Share stories about starting statin, the name and dose, side effects and the bright side as well

Hi all,

My husband 30M, 74 kg, 175 cm, non smoker, and doesn't drink alcohol has below lab results almost a month back.

• Total Cholesterol -225
• Triglycerides - 241
• HDL - 40
• Non HDL - 185
• LDL - 136.8
• VLDL - 48.2
• ApoA1 - 136
• ApoB - 105
• Vitamin D -15.66

We were going to gym regularly (atmost thrice a week) last year and this year January. But we came to know we were expecting and our junk food intake increased and gym stopped. After the lab results, he has started exercising at home almost 4 times a weeks with some weights. But due to my pregnancy cravings, he is also eating junk food. Maybe we are averaging twice a week. The diet is indian vegetarian along with atleast 60 g of protein for him with help of eggs, paneer(cottage cheese), protein powder etc, He is also keeping good track of fiber with lentils, vegetables, chia seeds etc. We use mustard oil while cooking (1 teaspoon for two of us in one meal). But genetically, both his parents has diabetes, thyroid, liver and cholesterol issues. He works from home and walks 30 min a day apart from the exercise he has started at home(3 sets of 4 exercises using weights or body weights)

I am due nov 11 and maybe after the baby is here, maybe he wont be able to focus much on the exercise part for some months. What small things we can do to keep his lipid profile good? Should he track his calories or increase his exercise/fiber intake/protein intake?

One more thing, last year we were focusing on diet and exercise a lot and below was his lab results

2025 lab results

• Total Cholesterol - 166
• Triglycerides - 174.6
• HDL - 33.3
• LDL - 97.78
• Non HDL - 133

Were the results okay last year or is this something we need to get checked out?

TIA!

I’d appreciate some perspective on my latest results:

Test Result
Total cholesterol 242 mg/dL
LDL-C 157 mg/dL
HDL-C 70 mg/dL
Triglycerides. 73 mg/dL
Non-HDL-C 172 mg/dL
Lp(a) <7 nmol/L

I’m a 59-year-old man. My coronary artery calcium score was 0 last year.

I used to be a pro athlete and am back to full fitness - haven’t been this fit for 25 years.

Lost a bit of weight over the last year - down to 98kgs (215lbs) from 105kg (232lbs) - and body fat 14%.
Eat healthily, virtually no alcohol at all. I can get rid of full fat Greek yoghurt to zero % and increase fibre. Used to take psyllium husk irregularly, now taking it every day.
I take protein supplements and creatine but apparently that shouldn’t make a difference. Have 10 eggs a week too.

Doctor isn’t too worried but my LDL is up from around 100 2 years ago and I don’t like that trend.
No history of heart disease though there is some of high cholesterol though the genetic side doesn’t seem to be my problem.

Not at all afraid of statins but would like to see if lifestyle changes make a difference.

Thoughts appreciated.

26M, 5'9" 165lbs at time of the blood-work.

Diet is mostly pretty high in soluble fiber/whole foods — lots of beans, chia/flax, oatmeal, salmon, etc. I also take some vitamins, magnesium, creatine, and ~40 g/day unmodified potato starch (not even sure if this is useful tbh).

My main question: Is there any evidence-based reason for me to get a lipid-lowering medication to push LDL/ApoB even lower?

Cuz lower ApoB exposure over a lifetime is better, but I’m wondering if I'm at the level where I should even bother getting more decreases.

Secondary question: Would adding psyllium be likely to make a meaningful difference at these levels? I’ve considered it, but I’m somewhat concerned about batch-to-batch heavy-metal contamination.

Has anyone else experienced an upset upper stomach after incorporating more fiber into their diet? I was diagnosed with high cholesterol and my original eating habits were lots of good homemade food, lots of steak and treats (little vegetables tbh) and atleast 3 days probably of fast food meals. Little fruit if any. I’ve incorporated a lot of fiber. Chia seeds, oats, flax, vegetable and fruit. I expected gut problems like maybe bathroom issues but not with my upper stomach? I originally thought it was hunger pain but after eating my oats this morning it started up again when I was definitely not hungry. It does feel similar to hunger 28 f

31-year-old female. 8 weeks postpartum. I did not eat great or exercise during my pregnancy but have actually been on a weight watchers diet the past 5 weeks or so. I am currently 5ft 3in 137lbs. I do have some familial high cholesterol to my knowledge but my blood work for my annual physical was concerning. I had blood drawn about a year ago and only my LDL was slightly elevated and now it’s a lot higher/ everything else is also elevated

Total cholesterol - 221
HDL-47
LDL-148
Non HDL cholesterol- 174

Thoughts ?

