Screw off Doc, I don’t care about my high cholesterol

[jbett98]

My neighbor said the same thing to me this last summer " I ain't taking those damn pills anymore".
He's just now making some progress from a pretty bad stroke.

 

[Wayne]

Yep, just got told I am a little high and might want to consider medication .
By they way I am 68

 

[bolus]

Lol!
True
I'm 5'10
260
I believe the Testosterone replacement is causing this issue. No fat on me. Remember that big black dude on that movie Armageddon? That's me. Just a little smaller.
My blood pressure is 120/68

So testosterone cypionate, a synthetic steroid, increases risk for heart disease....hook me up!
Statin.... bah, evil toxic drug made by evil pharma, no way ever!


wait until you see the markup on those drug eluting stents

 

[Oregonhunter5]

So testosterone cypionate, a synthetic steroid, increases risk for heart disease....hook me up!
Statin.... bah, evil toxic drug made by evil pharma, no way ever!


wait until you see the markup on those drug eluting stents

And what does low T get you? All
Of that a much more.

 

[bolus]

And what does low T get you? All
Of that a much more.

I'm giving you crap since I cant do it to my real patients

Testosterone is a fine treatment for low testosterone as long as it brings the blood levels into normal range. It does not lengthen life statistically but does improve quality of life when used appropriately

Statins are good medications that reduce risk of heart attacks. But they should be prescribed based on overall risk and how much benefit they may have. 18 year olds dont need statins since no matter how high their cholesterol is, it does not benefit enough for the life long risks. a 60 year old with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol who smokes and had everyone in their family die of heart disease is going to benefit the most from a statin.

Its better for someone to lower their cholesterol with diet, but the average person wants to eat frosting and pizza 12 times a day so they get offered a statin.

Both have risks and benefits, like every medication known to man.

Ask your doc to calculate your ATP3 framingham risk score
you can do it yourself here if you know your numbers:
Framingham Risk Score (ATP-III) | Calculate by QxMD

That is the rough statistical risk of a heart attack in 10 years. Then consider a statin lowers that risk by 50% perhaps (ballpark number based on some long term studies).

 

[Joe13]

I'm at 1%!

 

[bbbass]

Yep, just got told I am a little high and might want to consider medication .
View attachment 525419By they way I am 68

Glad your PSA is perfect!!

 

[Bigbaddude]

Yahoo!
I am at 6% put a extra scoop of ice cream on that frozen pizza.

 

[albin25]

After my stroke 2 1/2 years ago, I discovered I enjoyed breathing more than milkshakes and fries.
It's all fun and games, tough talk, "screw you Doc" and "I ain't giving up my daily triple bacon with cheese fries"....
.... That is until it's, "Doc, can ya get me to my kid's graduation/wedding/baby?"
Now I feel great at 70 lbs down, cholesterol like a newborn, smoke no more, blood pressure and heart-rate excellent .... while still enjoying the good stuff all I want on those special occasions.

Really, most guys wouldn't dream of regularly feeding crappy, corrosive ammo into their guns ....




Of course, if you really don't like your wife and kids then chow down in the lazyboy.

 

[KKG]

Stokes and Heart Attacks both can be caused by the High Cholesterol. Neither of them are really fun to have to deal with. You pay the Doctor for his advise so it might just be a good idea to take it.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

You guys I don't eat like crap at all. And my appetite has gone down the last year or 2.

 

[cmica]

hmm im at 2%


just eat your oatmeal

 

[Joe13]

You guys I don't eat like crap at all. And my appetite has gone down the last year or 2.

I would say that everyone is just concerned about you.

Nothing meant by all the advice, other then stay off those meds if you can and it sounds like you've already made a plan of action.

 

[The Heretic]

I have high BP, known it for years and ignored the docs - until I had an artery in my eye leak and occlude my vision - hypertensive retinopathy - earlier this year. Long story short, after seeing many docs this year, going into the hospital/clinics for tests/etc., racking up almost $60K in medical bills (mostly paid by insurance), my BP is doing a bit better, my cholesterol is normal instead of bad, my vision is a bit better but damaged, and I can breath normally (mostly) while sleeping (CPAP) and I sleep better.

I still have problems, but I listen to my doctors - the only one who has prescribed meds is my cardiologist.

 

[Retired Guy]

I used to have very high cholesterol. The doc actually told me, "Your cholesterol is off the measurable scale. We will actually have to make you better to find out how really bad you are." He immediately put me on a statin and my bad cholesterol levels started to drift down. He moved me to more aggressive statins until my levels are actually pretty darn good. My high BP has gotten under control too. In the past, I've had some serious medical issues to include a heart attack that the doc actually told me that he's surprised I survived.
Bottom line: if anyone asked me about taking statins, I would say "do it"! By the way, if anyone is wondering if I'm overweight, I have always been considered underweight. When I first joined the Army, I was turned down for Airborne training because I was too light.

