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dry, chapped lips and tongue disorder

Three years ago I was perscribed Zelco to reduce my LDL chorestrol and had to discontinue because of some bad reactions.  I then started natural vitamins and nician, zeta to lower my chorestrol's LDL for past year of so.   Last September my lips started swelling, chapping and turning red and the end of my tongue's taste buds feel numb or coated feeling.   I also noticed my mouth and the inside of my bottom lip became very dry at times and had a metalic taste.  Also when I eat, food seems to stick to places inside my mouth.  I stopped taking these vitamin pills over a month ago and still have the lip and tongue symptoms.  
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Avatar universal
Did you ever figure out what was wrong with you? I have the exact symptoms without the large amounts of vitamins and herbs.. ?
I have elevated cholesterol and don't take anything for it right now. I was trying to exercise to get it down, but it is nearing Christmas and it is hard this time of year. No excuses, i know I am not doing right by my diet, but it really is hard right now with all the baking going on and food given to me! I am not overweight, just about 115 and 5 feet tall and am 39 year old female. Help.. same symptoms.. lips are numb at times, burning sensation, fever blisters, my tongue now has red spots in 2 places with sore to the touch feelings and bleeds if I eat doritos or something course. My lips are extremely dry and I am super low on vitamin d and have acid reflux and asthma
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
OK, this clears some things, your cholesterol was high, 5 is high for sure.

About niacin - doctor suspected that high dose of niacin maybe caused swelling, but, as I searched, it is a deficiency of niacin which causes swelling. With this, I tried to say, that I doubt that niacin causes swelling.

Being on 40+ drugs/day is not normal, now it's hard to say, what was the cause.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I agree some of what I was taking are duplicates, some I will drop when I'm able to continue some of the supplements.  Yes my prostate is enlarged, that's what the prostate support is for. Yes my BP has been elevated in the past, it's better now. I've taken a daily coated 81 mg. aspirin tablet for 8 years.   The cholesterol and triglyceride numbers I gave you was just before I started this regime, then the first testing after taking the supplements  for 6 months. I'm sure those aren't my numbers now since I've been off everything for nearly 2 months. My ratio of HDL/LDL/cholesterol was high, above 5.0 at one time, it has been on the normal range since the supplements. My doctor told me if I didn't;to get my numbers down I could have heart issues within 10 years. He wanted to put me on another statin after I quit the Zocor, but I decided to try the natural cure on my own.  The magnesium helps my leg cramping. I've ridden a bike since 1999, and don't cramp all the time, usually only after a really hot hilly ride. My wife also messages my hamstrings, which helps to spread out the lactic acid.   In an earlier comment you thought maybe I didn't have enough niacin,that it was causing my swollen lips and slick tongue, now you don't think I need it?     I appreciate all your help in trying to help me solve this.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Comment on your drug list:

1.fish oil- omega-3 fatty acids, reduce formations of blood clots and lower triglycerrides
-------DROP IT. You have normal triglycerids.
2.phytosterols- blocks the cholesterol in foods from getting into the bloodstream
3. prostate support- helps reduce the size of the prostate
-------You hace problems with prostate?
4. vitamin B complex- control homocysteine
-------DROP IT. You get enough vit B with food
5. cinnamon- help control the blood sugar
-------You have elevated blood glucose?
6.grape seed extract - antioxidant
-------DROP IT. You get all antioxidants with food
7.Arginine- produces nitric oxide for promoting elastic lining of the arteries
-------There is history of atherosclerosis in your familly?
8.vit. E- antioxidant
-------DROP IT. You get enough antioxidants with food
9.Multii. vit. & mineral
-------DROP IT. You get enough vitamins with food
10.vit. C
-------DROP IT. You get enough vit C with food
11.niacin- controls the liver's production of cholesterol
-------DROP IT. You get enough niacin with food
12.magnesium- lowers blood pressure and reduces leg cramps
------You have elevated blood pressure? Leg cramps are from unapproppriate sporting. Arrange this and DROP magnesium.
13. opti. mag 125mg. magnesium- prevents leg cramps?
-------DROP IT.
14. red yeast rice- over the counter statin
15. Co-Q10- for cholesterol benefits
-------DROP IT This is a fairy-tale, it is not confirmed, I've checked.
16. aspirin-81 mg. reduce blood clots & may reduce inflammation
-------When have you started with aspirin?
17. zetia- assorbs fat in the small intestines
-------This is the 4th supplemment you use ffor lowering fats
18. green tea extract- antioxidant
-------DROP IT. You get enough antioxidants with food
19. activated quercetin bioflavonoid complex- heart-protecting antixidants
-------DROP IT. You get enough antioxidants with food
20. flexcin- joint health
21. guggul plex- cholesterol lowering effect
------5th one
22. pantethine- raises HDL cholesterol and lowers triglycerides
-------DROP IT. You have (and had) normal triglycerids

