Heart Surgery

[Vince]

Quite incredible if you watch this on the video section

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7075164.stm

[Rowan]

It's amazing what they can do now, sometimes it's amazing what they can't do too.

[dabthoms]

No wonder my chest is still sore!

[Vince]

No wonder my chest is still sore!

So please to know your well and have a good sense of humour.

[dabthoms]

Yes, thanks, and I'm getting better every day. My greatest problem has been trying to sleep at night. It has been almost impossible to get off and when I did I'd be talking constantly on any subject you could think of. I also had breathing difficulties and despite constant walking about during the day seemed to be finding it more difficult instead of easier as time went by. I think I've now solved these problems. They appear to be side effects of the statin, Simvastatin, I've been taking each evening. I happened to come across research done on Simvastatin by Dr Beatrice Golomb at the University of California. She describes many adverse effects caused by this generic and cheap to prescribe drug, including the ones affecting me. While this information has been available to doctors in America none of them here seemed to know about this, including mine, when I suggested that it was the statin I was taking that was causing my problems. He tried to convince me it was low oxygen levels in my blood. I only stopped taking this tablet some 48 hours ago but already can feel things are on the up!

[Rowan]

I've just had my atorvastatin changed to simstatin...I'm not happy about it but my GP says it should work in exactly the same way as the original ones. She did say if I had any adverse side effects she would change them back. I haven't started them yet as I have three packs of atorvasatin left.

I researched on the web and there does seem to be considerably more problems with simstatin that with any other statin. Cheap isn't always best but I will reserve judgement until I've given them a try.

[dabthoms]

Prior to being prescribed Simvastatin I had been using Pravastatin for about 5 years with no problems. I'll be seeing my GP about going back to it.