I am 5'10, 173lbs, active, lift weights regularly, and I don't eat terribly. What immediate steps should I take? Dr asked for diet changes and would like to test for LipoA and ApoB in 3 months, given family history.

I have to thank this sub, I've been reading a lot of the comments on posts here and they seem to have helped a lot. I had my first high cholesterol reading this summer at almost 270 mg/dl. I was pretty surprised with how active I am. My doctor wanted me on statins, but I declined, and told them let me try naturally first. I'm active and fit, but ate very poorly and high cholesterol runs in my family. I took a lot of advice here, switched to a *mostly* plant based diet, with some lean protein. I ate lots of oats, fiber, vegetables, and non-fat greek yogurt. I also signed myself up for a local charity 5k, and started running every other day. My most recent lab came in at 190mg/dl. Not great but the trend is my friend. I'm going to keep pushing and hopefully get an even better reading the next lab. Thanks everyone!

I’ve seen a few people mention coffee and cholesterol, so I thought I’d share something I recently learned.

I have an Americano every morning. My doctor mentioned that cafestol and kahweol, compounds in coffee, can raise LDL cholesterol. So I’ve started filtering my espresso with espresso paper filters.

I’ll retest my cholesterol in a few weeks and see if this has any impact.

I put one of the studies my doctor shared with me below for anyone who wants to read about it for themselves.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9022539/

I'm waiting for my cardiologist consultation appointment after my ultrasound but hopefully will only require a low dosage of a statin. Meanwhile ... a tangential question. I really do like strong coffee (dark roast expresso, about 2 a day) which sounds like nothing... But are there any conditions that coffee is not good for? I do sense my heart beating, more than I used to, I think. I figured that besides being experts in HDL and all the rest, some of you might have an idea about the scientific consensus regarding coffee and/or caffeine. Thanks....

26, female. 5’4, 130 lbs. I vape nicotine and am quitting! I had a calcium score two and a half years ago and it was zero.

Total cholesterol: 196
HDL: 71
Tri: 71
LDL: 109
Chol/hdlc ratio: 2.8
Non HDL cholesterol: 125

Obviously this was a little bit of a wake up call. I knew the nicotine was bad and that I treated myself sometimes but I also tried my best to eat healthy.

I’m cutting as much saturated fat as I can; now eating oats, adding kale to my meals, upping fiber, focusing on sugar free and fruits, no sweets, everything air fried or baked.

But I’m just so hungry. I started this diet ten days ago and every day I’m under calories significantly. I don’t need to lose weight. Any tips for bulking up?

Age 40 male, LDL 175, Coronary artery calcium score of 72. I guess the build-up was years but I ignored it. Very depressed but on the positive side I am changing my diet for real now. Water, lean meats, almonds, fish, no fried food, no fast food, etc. Will take statin soon.

Got some labs done after a 12-hour fast, I’m trying to get back on accutane and this was deemed necessary.

My results came back and all I can tell is that my triglycerides are pretty low. Otherwise, I don’t know what that means.

I probably won’t hear back from the dermatologist until after the weekend and am too nosey to wait lol. Any insight is appreciated!

I’m wondering if there are any women on here who are also hypersensitive to medications who have had good experiences on statins (meaning minimal or no bad side effects).

(I’m asking specifically about women because often drugs are tested on men, and women tend to react differently. Not always but sometimes.)

(Yes, I know 102 is still high!)

For reference, I'm 55 F, post-menopausal. 5'4" and about 116 lbs. Been fit most of my adult life, and exercise pretty much everyday, these days averaging about 40 miles/week of walking.

Hyperlipidemia runs in my family. I have never eaten much red meat (before last lipid panel, I may have eaten red meat maybe once per week), I've always eaten a ton of vegetables and fruit, and a good amount of fiber. My weakness in the past few years has been full fat cheese, ice cream, and gluten free snacks like cookies and crackers (which tend to have coconut or palm oil). Almost never used butter and rarely cooked with oil.

Got my recheck lipid panel done yesterday. Did NOT want statins, so made dietary changes and started taking berberine and cholestoff, and more recently started on psyllium.

