Wellness

[Poodlepet2]

I will bring this up again: please read "The Great Cholesterol Myth"...Jonny Bowden and Stephen Sinatra. Not all LDLs are bad....and not all HDLs are good....and there are laboratory tests out there that analyze particle size to determine a possible new rubric in treating this disease. I think the making of these drugs is all a money-making enterprise-and our health is at stake here. Cholesterol is used by every cell in your body-it comprises a pretty component of the cell membrane which allows nutrients-good, or bad- to move in or out, and this very much impacts every muscle cell and nerve conduction. Take a drug like Avostart, and yes, you will get muscle pain and some other horrible neurologic symptoms. The most basic layer of your cells-every cell in your body- can not function-when that lipid layer is cut out.

There are more sane ways of looking at this instead of listening to what pharmaceutical companies are selling. Dr. Sinatra's way is not going to save everybody-and there still is a population he recommends statins for, but this book is so worth reading.

Poodlepet

[madcity411]

On 3/15/2014 sarahpanda said:

Simvastatin....40 mg.!! I have no idea why he's got me on such a high dose. I asked him one time about that and he said it wasn't high. Hummmm

What is considered a high dosage?

[sfnative]

On 3/9/2014 nagrom said:

Mom was on statins as the only thing that would keep her cholesterol numbers low enough. She was thin and exercised daily. In fact she watched her diet so close that she would not eat butter, mayonaise, red meat etc etc. Her body produced cholesterol since she did not eat anything with cholesterol in her diet. Her numbers were in the 300s. Medication is the only thing that would bring her numbers down. The best advice is to go to your doctor and work with him to make an informed decision. These boards are very savvy but nothing compared to your doctor. Your body may react to other meds or supplements that interact with statins. He would know where to tweak meds or change some to make it work for you.

"Her body produced cholesterol since she did not eat anything with cholesterol in her diet. "

I'd like to take this opportunity to let you know that everyone's body produces cholesterol each and every day. There's nothing we can do about that production. It's natural.

Problems issue forth when (1) we eat a diet high in saturated fat/cholesteral-laden foods and/or (2) we inherit a gene which causes our bodies to product more cholesterol than what might be considered normal. Add these two things together and one might have a mighty high total cholesterol.

When I was 51 I had my annual labs done per usual. While discussing the results with my internist, I looked at my total cholesterol and said, "What has happened to my cholesterol?" My internest took a look at past labs and said that I had inherited a gene from one or the other side of the family and that it had kicked in. My lab total cholesterol that day was 272. I took a statin for 10 years, then decided that I could lower my total cholesterol by increasing the good cholesterol (making a new food plan) and taking Red Yeast Rice. I have done so and presently have better good cholesterol and a total of 235, which my internist says we can live with.

I think one of the things we need to keep in mind is that some folks really need a statin - there are excellent clinical reasons for this. However, if you are having any major side effects, please consult your physician. One poster metioned eye muscle pain, etc. This needs to be addressed as soon as possible to thwart permanent muscle damage.

[lyndapace]

On 3/9/2014 graycatsrule said:

I've been taking pravastatin for about four years. No side effects.

me, too, for about six months. works great. my dr. almost fell out of her chair because it came down to what it should be. but I reminded her that I rarely eat red meat anymore because of the cost and my cholesterol had been bad. I really think cutting out the beef helped.

[SueinLosAngeles]

I'm on Pravastatin. I may have some muscle pain in my legs with it. But it seems to be mostly okay.

I used to be on Simvastatin but had horrible muscle pain in my legs and arms and had to get off of it.

[AJW]

Generic Lipitor! I have tried 3 but this seems the best and for the most part, doesn't give me muscle aches and pains.

[Kathlen]

On 3/15/2014 bonnielu said:

MY Lipitor and the like went in the trash. Not interested in any more muscle pain or raise in A1C indicating diabetes. The drug companies care not and are looking for profits rather than helping patients. My take and since I was affected, my right to say so. Someone ought to investigate and take Statins off the market.... legal poison for so many.

I couldn't agree more. I had the terrible side effects - in fact my sister (a lawyer) suggested I sue.

[LilacTree]

Why would you take Reclast? Reclast is used to treat severe osteoporosis, not high cholesterol. It's given by IV once a year . . . which means it stays in your body a whole year. It is a very dangerous drug. A rheumatologist wanted me to take it and scheduled me for the procedure. I looked up the drug and the doctor's information on it (not the little pink and blue booklet with the pretty lady on the cover). This doctor had my records, and should have known I was not a candidate for Reclast because I had undergone a colon resection during which six inches of my colon was removed due to chronic diverticulitis. The doctor's information on the drug clearly states that anyone who has had colon surgery should not be considered a candidate for this drug. He clearly had not read either my history or the doctor's information on the drug.

As for statins, they have tried to give me those many times also, and I refused. My total cholesterol was never higher than 235, and the last time I had it checked it was 210, my HDL was 82, and my triglycerides were 65. My ratios were excellent. Yet they still wanted me to take it, which I did not.

I could go on and on, but I won't. Be your own advocate . . . always check any new med (or even ones you have been taking). Especially these newer "designer drugs."

[Forrest3]

I started a new thread about Red Yeast Rice that follows cholesterol. I was having the same terrible aching with Lipitor so my endo dr switched me to Welchol, which is not a statin but is supposed to help cholesterol. I couldn't stand the extreme constipation that it caused and now I'm stuck with all these pills that just about wiped out my insurance allowance fot the year and will be in the donut hole real early! So I'm trying the RYR (Thorne Choloeast ) and at least got rid of the constipation problem. Will have lipid panel in May. My cholesterol ratio is 3.12.

[noseycat]

I take 20 mg of Pravastatin and my husband takes 40 mg. We have for many years and have no problems