Steven,

I guess you are really getting at what you put into your body seriously. I went Vegan in January 2018 and cut out everything that wasn't plant based and dropped my LDL from 187 to 119. As you know that is not enough. I then read an article that we get 20% of our bad cholesterol (LDL) from the food we eat (saturated fats being the culprit and we know red meat has the highest amount per ounce our of the meat category.) So I guess I may fit in the category of familia high cholesterol. I do exercise as much as the ticker will allow. So Cardio wants me at 70 or lower and I stay on the diet but include two servings of fish per week as it has been hard giving up Lamb, Italian Sausage, burgers, chicken, lasagna, meatballs, and the list goes on. I finally succumb to Repatha and after each dose my gut is telling me something isn't right here. After 1 year on Repatha and still following the diet the lowest I can get is 88 for LDL. Triglycerides and HDL are in good range. Then one day I had Repatha injection and that afternoon a booster covid shot and for 4 weeks my bowel was really messed up. So I go to the ER and they do a CT scan and results of hernia and Diverticulosis diagnosis in May 2022. The sad thing is I have had CT scan's every 3 to 6 months since June 2021 for active surveillance for cancer and nothing was noted in March of 2022. Either the combination of Covid booster and Repatha on the same day was too much for my gut or ???? I am hoping to go back on Repatha cause it is the only thing that had mild side effects compared to all the statins they tried me on, Zetia, Niacin, Closterol, etc.etc.etc.
I refuse to take red yeast rice as it has a statin as well and quite frankly isn't followed by the FDA for purity.
I haven't taken anything now since June 2, 2022 and hoping after they run some more tests to let me know if they recommend me going back on Repatha or ???

I have tried many statins over many years, had terrible reactions, I have over the limit good cholesterol, and high bad as well. Have tried very strict diet control till I will so thin I looked ill and still had high numbers. I had a heart attach while taking statins, and have had a aortic valve replaced. No more statins and everything I eat is in moderation. I have lived with all this since I was 30 and an now 83, so I want to live what life I have without all the medication side effects.

Good Advice. I take 80 mg Atorvastatin. When I stopped I had heart attack with triple bypass. Learned my lesson. 3 arteries block, or gone. Doing fine now.

Diagnosed with severe coronary claudication end of last year. Not sure how we got to severe when I've been under constant Dr care since 2007 and never told about it. Pulmonologist referred to heart specialist who prescribed statin, don't remember name but researched and all symptoms relating to joint muscle pain, fatigue, etc are what I live with daily so a no for me. Long term effects weren't convincing either. Discussed with primary who ordered a different lower dose but research showed same side effects. For me, who has arthritis from neck to toes, dont want anything else adding to pain. Research bergamot. It's a natural product with amazing results according to testimonies after 3 months. I ordered and looking forward to positive results.

I had only "crunchy" feeling joints, and some muscle weakness and wasting for the first 14 months -- 'twas difficult to tell how much of the weakness and wasting was CHF and how much was from the Crestor. 100 mgs of Ubiquinol helped a great deal, until the foot and leg cramps crippled me in the 15th, 16th, and part of the 17th months. I've cut out all refined sugar and honey (Stevia and natural sugars of blueberries and cherries, sometimes strawberries), all wheat products (a very few oats, almond flour -- biscuits, flat bread, homemade calzone crust and crackers -- edamame, red lentil, check pea, etc... in its stead), no rice, no quinoa (tried it and it ran my LDL up 23 points, and my triglycerides up 85 points -- dropped it and my morning oatmeal out, and brought LDL down 25 points and triglycerides down 24 points -- still working on the triglycerides, obviously), no apples, no peaches, no sweet corn, and no sweet peas. Very small amounts of red meat. I take 1,000 mgs of niacin per day; 500 in the morn, and 500 in the eve.