OT high cholesterol/Pravastatin

[wc1934]

Curious if anyone is using pravastain to lower their cholesterol levels.
I just got my lipid results and doc wants me to start taking pravastain.

My cholesterol is 203 (standard range is 0-199) so it was flagged as high.
My HDL was 45 (standard range is > 40)
Cholo/HDL ratio was 4.5 (standard range is 0-4.90)
LDL was 142 (standard range is 0-130) so it was flagged as high.
Triglycerides was 80 (standard range 0-149)

The above numbers were a bit higher than last test in which cholo was 188 and LDL was 131.

I am pretty active for a senior citizen. I run and ride, lift weights occasionally etc. Weight is good (127 lbs), diet ok = vegetarian (no meat or chicken), but use a ton of olive oil in sauteing my vegetables/beans/tofu etc.

Of course I am not seeking medical advice (on a biking forum) but rather personnel experiences/opinions and ideas I may not have thought of.

As always, Thanks!!

[DonH]

Been on Pravastatin in a small dosage for several years. Does what it's supposed to with no side effects as far as I can tell.
My tests have been favorable since I started.

[thwart]

Lots of other factors come into play here...

Most importantly, have you ever had a heart problem or stroke? Do you have other risk factors for heart disease, such as a family history, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes... there are a few others...

If… and that's a big if... you have none of those risk factors, and you're quite physically active, at a good weight (OK, you could probably stand to put on a few lbs. ) then a lot of doctors would not recommend cholesterol medication with those numbers.

Sometimes it's good to share with your doc what your philosophy about medication is, especially when it's a gray zone like this. He/She might err on the side of putting people on a medication if it may possibly help. You very well may not embrace that perspective.

[bigbill]

I've been on Atorvastatin (Lipitor) for the last 4 years. I have risk factors so my doctor wants me to stay on it forever. He has reduced my dosage in half since last year and that dosage is holding everything just right. The hard thing for me was reducing triglycerides but even that is in lower end of the range now. For me, more miles equals better cholesterol levels.

[Peter P.]

I'm on Pravastatin. I asked my doc if I could start with the smallest dosage, 10mg. She said yes. Little did I know, the smallest pill is 20mg. Slicing the pills in half was just plain silly and aggravating.

No side effects.

[pitonpat]

Ditto Atorvastatin 40 mg for me for 5 years. This past June my LDL cholesterol was at 105, not real bad but my cardio wanted it lower and he added Ezetimibe 10mg (generic for Zetia). Last week my LDL was 62! Stunning result and no discernable side effects.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by wc1934

Curious if anyone is using pravastain to lower their cholesterol levels.
I just got my lipid results and doc wants me to start taking pravastain.

My cholesterol is 203 (standard range is 0-199) so it was flagged as high.
My HDL was 45 (standard range is > 40)
Cholo/HDL ratio was 4.5 (standard range is 0-4.90)
LDL was 142 (standard range is 0-130) so it was flagged as high.
Triglycerides was 80 (standard range 0-149)

The above numbers were a bit higher than last test in which cholo was 188 and LDL was 131.

I am pretty active for a senior citizen. I run and ride, lift weights occasionally etc. Weight is good (127 lbs), diet ok = vegetarian (no meat or chicken), but use a ton of olive oil in sauteing my vegetables/beans/tofu etc.

Of course I am not seeking medical advice (on a biking forum) but rather personnel experiences/opinions and ideas I may not have thought of.

As always, Thanks!!

I take Lipitor and my wife takes Pravastatin..My Total was 219, now 165..all my other numbers well w/i the 'good/excellent' range. No family history, never smoked. Same with wife but hers 370..now 175...both very active, decent diets.

When I had a few bouts of AFib, once that determined to be self induced(alcohol)...heart doc gave me the '100 men like you in a room..50% get a 'statin' and 50% don't..then see incidence of heart disease...MUCH lower with the group that took a statin of some type'.

