn’t suit then you should be able to try a different one. Discuss your options when you see your GP then you can make an informed decision.
I have genetic high cholesterol so whilst diet can help uts not the full answer for me.
It does at times seem like Doctors have a ‘standard’ list of medications for stroke sufferers. My experience is that they can prescribe them ‘just in case’. After a few years I have debated issues with my Doctor and now I am taking the meds that are really necessary and ditched those that are not.
Unfortunately due to present economic circumstances Doctors seem to have little time to debate the finer points of medication even though I am sure that they would like to in a professional way.
Philrug–Surprising that you were put on statins without a blood test. Anyway, I can’t take statins. They give me abdominal cramps. I’ve tried them all. So, I take 10 mg. Zetia,(the generic form) instead and 500mg Niacin to lower cholestrol. Zetia is not a statin. It lowers cholestrol but not as dramatically as a statin, and does not bother me at all. My husband takes Pravastatin 20 mg. That’s the mildest statin and I think it even comes in 10 mg. It doesn’t bother him at all, but it gave me stomach cramps. I’ve heard takining Co Q-10 with statins helps to alleviate muscle cramps. We do take that as well. Jeanne