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Statin drug's side effects

Heart Rhythm Conditions | Last Active: 3 minutes ago | Replies (16)

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@dalebout123

Thank you for your quick reply. I am 80 years old and, up till now, lucky to have had no major medical problems and have lived a very active life. It seems turning 80 begins with the advent of taking statins and heart palpitations, brain fog, lethargy, shortness of breath, and some minor depression with a higher than average (for me) irritation level. Don't know how they all fit together and my doctor is testing everything possible...lung MRI, PET scan, sleep apnea test, echocardiogram. I have started using oxigen at night, but see--and feel--no difference. Oxigen reading on my pulsometer is still in the low 90s. I still go to pilates each week and aerial yoga and regular yoga, but my motivation to do more is lacking. I hope to hit the slopes once there is a bit more snow.

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Replies to "Thank you for your quick reply. I am 80 years old and, up till now, lucky..."

Sorry to see you losing ground like this.

If your O2 sats are that low, you DO have apnea...or a lung condition that is yet undiagnosed. Or anemia, mebbe? Something is inhibiting your O2 perfusion or its uptake. Most of us, even with AF (atrial fibrillation) manage to keep ourselves north of about 95%.

I'm glad you're open to trials of one kind or another, such as taking extra oxygen at night. However, even with a good strong flow directly into you nares, if you can't get air past your throat due to obstructive apnea................................................ You might want to trial a CPAP machine that can control hypopnea events or obstructive events.....or central apnea events. As we age, we lose muscle mass, including around our shoulders and in the neck. This means that, over time, your sleep position changes somewhat. It might mean that you are kinking your neck sufficiently that you are closing off your trachea just enough to cause a lot of resistance, which is what a CPAP machine can monitor with the manometer sensor built into it. These are called 'flow limitations', and they'll be part of the data recorded by the CPAP each night. The machines also record each hypopnea, obstructive, and central apneic event.

Keep chipping away at this big block of mystery. Eventually, it will show some big cracks developing, and you'll know you're on top again.