I KNOW it's not that simple but if you have no side effects..and the $ is right(mine are free, wife's are $20 for 90 days)...I see no reason to NOT take it..

[Birddog]

I would read up on the side effects of taking any Statin. Your numbers are just barely over the line. Start eating a ton of oatmeal (if you aren't already) and have the numbers run again in 6 mos.

[Geeheeb]

Originally Posted by Birddog

Start eating a ton of oatmeal (if you aren't already) and

and cut down on cholesterol intake if you don't want to take / can't tolerate a statin.

[numbskull]

Review these links.

http://www.cvriskcalculator.com
https://www.uspreventiveservicestask...ve-medication1
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...s/art-20046013

Understand also that therapy does not eliminate risk, it reduces it by 15-30% (i.e., if your 10 year risk is 10% with therapy it drops to @8%).

If you are still unsure what to do, you might ask your Dr for a hsCRP test (a nonspecific measure of inflammation). If low (<1) cardiac risk is small, high (>2-3) then risk is "high" and it would push you to take a statin (if tolerated) even with borderline numbers.

[ultraman6970]

I was in that cr@p of pravastain and other ones aswell, actually i was getting a cocktail of ****tzzz... I couldnt ride at all, body aches, stamina was gone, getting sleep anywhere... sucks.

Hope it works for you because for me any cr@p for cholesterol barely works and the side effects were just bad. My other issue and this is the thing that is hard for some doctors to understand because the two I visit told me that I was going to get a heart attack tomorrow night (shock therapy?), had to tell them that those words dont work on me because apparently I one of those people with high cholesterol, always been high the problem is that I never got cholesterol exams when I was in full racing season so I really dont even I know if my cholesterol had been normal ever.

[wc1934]

Originally Posted by thwart

Lots of other factors come into play here...

Most importantly, have you ever had a heart problem or stroke? Do you have other risk factors for heart disease, such as a family history, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes... there are a few others...

If… and that's a big if... you have none of those risk factors, and you're quite physically active, at a good weight (OK, you could probably stand to put on a few lbs. ) then a lot of doctors would not recommend cholesterol medication with those numbers.

Sometimes it's good to share with your doc what your philosophy about medication is, especially when it's a gray zone like this. He/She might err on the side of putting people on a medication if it may possibly help. You very well may not embrace that perspective.

Exactly my dilemma - My lifestyle = eating, exercise etc and my cholo is still high. Heart is supposedly good - no diabetes - no family history or huge risk factors. I think I am sorta healthy (currently only on one medication -hydrochlorothiazide (diuretic water pill). I just dont like taking medication (use tequila to cure all ills - hahah).

My doc is pretty conservative - stated that adding this statin will reduce my risk of a heart attack by 18%. Guess it is worth another discussion with him.

[Ralph]

My Doc also says...."statins save lives" in people with moderately elevated LDL.

I've taken all the statins thru the years. Pravastatin is one of the earlier meds.....very "weak" (not a good way to describe it) compared to modern meds like Crestor. Takes 40 MG of Pravastatin to be equivalent dose of 5 MG of Crestor. I get leg pains with a daily dose of any of them.

So....I take 100 MG of CoQ10 daily to replace the enzyme the statin takes out....and take a relatively high dose (10 MG) of Crestor (actually the generic equivalent) twice a week. No leg or knee pains this way....and brings my LDL well below 100. I learned about different dosing.....every other day, 3 times weekly, twice weekly.....dosing from the Internet. Doc says works for cyclists who getleg pains....and it's OK with him....even though he can't recommend dosing other than what drug maker says.

[djg21]

I’ve was put on simvistain about 2 years ago. I don’t have any side effects or issues at all.

[smead]

http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/s...t_failure.html

Prolonged use will mess you up, I have my father who cannot move his legs (he took statins for 20 years) as first hand evidence of the damage they'll eventually do to your muscles and nervous system. Throw that crap (statins) away and just eat good food.