 

[pharmseller]

On behalf of my industry I'd like to thank the overwhelming majority of you who neither eat right nor exercise.

 

[Dungannon]

BP is usually somewhere between 110/62 and 120/68. Non-smoker. But heart disease has been prevalent in both parents' families for generations, while cancer has been extremely rare.

I saw the doctor in May because I was feeling short-of-breath when working hard but it would clear up in a minute or two when I took a break. No other symptoms. EKG normal. A week later I went in for a stress test, and they stopped it at 3 minutes. The technician didn't explain the results other than to say I needed to see a cardiologist right away, and she would make sure it was scheduled as soon as possible. So, I had an angiogram two days later; 90% blockage in three arteries. All the blockages were at branching arteries so stents were out. Early July I had bypass surgery.

I've got two younger brothers that had heart attacks; both had stents implanted. And all three brothers are on statins. Now I am.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

BP is usually somewhere between 110/62 and 120/68. Non-smoker. But heart disease has been prevalent in both parents' families for generations, while cancer has been extremely rare.

I saw the doctor in May because I was feeling short-of-breath when working hard but it would clear up in a minute or two when I took a break. No other symptoms. EKG normal. A week later I went in for a stress test, and they stopped it at 3 minutes. The technician didn't explain the results other than to say I needed to see a cardiologist right away, and she would make sure it was scheduled as soon as possible. So, I had an angiogram two days later; 90% blockage in three arteries. All the blockages were at branching arteries so stents were out. Early July I had bypass surgery.

I've got two younger brothers that had heart attacks; both had stents implanted. And all three brothers are on statins. Now I am.

Tell meMore about the short or breathe. Are you saying at that time you couldn't get on a tread mill and walk at a fast pace at a 8% incline?

 

[Dungannon]

Tell me more about the short of breathe. Are you saying at that time you couldn't get on a tread mill and walk at a fast pace at a 8% incline?

Not for very long at 8%! I didn't exercise, though the wife and I would go for a hike once a week, and/or walk around the neighborhood for 40-50 minutes. No shortness of breath when hiking unless it was a long/steep uphill grade. Right now I'm going to the gym and doing 2.8-3 mph at incline 3 on the treadmill for an hour, which works up a sweat but I'm still breathing comfortably through my nose. Then I do some crunches, and ride the stationary bike with the resistance at 8 for another 30 minutes. I dropped 25 pounds in the first 3 months after surgery, but nothing since.

I'm 67 and retired. Besides working around the house, I do maintenance at my church with some other retired guys one or two days a week. For normal activities [mowing the lawn, painting, fixing plumbing, finish carpentry, etc.]; no issues. But when digging a ditch for a moisture remediation project, and when using a hedge trimmer on a long extension, I felt winded after 20 minutes of steady working. Not gasping for air, just the sense that I was slowly running out of gas. I thought at the time that while I wasn't in the greatest of shape, it just seemed that in a couple months time I was loosing my stamina in a noticeable way. But like I said earlier, if I stopped for a minute or two, it was back to normal and I could resume work with no ill effects.

The cardiologist said that I would have eventually had a heart attack, and that the shortness of breath I was experiencing was due to the constriction in the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. When I worked harder, the left side of my heart couldn't pump enough oxygenated blood to the major muscles to meet demand. When I stopped, it could catch up. Or at least, that's my non-technical understanding of the situation.

 

[x2ndxall]

Wall, dayum.

This thread's got me feeling thankful I'll most likely depart on account of having my pumpkin ventilated. Y'all can have the heart attacks and strokes and whatnot. That sh!t scares me, stuff of nightmares.
A friend of mine had a stroke after ignoring the doc's advice regarding cholesterol. He's still vertical and mobile, but the man we knew is (almost) gone. His poor wife has been taking care of him for 8 years now. They don't even share a bedroom anymore. He's like a child, but sometimes I can tell he knows what's going on. He'll tear up a little, and you can tell he knows that he wants to talk to you about something. But he can't quite figure out what it is, or how to put it into words. I don't get real emotional about much anymore. But witnessing this is probably the most painful thing I've ever dealt with.

Life as an invalid has to be about the worst possible thing. My heart goes out to those who make it halfway through something like that. Their families, also.

For real bro, take care of yourself.
I'd rather not see a thread about a member taking the dirt nap before he's made it through puberty

Sure. You're a tough guy. But I can tell you're a guy who cares about his people. You don't want to put them through this if you can help it. The doc probably does know a little more about what's best for you than you do.