statins

[lesrio55]

I have a high rate of stroke and heart troubles in my family so the doctor suggested I take statins
I am on 10mg.  each night. have been for 2 years  I am worried about side effects i.e. muscle deteriation etc., would it be
o.k. for me to only take statin for 3 nights a week. would I still get benefit and reduce the side effects,
I am lucky that I have no symptoms of heart trouble, eat very healthy vege. diet, not overweight, nor
smoke for last eight years, keep very active, I am 61, could you advise. its worrying me alot.

[Sweetwaterguy]

    Some people don't tolerate statins.  However, the vast majority do.  Dr. Arthur Agatston, who is a renown cardiologist as well as the author of "The South Beach Heart Program,"  writes about statins as part of "aggressive prevention" of heart disease.  
    There is a lot of misinformation about statins, particularly on the internet, so one has to be careful in evaluating this question and having the benefit of good information.  We do know there are numerous, well designed studies, showing the benefits of statins--and the benefits are significant.  The scientific evidence is overwhelming.  
   I have taken Lipitor for several years now, 40mg/day, and I have no problem.  I also have a family history-- two brothers with heart attacks before age 50 and a sister with heart disease.  I am 64 and I credit statins, a reasonably good diet, and an active lifestyle for my being able to avoide the heart issues my siblings have experienced.

[lesrio55]

thank you very much for your comments, they have helped.

[Flycaster305]

Sweetwaterguy summed it up nicely.  I doubt taking the drug three day a week would help you very much, it wouldn't be a medicinal dosage, but who knows?  The simple solution is take it like it is prescribed and get a blood test after a few months.  If the tests show no liver troubles and the cholesterol is controlled, it's doing what it is supposed to do.  Sometimes I read how people are so afraid of statins.  I gotta tell you, after seven stents and two heart attacks, if you want to be afraid of something, high cholesterol levels should trump the worry of statin reactions!  

[Flycaster305]

The fact that the statin you were taking was withdrawn from the market sort of defeats your arguement, Jack.  Statins save thousands, maybe millions of lives, quality scientific evidence backs this up.  Certainly there will be people like yourself that have adverse reactions, but that's pretty rare.

      

[Barbarella]

When I take aspirin even a baby aspirin, or a coated aspirin my stomach lining burns like fire, I cannot take aspirin.  Yet I've been taking Zocor for the last 4 yrs with absolutely no side effects.

I had muscle pains yrs before I ever took Zocor.  Had I been on Zocor then it would've been blamed on Zocor.

My husband is not on statins because his cholesterol is fine.  However, his shoulder hurts at times, his joints hurt at times, his back hurt at times, I mean really hurt, if he were on statins everything would be blamed on statins.

Some people cannot tolerate statins, and some people like me cannot tolerate aspirin.  If you google aspirin you can find that even aspirin can be fatal.

I don't criticize anybody who doesn't take statins.  I used to be scared stiff of them myself, but at the same time I do not need lectures from people who do not take statins.  I'm an adult, and I can make my own decisions.  If statins would give me side effects, I'd stop and hope for the best.

As for what is in print I read mostly all of it, in books, on the Internet etc. none of these Scientists who condemn the statins have yet mentioned "where" the very high cholesterol settles, of course not, because it settles in your arteries, it does not come out with your stool.

I tried the natural way, stuff from the health food store, special diets guarenteed to lower cholesterol for one solid year, and my cholesterol only came down 20 points.  I myself did not feel comfortable walking around with a TC of 286 and an LDL of 231.  There are people who could do that, and don't worry about it, and maybe even live to a ripe old age, but everybody is different.

Sometimes people have to use their imagination.  My doctor wanted to put me on 40mg of Zocor I told him lets try the 20mg of course he didn't like that to much but gave it a try.  I'm suppose to take it every night, but take it every other night, never told my doctor.  My cholesterol came down 100 points in only 6 weeks and stays around that number give and take a little for the last 4 yrs.  Had it come down only a little I then would have taken the Zocor every night as I was told.

Last but not least when I read numerous articles mostly written by PhD's I sensed a sense of jeleausy toward the doctors who prescribe them.  Jeleausy of the "kickbacks", jeleausy of the pharmaceutical companies.

Most of all just because the "natural stuff" didn't help me I do not go around and trash it and discourage people not to take it, and I expect the same from people not to trash the statins just because we take them.  We are adults, and can make our own decisions with our health and lifes.

[Barbarella]

Yes, I did post that. If you read my posts since then I say almost in EVERY one of my posts that I was scared stiff of statins.  I was scared of the stuff I read, and thought it might happen to me.  Yes, that was my attitude because I hate to say it that stuff I read scared the hell out of me, and my fear gave me a negative attitude toward statins like so many people have.

My friend who almost died of Lipitor improved 100% and believe it or not is on another statin which I will admit I would never do.  If I almost died from any drug I would not go on that type of drug ever again.

If you read my last post I did say that "some people cannot tolerate statins".

I'm glad you dug up my posts concerning statins.  It shows what fear can do to a person reading all that stuff.  It shows just because some people almost die from a drug doesn't mean that I will die from it too.  It shows that just because some people get bad side effects doesn't mean that I will get them too.

Last but not least it shows how foolish I was to let articles and stories put me in such a fear that I walked around with very high cholesterol for over one year instead of giving it a try to see what it will do for me.

Thank god after one year of being scared stiff of statins I finally caved in and at least tried to see what will happen, and thank god I can tolerate statins.  I should not have let my fear wait one year, but given it a try right there and then, and see what will happen.

Get to the bottom what is REALLY bothering you.  Anybody who goes off on a person with shouting and insults as you did in your other post above has other issues.  Me and the statins were/are not the issue, I was just the sounding board because something else is bothering you and its not me or the statins.

[often]

oh stop....poor guy asks a legitimate question and next thing you know his thread becomes a boxing match....

[lesrio55]

I.ve just read all the comments  sorry to say I seem to have caused an argument, I need time to
read everything over again, but just wanted to say thank you all for taking the time to answer. I'll
be back when I re-read everything.

[maggiemag]

Leave Jack alone, will you?  Does it make you feel good to pick on him?  Be a man and let it all go.  He DOES help people on this board.

[ajrenalli]

yeah.......take the statins, get your blood work and take it from there.

[mas2782]

Agree....what is the deal...Jack has been through an awful lot and deserves our support and respect. Let's try to be kind to one another.