So this morning I awoke to the typical trembling and shakiness I've been experiencing since the old anxieties decided to rear their ugly heads again. However, as I began my daily routine (bathroom, make coffee, feed the dogs, get all meds and supplies needed for the day, etc) I began feeling an anxiety attack beginning. I did my normal things I do when this happens; wrap a blanket around me tight, sit in my chair and meditate, do deep breathing, and just try to relax and let the attack run its course. It took a good 35 minutes before I was calm enough to get ready for work. Fast forward, get to work, still rather anxious, sat at desk for a good hour just trying to get through these feelings. When I was able to actually focus and concentrate, I started searching the web for why my anxieties are so bad again. My only thought was hormones, however, I came across several articles showing that long term use of statin drugs can cause anxiety and depression! This made me start to think about the time frame of all this happening again.
I started LC/HF WOE in September. Had my blood drawn at end of November. Results showed extreme improvement in lipids; including cholesterol. I continued with my statin (Crestor 20 mg) and had my blood drawn again at end of March. Cholesterol was down to 136. I believe it was late February or so that my anxiety began getting really bad again. I upped my Zoloft back to 100 mg and waited a few weeks because I knew it had to build up in my system. The anxiety started getting better, but not completely. I've been living with my body feeling that trembling and "butterfly in the tummy" feeling every day, all day. This should have gone away. So I'm thinking that the Zoloft must not be working for me anymore.
Now, in reading these articles and blogs about statin drug use, and long term use (I've been on a statin drug for at least 20 years now), I begin to understand that the statin could be causing the worsened anxiety! I've also begun experiencing some muscle pain and weakness that I cannot figure out what I did to cause it.
So my thought here is that since my cholesterol is way down now, and I continue on the statin, it could be the cause of my anxiety not being control by the Zoloft (SSRI) because statins can actually block the effects of the SSRI! Do you think this is coincidence or am I reaching here? Needless to say I will not be continuing on the statin anymore!
Let me know your thoughts and suggestions on this. I cannot deal with the anxiety attacks anymore...they are just too debilitating.
Sorry for the length of this post as well. I also read articles (Dr. Eades) that it is actually dangerous for a woman to have too low of cholesterol; it is actually healthier for a woman to be on the high end of normal or even slightly above. Also the statins have not shown that they help avoid heart attacks or strokes; in fact they are really not indicated unless you've already had a heart attack or stroke to help avoid future ones. Wow. I think from here on out I will take my chances with just eating LC/HF and let that be.
I started LC/HF WOE in September. Had my blood drawn at end of November. Results showed extreme improvement in lipids; including cholesterol. I continued with my statin (Crestor 20 mg) and had my blood drawn again at end of March. Cholesterol was down to 136. I believe it was late February or so that my anxiety began getting really bad again. I upped my Zoloft back to 100 mg and waited a few weeks because I knew it had to build up in my system. The anxiety started getting better, but not completely. I've been living with my body feeling that trembling and "butterfly in the tummy" feeling every day, all day. This should have gone away. So I'm thinking that the Zoloft must not be working for me anymore.
Now, in reading these articles and blogs about statin drug use, and long term use (I've been on a statin drug for at least 20 years now), I begin to understand that the statin could be causing the worsened anxiety! I've also begun experiencing some muscle pain and weakness that I cannot figure out what I did to cause it.
So my thought here is that since my cholesterol is way down now, and I continue on the statin, it could be the cause of my anxiety not being control by the Zoloft (SSRI) because statins can actually block the effects of the SSRI! Do you think this is coincidence or am I reaching here? Needless to say I will not be continuing on the statin anymore!
Let me know your thoughts and suggestions on this. I cannot deal with the anxiety attacks anymore...they are just too debilitating.
Sorry for the length of this post as well. I also read articles (Dr. Eades) that it is actually dangerous for a woman to have too low of cholesterol; it is actually healthier for a woman to be on the high end of normal or even slightly above. Also the statins have not shown that they help avoid heart attacks or strokes; in fact they are really not indicated unless you've already had a heart attack or stroke to help avoid future ones. Wow. I think from here on out I will take my chances with just eating LC/HF and let that be.