Q: I read an article about Renin and the drugs that raise your blood pressure in certain people. I am one of those people. I have a new doctor, do you think I can mention this to her? I find that most doctors tell you and I quote “I am the doctor and you are the patient” which means to me to be quiet and just do what I tell you to do.
A: You should always discuss your concerns with your doctor. Don’t be intimidated. It is your body and your health that is at risk. You need to feel comfortable with your care plan. If you and your doctor are unable to communicate effectively, find a different provider. You are paying for medical advice and deserve to get it.
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Even very competent and a bit too egoistic doctors can only do their job well if they know what they are dealing with.
Any doctor who hands you that line when you are telling him or her what’s wrong, what you are uncomfortable with, or have found happens in your individual case is NOT competent. See a better doctor! The answer here is very tactfully put. But it IS correct!
I think my doctor is good at what he does, but I too have been having issues with my prescription drugs. I have been prescribed another statin for high cholesterol. I haven’t been taking it because I was experiencing the same side effects as the other statins. My doctor is not exactly have the best bed side manner. I know he won’t like it when he finds out next month that I haven’t been taking anything. I realize I’m at risk for a stroke or heart attack. I’m in the early stages for Macular Degeneration and have the preformation of cataracts. I’ve also read that taking statins can increase these risks, including Diabetes and breast cancer. I don’t think I’m a candidate for statins, but I also don’t want to have a stroke. I’ve seen what happened to my dad, although he had been a heavy smoker for much of his life. I have never smoked cigarettes. I know I need to do something, but there has to be a better alternative than having to take statins.
If you prefer to not take statins, I would highly recommend a plant based diet. It’s worked wonderfully at lowering my BP and is extremely effective at reducing cholesterol naturally. You actually cure yourself literally.
I second Jason. A plant based and no fat diet has helped me too. It can be a bit of a challenge at first because you do have to alter your cooking style. Then there is the problem of sabotage by family members. But it is your health and you may need to cook different meals or tell the family to learn to fend for themselves if you are the main cook in the family.
Sandy: My own experience may be helpful to you. I Lowered my bad cholesterol by cutting out meat and dairy products, though I continued eating fish and eggs. But my good cholesterol was way low and my triglycerides were also high, so my ratios (supposedly more important than the raw levels) were way out of whack. Everything corrected itself when I went on a very low carb diet, in part to avoid progressing from pre- to full diabetes. My ratios are all now “perfect” (and the blood sugar problems have melted away also, BTW). I have also been on statins but I ascribe the improvement in my blood test results to the diet, and will be trying to get off the statins as soon and as safely as possible. So hang in there. The main difference in what I’m doing from what you’re doing is that I do eat fats freely (including fish and eggs) just not fats from red meats. Maybe the benefit of eggs is debatable, but not the benefits of the fish. Hope this helps.
Try to stay away from “Doctor Gods”! It’s hard to find one that doesn’t have the patronizing attitude described here, but we have to keep trying.
Thank you all for your advice. I know a plant based diet can be very healthy and helpful, but there are healthy fats in foods like fish and seafood. I do realize that these foods should be in moderation, though. I am the chief cook in my home, so I admit it would be difficult to stick to a plant based diet, but it’s not impossible if one has the will power. I do want to live a long healthy life, so that should be the motivator. I generally try to avoid bad carbs, and I do well, although crackers are my weakness, but I indulge sparingly. I need to drink more water and exercise more, and along with a plant based diet; I should hopefully see some good results. Has anyone tried Red rice yeast? I have, along with fish oil capsules and my bad ldls were dropping, but not as fast as my doctor wanted so that is when he put me on prescription statins. I’ve heard that statins are bad, particularly for women. What do you think?
Sandy:
I would recommend a book for you: “Are Your Prescriptions Killing You?” by Armon B. Neel, a Consultant Geriatric Pharmacist, who thinks statins are advisable for most people. There is also a board-certified cardiologist, Dr. Mimi Guarneri, who recommend some natural ways to lower cholesterol, such as Red Rice Yeast (which is the botanical used in statin drugs, and can sometimes produce similar side effects)and such supplements as Pantothenic Acid and EGCG. However, they both advise patients to discuss these supplements with their physicians first.
Unfortunately, many, if not most, have knee-jerk negative reactions to vitamins or supplements, and though we’re often advised to seek another primary care physician if we can’t work with the one we have, the fact is that in smaller towns and cities, there’s often little choice about general-care physicians we can go to.
I’d advise you to look into the pharmacist’s book I recommended and generally follow his advice, though he does advise some patients to seek a “consulting pharmacist” which is a rare bird in my neck of the woods. Anyway, I can’t recommend anything to you except vegetarianism, but with some people, diet and exercise still won’t lower your bad cholesterol enough.
Sandy: Correction of previous message. It should have read “statins are NOT advisable for most people. Sorry about that.
Thanks Ron. I appreciate your concern. The book you have mentioned sounds interesting and helpful. I know that Red rice yeast is similar to a prescription statin, but not as strong, which is why it takes a longer time to achieve the results a prescription statin does. Red rice yeast may take longer to lower my LDLs, and it may be that it wouldn’t lower it sufficiently. Perhaps along with a vegetarian diet and exercise, it just might work. I can only try. Better to try the alternative than to assume a prescription drug such as a statin, is the only way to lower bad LDLs. Last year I had lost 6 lbs. and stuck rigidly to a diet with veggies, fish, and very rarely, grass-fed beef. Along with some excercise, my bad LDLs slowly began to go down. I know what I must do. Sticking to it is the key. I just have to keep reminding myself that I can’t keep putting off until tomorrow, what I should be doing today! God bless and wish you good health! 🙂