Thank you so much for your advice and suggestions. I will try the Red Yeast Rice and hope it will work for me too. I still eat red meat but not too often but I guess I must completely eliminate it from my diet. I will definitely ask my doctor if he could put me on a low dose of Statin for starters. Thanks again, you guys are great. Take care!
Sometimes a person does not need the low dose statin that the doctors start them out with. Sometimes a smaller dose works. My dad, for example, it taking only one fourth of the low dose of Lipitor and it is working great at bringing his LDL down to 79. Muscle pain is the side effect of statins, but in a smaller lower dose you may not have the pain and it still may work for you. You may also want to take a look at your diet. Red meat, for example, raises LDL levels. I lowered my LDL from approximately 130 to 79 by eliminating red meat for one year (it has now been 13 years since I had beef). Salmon, nuts, brown rice, oatmeal are good for the heart. Omega 3 is great for the heart. Fresh vegetables and fruit are good. Avoid processed meats and hotdogs. Diet and exercise can help a lot (more than most people think). Hope you are able to get your LDL down and feel good. Take care.
What you are experiencing is very common with Statins, lots of folks get the muscle pain. I have an issue with high cholesterol, but, my doctor told me to take Red yeast Rice. This is the exact same thing as a Statin without the dangerous side effects. In fact, it is the main ingredient in Lovastatin, but, the labs have not had a chance to ruin it, therefore, it is safe.
I would try this and see how it works, it might be the answer you are looking for.