VIsit to the Doctor

[cbclotus]

Got called into the quack.Just had a blood test.My cholesterol is sky high 9 .Also said my blood pressure is sky high border line diabetes bummer I know I am over weight lol MIke

[molemot]

KEEP TAKING THE TABLETS!!!! When I ripped my shoulder apart in 2000, the doc said "You may well have done yourself a favour!". You sound about the same state as me...except I've been swallowing statins and Atenolol etc. ever since then. As a result, the blood pressure stays around 120-125/70-80 and I'm still here. A friend of mine, same age, thin as a reed, doesn't eat red meat, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, spends all his time walking across Chobham Common with model aeroplanes....he's had a stroke. Been in hospital two months, ought to be out in a couple of weeks...will need carers to come in and wash and dress him. The least likely candidate for a stroke, whereas chaps like us seem set for it.....unless we take the tablets....they do seem to work!!

[Roger 912]

I shall be 71 this year and when I am in the company of people of my age group I am left out of the conversation totally. They are all talking about chronic medication, blood pressure, statins, cholesterol, atenelol, hip replacements, knee replacements, diets, arthritis, hearing aids, cataracts, what medication are you one and it goes on and on for hours. I have nothing to add as yet. I don't think an occasional aspirin qualifies me to join in the conversation.

 

I would like to try and put on a little more weight as I am 5'10" and weigh 70 kG. but try as I may, nothing works.

[cbclotus]

Thanks for the replies I am not going on tablets. . I have to look at my diet. Scary if you think about it....Thanks John and Rodger. MIke.

[jonwat]

I would like to try and put on a little more weight as I am 5'10" and weigh 70 kG. but try as I may, nothing works.

You lucky old git, I only have to look at food & I put on pounds (it's all in the genes) :-)

[molemot]

My doc was quite straightforward about it...told me cholesterol is made by the liver. Some livers make too much of it; changing diets is useless...one statin tab every evening and you can forget about it. Job done..... My strokestricken chum did everything right, diet, exercise, weight, the works....he's stuffed and I keep taking the tablets.....

Good luck to us all....life is balanced on a knife edge....carpe bloody diem, chaps!!

[softlips]

Thanks for the replies I am not going on tablets. . I have to look at my diet. Scary if you think about it....Thanks John and Rodger. MIke.

If your chloresterol is 9 (assuming it was a fasting sample and not just a random one) then I'm afraid changing your diet is exceedingly unlikely to lower it sufficiently. I had to fight to get on statins many years ago with a level much lower than that.

Did they do repeated BP measurements with several minutes inbetween? It may be worth buying a machine (they're not expensive) or borrow one and take readings over a week at different times of day.

As I say above my chloresterol was raised and I had to pursued my GP to put me on statins. Around two years who my BP was found to be slightly raised at my GPs and she wanted to put me on medication. I said I'd discuss it with one of my friends which I did (I work in cardiology). My friend the cardiologist got one of the girls to do an ultrasound on my heart between cases. It was found I had border line LVH (thickened walls) so he gave me a note telling my GP what to prescribe. Lowering my BP has reversed the thickening and my heart is normal again.

Bottom line is, the tablets do their job. I see loads of guys who are now in their mid forties and have very sick hearts who now wish they'd agreed to tablets they were recommended ten years ago.

[cbclotus]

Thanks for the reply.i have bought a bp monitor but my readings are stil high.MIke

[softlips]

Take them at different times of day. Sit down for five minutes beforehand and take it in both arms.

[Chillidoggy]

I'm just amazed you managed to get an appointment with your GP.

It's like getting an audience with the Pope round here.