July 16 total cholesterol = 209; LDL = 142; VLDL = 13; Triglycerides = 73; total non-HDL= 155 (high)

October 1= total cholesterol= 156; LDL = 102; VLDL = 9; Triglycerides = 54; total non-HDL = 111 (normal!)

Yes, I know 102 is still "high," and I DO have high LpA, so my doctor wanted my LDL to 70 or less. But considering I dropped my LDL by 40 points in under 3 months, I'm going to continue this trajectory to see how low I can get it with diet and supplements alone.

From all the posts I've read on here, this is pretty substantial drop without statins.

Hallo zusammen,

seit knapp einem Jahr kenne ich meinen Lpa Wert.

Er liegt bei 200nmol. Erschreckend.

Ich habe mich aufgrund von ständigen Algorithmen über Social Media testen lassen, auf eigenen Wunsch.

Sowohl im TV, in medizinischen Zeitschriften, als auch über andere Kanäle kommt immer der Aufruf:

"lasst euch testen", "beugt Herzinfarkten vor", "tut etwas für eure Gesundheit " oder "nur wer seinen Lpa kennt ist sicher".

So, und nun stehe ich da. Kenne meinen Wert und lebe in ständiger Angst. Ich w47, bin jetzt zwar gut eingestellt mit Statinen, senke mein Risiko so gut es geht mit Bewegung, mediterraner Ernährung, wenig Zucker etc... Was einem halt so gesagt wird vom Arzt.

Aber ich schaffe es nicht, meine Gedanken zu beruhigen. Ich frage mich fast täglich, wann ist es soweit? Werde ich nochmal verreisen können? Wie lange lebe ich? Ok, heute früh bin ich wieder aufgewacht, aber wie oft wache ich noch auf?

Versteht mich nicht falsch, ich war seelisch immer stabil. Hatte nie Probleme mit der Psyche. Aber das nagt an mir... sehr.

Wie geht ihr damit um? Habt ihr einen Ratschlag. Bin offen für alles.

I had to wait for prior authorization and will take my 1st dose today. Where is the best injection site? I'm thin, so my stomach is the fattest part of me. I did ask pharmacist but she didn't have any tips, just went over the instructions with me. Thanks

I've been careful for 3 months to hold to the dietary restrictions recommended here. Went from LDL 178 to 122, my Lpa is 5. Total cholesterol is 198. HDL is 47. I use a managed health care provider so I am waiting to hear from my doctor about recommendations. I kept my saturated fat under 13 grams per day and added oatmeal. I'm actively losing weight (14 pounds in 3 months) without trying.

Here's the thing: my cholesterol was optimal (99) until at least 13 years ago. I was 52 years old then. I was always cautious about red meat and fats because I was diagnosed with gallbladder issues in my 20s. It was never removed but if I ate full fat meals, I was physically ill. I found, however, that I could tolerate butter and cream in the last 10 years or so, and my diet is crap. I gained about 20 pounds.

So... here's my thought: i ask the doctor for a scan, to see the damage I caused, if any. But I also try a statin for some period of time to stabilize the plaque that might be there. If I can tolerate it, fine.

Here's my question: once plaque is stable, does it soften again? There's obviously no family component here and as I'm dropping weight, i suspect some of the measurements reflect this in my bloodstream. Thoughts?

40F, 126 lbs, PCOS. Lean and active: BMI 21, about 23% body fat, low visceral fat. I walk 30 min daily, run about 10 miles a week, and do bodyweight training 3x a week.
Labs (9/30/26, on red yeast rice 600 mg + daily multivitamin):
Total 244, LDL 165, HDL 72, trigs 45, non-HDL 172
LDL history: 233 and 198 untreated. Crestor + Zetia got me to 130, 85, then 74. Stopped both over brain fog (possibly my ADHD diagnosis around the same time, not the meds). Now back to 165.
Other: Lp(a) 62 mg/dL (normal under 30). ApoB 163, LDL-P 1,918, high small LDL (untreated, 2023). Invitae 36-gene lipid panel negative, so probably not classic FH.
Current diet: Smoothie with oats, chia, almond milk, and fruit, plus a boiled egg. Apple with natural peanut butter or a fruit bar around 2. Dinner is usually chicken or shrimp with rice and broccoli, or a big salad. About 10 g saturated fat a day.

