Is there a good alternative to statins? I was put on Rasusvastatin 10

@mayoconnectuser1,
I developed peripheral neuropathy, a documented side effect of statins, in my 30’s. I had terrible burning pain and numbness in my feet from the nerve damage that a neurologist diagnosed through testing. The pain went away after stopping statins, but numbness remained. My brother had the experience only worse neuropathy.

My primary doctor ordered a complete lipid profile called Cardio IQ from Cleveland Heart Lab. My overall lipid profile was not bad - high HDL, low ratio, pattern A, low lpa. I stopped statins and worked on lifestyle changes.

I gained weight after starting a consulting job in my 40s, and my cholesterol increased to 340, and my LDL skyrocketed to 200. I changed my diet to a vegetarian, organic, lower carb diet(< 100 grams of carbohydrate), no processed foods or seed oils, and switched to butter and organic olive oil. My BMI reduced to 25, but my cholesterol and LDL were still high. I listened to Dr Nadar Ali’s YouTube video that @gloaming links to in her post and decided not to worry about the high LDL.

In 2022 I traveled to Mayo for a complete cardiac evaluation, including an angiogram of my heart and abdomen, and it showed atherosclerosis in my LAD and aorta. My cholesterol was over 300 and I decided to try 10 mg of Rosuvastatin recommended by cardiology, but I worried about additional nerve damage.

My current diet - a 25-gram carbohydrate diet, no sugar, and following the cardiovascular guidelines in Dr. Li’s book “Eat to Beat Disease” has helped. I added organic ground flax seeds and organic chia seeds, which contain bioactive lignans to lower my cholesterol naturally.

My goal is to make lifestyle changes to improve my health naturally. Dr. Li’s book has the scientific information that helps me make good food choices.

Thanks for the background.

It sounds like you have been OK with Rosuvastatin as prescribed by Mayo Clinic (which one)? Are you trying an injectable, as well?

My sense, after reading hundreds, if not thousands of threads, is that having a goal is good, but rarely are folks able to meet the goal without the use of modern medicine. Genetics are what genetics are - beating them might require more that better eating.

And, while it is certainly my opinion only, I would trust a qualified cardiologist at a major best of the best clinic, before I would a TV or book doctor.

I started taking generic Rosuvastain 20 mg again in 2022 after my Mayo visit. I changed my diet and exercise program, lost some weight, and my cholesterol dropped. I cut my dose to 10 mg and my cholesterol is now 180, HDL 59, LDL 110, TG 66. My blood pressure is 106/66 without meds.

I don’t want my LDL any lower because of the important role LDL plays in the body as discussed in Dr Nadir Ali’s youtube presentation.

I have recently added more fiber to my diet and I have cut my Rosuvastatin dose 5 mg. My atherosclerosis is very mild. I am 70 years old.

I am focused now on following the fascinating research and food guidelines by Dr William Li . His non-profit website is angio.org, and his book, “Eat To Beat Disease” ,scientifically proves there are other factors influencing disease, including heart disease. There is a much bigger story to heart disease treatment and prevention than following cholesterol numbers.

If you would like to order a more advanced lipid panel called Cardio IQ, you can order it yourself online through Ultalabs.com. They don’t bill insurance, but they have huge discounts and 20-50% off sales. The blood is drawn at a Quest Lab draw station near you and sent to Cleveland Heart Lab.

Good luck to you

Re LDL level, I pulled first thing I saw online from known source (not online doc or book doc) - this usually means built in peer review from an institution.

Most discussions agree with this assessment.

My doc and cardiologist like LDL around 50.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ldl-cholesterol-how-low-can-you-safely-go-2020012018638

I was just too afraid of the raise in blood sugar side effect on Repatha. I did Repatha for several months and my cholesterol numbers all went to normal, but tomorrow I’m starting Wegovy and see if my numbers stay good. I am afraid of the potential cancer side effect of Wegovy, however. Honestly, I hate them all.

Well, you could stop taking anything you hate - and see what happens? Doesn't seem reasonable, though.

If you are taking Wegovy, it means you have weight or sugar or both issues? Can you provide citations re cancer concerns with Wegovy?

It’s a rare side effect, but…I am on the high end of “normal weight,” low end of “over weight.” I have high cholesterol that was lowered with Repatha. I have mild heart disease. But, my weight is in my stomach area and I have spent my ENTIRE life fighting weight gain. EVERYDAY. Just to be able to relax and not be overweight would be such a blessing. Stopping the voices, constant talk in my head about every morsel of food.

Wegovy (semaglutide) may increase the risk of thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer, but this is a rare side effect. Animal studies have shown a connection between semaglutides and thyroid cancer, but people studies have not shown the same. Symptoms of thyroid cancer include: Lump or swelling in the neck, Hoarseness, Trouble swallowing, and Shortness of breath.

Hi, HomeAgain. What have you done about your diet? If we can forget calorie-counting, which IS important (no matter who it is who argues otherwise...you can only use so many at a time, and if you eat more than that, where does it go? Magically back to the Great Void?), some foods do us little good. The noun foods should often be used cynically or with air quotes. Many foods, and the more processed they are the worse they are for us, will cause gut inflammation and systemic inflammation. Or, if they amount to more than about 200 gm of carbohydrates each day, they encourage the production of insulin, which is a storage hormone. Too many carbs in a day, or too much fat, and they get 'deposited' for a rainy day. In your adipocytes. Around your stomach, the backs of your arms, in and around your liver, lungs, and heart, ...not good.

Generally, weight-gain problems are endocrine-related. Or genetic...or both. Maybe you should consult an endocrinologist and see if you don't have a deficit that can be corrected, or an overage. Thyroid problems, for example. If you already know the answers to these, please disregard my post.

There's a book by Dr. Natasha Campbell called put your heart where your mouth is. Covers a lot of topics and is based on a diet that is good for you. Statin drugs are toxic and can cause numerous problems including dementia. Most doctors may disagree but they are making billions of dollars off these drugs. The best advice I can give is do your homework. Wish you the very best.

Sigh ... statin drugs are not toxic.

And, most doctors are not supporting any particular industry that is harming you.

Agree - do your homework, but not on facebook. If you lack the technical or scientific knowledge to understand, ask your doctor.