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Junior Member
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Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 16
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 16
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I intend to ask all prescribers if the proposed medication is a statin. If so, are there non-statin alternatives?
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There are many non-statin alternatives for cholesterol, they're just nowhere near as effective.
Not to argue with anyone, but according to NIH and the American Heart Association criteria, both your cholesterol and LDL are high enough to warrant medication, and right now, statins are recommended as first line. Even if you don't meet criteria for familial hypercholesterolemia, your doctor may have just meant that there's a strong genetic component (i.e. "it's familial"), most studies show that genetics are heavily involved.
And the pharmaceutical companies aren't really making money on them any more. One is on several 4$ or 5$ plans and most of the rest are generic and fairly inexpensive.
I get some people have developed peripheral neuropathy and I definitely can empathize, I have PN from other causes, however statistically it's an uncommon side effect, it just seems to happen a lot bc so many people are on them and most studies show that the symptoms at least diminish and often go away once the statin is stopped.
I really do get that peripheral neuropathy sucks, but what about the alternatives? The second leading cause of death in the 45-54 age group is heart disease with stroke being the 6th leading cause, and heart disease is the third leading cause in the 35-44 age group and stroke the 7th leading cause. Statins do help prevent death from heart disease and stroke. And they both move higher up the list as causes of death the older the individual is.
I don't mean to be antagonistic, I just hope people look at all the facts before stopping life-saving meds such as statins (as controversial as that may be).
I really hope I haven't offended anyone.
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