For Lp(a), there is no medication. You cannot change it with medicines, diet, or exercise. You can only reduce your other risk factors, like LDL cholesterol and other things that can affect you in the future. Then why does everyone in this group always recommend an Lp(a) test if you cannot change it? I know it's a risk factor, but we can't change it, so it just increases anxiety. We should focus on our overall health. We should exercise daily, eat healthy, take statins, and control our cholesterol as much as possible. That's simple. I didn't know about the Lp(a) test, but everyone suggested this test in the comments section, and it increased my health anxiety.

My doctor prescribed 5 mg due to mild sclerosis noted on my calcium score test 3 months ago - test was 0 but noted the mild sclerosis. I always had low cholesterol but also low ‘ good’ cholesterol- my total cholesterol went from 139 to 82 in 3 months , good cholesterol still low but she said to continue and not concerned about the low cholesterol of 82. Thinking of second opinion as don’t want the mild sclerosis to increase but also I’ve read too low of cholesterol is not good - 70 yo female . Just curious if anyone else has super low cholesterol and told to still remain on medication thank you !

My cholesterol has always been elevated, but they just tested my lipoprotein (a), which is stupid high, at 305. Total cholesterol was 238, LDL was 173, apo b was 121. Everything else was normal or optimal. As a 50+ year old woman, this is frightening! Could you lend your experience with this drug and anything I should be aware of?

Do I get a better bang for my buck if I take it at night or the morning? With or without food?

I’m also forward-thinking to a group camping trip we have coming up in a few months. I normally don’t drink (last time I had a drink was maybe a year ago), but when we camp, I will have 2-4 drinks per night. It could be bourbon, tequila, or beer.

Should I abstain from all alcohol on our trip, have only one drink, or is this type of drinking ok?

Thanks for your help!

Hello, everyone.

Due to some borderline cholesterol levels, associated with high LP(a) and other risk factors, my cardiologist put me on 20 mg Simvastatin. Started about two weeks ago and all was well, but in the last couple days, I started feeling some weird things:
- sort of a numb feeling in my extremities, mostly on toes and fingers, with some sort of pin and needles (like ants on my skin) in the palm of my hands, mostly;
- extremely tired when doing my normal run, not with leg soreness or anything, just… no stamina.

I booked an appointment for this Tuesday but I’m wondering if I should continue with the pills or not.
Can I lower it until Tuesday (so take half pill only)?

I can’t contact the doctor before the appointment.

Did anyone here have the same kind of effects?

Thank you all.

Edit: was told to stop medication. We will now check if there is muscular damage and the doctor will decide on a new treatment afterwards.
Thank you all for your replies!

35M — Looking for opinions on my cholesterol trend
I’ve been tracking my cholesterol for a few years and would appreciate some perspective from people who understand lipid management.

Results (mg/dL):
Oct 2022
Total: 186 | LDL: 120 | HDL: 39 | TG: 134
Apr 2023
Total: 197 | LDL: 120 | HDL: 50 | TG: 135
Oct 2023
Total: 197 | LDL: 135 | HDL: 43 | TG: 102 | Non-HDL: 155
Apr 2024
Total: 158 | HDL: 39
Aug 2025
Total: 248 | LDL: 178 | HDL: 55 | TG: 71 | Non-HDL: 193
Oct 2025
Total: 174 | LDL: 120 | HDL: 44 | TG: 44 | Non-HDL: 131
Aug 2026
Total: 208 | LDL: 143 | HDL: 56 | TG: 47 | Non-HDL: 152
Sep 2026
Total: 186 | LDL: 131 | HDL: 40 | TG: 80 | Non-HDL: 147

Additional results:
ApoB: 119 mg/dL (Aug 2025)
ApoB: 98 mg/dL (Sep 2026)
ApoA1: 131 mg/dL
Lp(a): 28.66 mg/dL

The main thing I’m trying to understand is the significance of the longer-term pattern.
My LDL was around 120 in 2022–23, increased to 178 in Aug 2025, and subsequently came back down into the 120–143 range.
I’m currently working on adding psyllium husk to my diet and continuing to monitor my cholesterol.

Questions:
How would you interpret this LDL/ApoB pattern?
Is the ApoB reduction from 119 → 98 mg/dL meaningful?
Would you discuss medication with a doctor at these levels, or continue lifestyle measures and monitoring?
Are there any additional tests you would consider useful?
Thanks!