Hello @Phillee
Welcome to the community and sorry you have had cause to join us as you are feeling lost having discovered something you were not aware of and lived with for two years or more.
They say “Ignorance is bliss” and it is true. I will expand on this, but first let me say stroke prevention medication is a choice and you should weigh up the risk vs benefits to decide if you should take them or not.
I wonder if you should consult your GP or stroke consultant to review your situation and prescribed medication.
I don’t want to sound flippant, but whilst you were unaware you had had the silent stroke I am guessing you were happy with life and getting on with things? How was your health (pre statins)?
And if your were fine, then is it the right thing to do to put you on these meds in this manner?
For your peace of mind, you should go back and discuss and also explain the problems you are having with the medication. If you decide to stick with the medical solution, there are other meds available and they will have to find the ones that work best for you. It seems to me what you are on now is likely to do more harm than good (remember risk vs benefits - read the side effects etc that come with the medication).
Statins:
There is a lot information out there and we have discussed this on this forum. In the below post there is a video where two doctors discuss the use of statins which you may or may not find interesting.
Back to ignorance is bliss - I am not aware of having had a stroke as I have never been tested, but I have been told many times I am in the risk category and my GPs have on numerous occasions tried to put me on statins. I have even been on statins (many years ago - 20+ years) but stopped during the first course as I was not happy.
My cholesterol remains high and I follow a good diet and exercise etc. I have recently made an active effort to eat more of the foods that fight cholesterol and try to get in more exercise, but I am happy not to be taking statins and for me the risk remains, but it is my understanding that whether or not I take medicines I may still have a stroke. The fact is the medicines will not prevent you from having a stroke - only it will reduce the risk, but my how much?
You can do more research on this forum for the pros and cons of what is on offer to you in terms of choices to deal with your newfound health status.
My advice is not to panic and not to worry. Seek advice, get a better understanding of your condition and available choices and then decide. The route you take has to be right for you. There is no one single answer to this and that is why I am amazed that the medical profession seems (at least to me) to be happy to immediately put you on medication.
As I said, maybe I was lucky and my GP did not “scare monger” me or push me down the meds route.
Wishing you all the best.
Namaste|
Disclaimer
The information and views expressed in this note are my own and they are not a recommendation. You should always seek suitable advice and satisfy yourself that what you are doing is right for you.