Statins V Anchovy Oil

[EdmundD]

At the weekend there was further debate in the press about the use of statins - how more people should be taking them versus the impact of the side effects some people suffer from (me being one). There was an example given of a woman who stopped taking statins due to the side effects and went on a course of anchovy oil. She claimed that after some months of taking the anchovy oil her cholesterol level was back down to where it had been when she was on statins.

Have any ABers tried this? Where would you buy anchovy oil?

Thanks in advance.

[Sqad]

If there is an indication, a good medical indication for your GP prescribing statins........then take them.
The biochemical pathways of lipid breakdown is complicated and I cannot convince myself that the scientists know the metabolism of cholesterol formation. So many studies, so many conclusions bit no definite answers.

If you have a medical condition OR an "iffy" family history of strokes or heart disease, then do not replace statins with diet.

[pixie373]

My 72 year old stepdad is refusing statins, although he is being heavily pressurised by his GP. He says he doesn't need it, as cholesterol, BP, pulse and weight are all fine. Are there any other benefits?

[woofgang]

well there are to the people who sell the statins.........

[Sqad]

pixie....odd!
Unless he has a family history of heart disease or strokes..........then in my opinion he is right to refuse to take statins.

Other benefits?.......give the medical profession time to dream up other uses.....and they will.

[pixie373]

Thank you. No, no history of heart disease or strokes.

[LazyGun]

I would not use anchovy oil to regulate cholesterol levels purely on the basis of one womans claims. The point about anchovy oil, as with any fish oil supplement, is the presence of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are claimed to have many health benefits, from lowering blood pressure to reducing triglycerides to preventing heart rhythm abnormalities, but when you look at the clinical evidence and studies, that link suggests they are actually no better than placebo.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/11/health/health-fish-oil/index.html

As for statins, I would agree with Sqads first comment, pretty much. Some high profile Doctors are enthusiastic exponents of the preventative benefits of statins, and now want to reduce the threshold at which statins are prescribed - from having a 20% risk of having a heart attack in the next 10 years to 10% risk. Given the well known and documented side effects of statins, this would lead many more people to potentially experience such side effects, for not really very well articulated protective benefits.

Personally, if I was advised that I was at a relatively high risk of a heart attack over the next 5-10 years, I would probably take statins, along with changing diet and all of that. But not otherwise.

[shaneystar2]

Well now ....I have been on Avorstatin 20mg for about six months .I was put on them although my cholesterol level was only 5.6.
Went to my GP about a fortnight ago for blood test results .I have to go for regular thyroid checks anyway but of course they check your liver and lights etc . My cholesterol reading was 4 !
I asked if I could stop the statins and she no ,I had to carry on taking them
I suffer with OA and lately the pain in my back and hips has been unbearable to the point that I could hardly walk from A to B without gritting my teeth.
I've ditched the statins since last week and I'm seeing a marked improvement in the hip pain etc. I always have it little or much but this was unbearable and I'll swear black was white it was from the side effects of these bloomin' things .
They seem to dish them out like sweets .

[woofgang]

shaney, its always a bad idea to ask a doctor for permission to do anything....

[jno]

my GP put me on statins; they started giving me arm pains and a locum took me off them again - and could find no reason in my record why I was on them in the first place. My cholesterol was fine, and still is. I don't know if there's any moral to this, except to find a doctor who's less of a dope than mine and get a clear explanation of the alternatives.

Sorry, can't advise on anchovy oil. (Though the OP did sound like one of those Predator v Alien movies.)

[megfitz]

I've been on Simvastatin for 3 years now, cholesterol level 4.8, NO side effects which I put down to a friend who runs a Health Food Shop (yes I know--vested interest) advising me to take Co-Enzyme -Q10 at doses of 100mgms daily. No muscle or joint pains except after gardening.
It's worth a try but you will probably have to order on-line to get that dosage.

[Caran]

I was on statins a couple of years ago. I stopped taking them when I developed memory problems. I kept forgetting words or what I was going to say. The worst thing was when I started to not recognise people I knew really well. Example. OH and I in Gloucester, chap started talking to us, I thought he must be a friend of OH. After a moment or so I thought his voice was a bit familiar then I realised I knew him very well. He was my daughters best friends husband. Been to our house often, his children call me Nana as they haven't got one. Of there own. It was really scary. So I stopped taking them. Doctor wasn't pleased but tough.

[gness]

My doctor persuaded me to take Statins.... my legs swelled up so alarmingly I had to take Furusomide (sp) which gave me indigestion and made me woozy so I had to take Omeprozole.... I had been pill free til then so I thought sod this....and stopped taking them.
I do pop the odd prescription in to keep the GP happy if he notices at all because no-one has asked to check my cholesterol in the two years since they were prescribed.
So I might just try the anchovy oil.....☺

[shoota]

Sounds fishy to me.

[Caran]

I looked at the article in the papers and wondered if it would be any good. I do take cod liver oil tablets daily so when I run out I will get the omega3 pills instead.