Even, if you DROP all anti-cholesterol supplements, your cholesterol will rise to about 205, right? This is only slightly above recommended value. Is there any history of atherosclerosis in your family?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm 63 years old, 6'2", 186 lbs. I exercise vigourousy 5 to 6 days a week and am careful with my diet.
My cholesterol before the supplements was 205 to 220. It wasn't resopnding to diet and exercise, that's when my doctor put me on Zocor. My cholesterol came down to 136 but I had terrible side effects. Someone told me about The 8 Week Cholesterol Cure book, thought I'd give it a try. My cholesterol came down to 163, after going back up to 205 after discontinuing the statin. My HDL went from 36 to 43, LDL from 146 to 107.8, triglycerides from 96 to 74. I bought these supplements from WalMart and ordered from 2 different websites. The Dr. that wrote the book was not making any money from what he was recommending, he said where to buy it the cheapest, he also said go to your local health food store for some things. Not everything I took was for cholesterol, some were antioxidents for general health. The magnesium was for my leg cramps which I got regularlly after our 40 to 50 mile bike rides, the cramps went away. Flexian was for my joints.   My labs were drawn in the lab at my dorcor's office in the hospital. No one ordered these supplements for me, I choose to give them a try. I was buying from several places, the book arthor didn't sell anything himself.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Before going into details about this 22 item list, can you tell:

1. Your age height/weight ?
2. Levels of cholesterol (detailed) before and after this cure.
3. WHO measured your cholesterol and WHO prescribed you above substances and WHOM did you pay for this?
4. There are many substances listed above, which have no connection with cholesterol. Why did you take them?

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Up to two months ago I was taking the following supplements:

1.fish oil- omega-3 fatty acids, reduce formations of blood clots and lower triglycerrides
2.phytosterols- blocks the cholesterol in foods from getting into the bloodstream
3. prostate support- helps reduce the size of the prostate
4. vitamin B complex- control homocysteine
5. cinnamon- help control the blood sugar
6.grape seed extract - antioxidant
7.Arginine- produces nitric oxide for promoting elastic lining of the arteries
8.vit. E- antioxidant
9.Multii. vit. & mineral
10.vit. C
11.niacin- controls the liver's production of cholesterol
12.magnesium- lowers blood pressure and reduces leg cramps
13. opti. mag 125mg. magnesium- prevents leg cramps?
14. red yeast rice- over the counter statin
15. Co-Q10- for cholesterol benefits
16. aspirin-81 mg. reduce blood clots & may reduce inflammation
17. zetia- assorbs fat in the small intestines
18. green tea extract- antioxidant
19. activated quercetin bioflavonoid complex- heart-protecting antixidants
20. flexcin- joint health
21. guggul plex- cholesterol lowering effect
22. pantethine- raises HDL cholesterol and lowers triglycerides

   Most of these I took twice a day at morning and evening.

All these supplements I took out of Dr. Robert E. Kowalski's The New 8 Week Cholesterol Cure.   THey were working. My cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL came down and my HDL went up.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Can you name those exact supplements? And posibly all ingredients...? And what they did - your cholesterol just dropped?

From time course of your symptoms, I think it's obvious that these supplements caused swelling. This is not an allergy. Allergy should always go back. This is either something like "contact dermatitis" or that angioedema I was talking before or something other.

It is SHORTAGE of niacin, that causes swelling
http://www.dietpower.com/Help/diet/niacin.htm

The same with B1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_vitamins

Put the "suspicious food + swelling" into a browser...

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
When I started taking the natural supplements for my cholesterol and LDL I had great results in my labs, but then I started with the swelling, chapped lips and dry mouth. This took about 3 or 4 months to occur. I stopped all supplements, the swelling went away. After a few weeks I started the supplements again, only adding a new one every week or so. Eventually the swelling came back. Again I stopped all suppements. A third time I started the supplements, cutting some of the dosages in half, the swelling came back. I've been off all supplements nearly two months now, but the redness and swelling continues.  I saw an Herbologist and she thought it was one of the B vitimins I was taking. I was thinking it may be the large dose of niacin. I don't want to have to stop all supplements forever, as they were helping my lab numbers so much, and I can't take the statins. This is getting annoying and frustrating, not to mention uncomfortable.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The first time I had this problem was last September when my lips started turning red, swelling and chapping within 2-3 days.   It stayed that way for a week or two then it went away.   Within a month it came back and then cleared up within a month, but each time I get this it stays longer.   At present I've had this problem since March.   My lips as well as my tongue have a numb feeling, but I notice my lips are sensitive to spicy or acidic foods.
Thanks for your infomation
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Lips are actually swollen (increased volumen) or you feel like they are numb? Back in September, did this occur suddenly or gradually?

Anyway, it may be a side effect of a drug, but you seems to have a problem with innervation in the mouth (first third of the tongue is numb, food sticks in the mouth). Arrange the appointment with neurologist and take all those drugs with you.

It could also be an angioedema:
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic135.htm

Other causes of swollen lips:
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/symptoms/lip_swelling/causes.htm

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My lip swelling, redness and chaping is constant now or it has been for the last 2 to 3 months.   I haven't noticed any additional effects after meals.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Lips swelling is constant or it comes and goes? Would you say it's connected with meals?
Helpful - 0
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