I took Lipitor with no problem until my insurance company doubled the co-pay on it. I've been on 20 mg of Crestor for over a year now without any side effects. I'm lucky in that my "good cholesterol" level is really high and the nurse says that gives me some protection.
Cholesterol Meds - Opinions / Costs?
- Thread starter ALCapshaw2
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ALCapshaw2
Well-known member
A Big THANK YOU to All who replied.
I appreciate all of your inputs and experiences.
The concensus seems to be that the side effects are unique to each person. My Cardio offered to prescribe the generic version of Zocor which I believe is pretty inexpensive (will know tomorrow
.
Zetia would cost around $35 / month on my new Rx plan.
It made some difference, but not $420 / year worth!
'AL Capshaw'
I appreciate all of your inputs and experiences.
The concensus seems to be that the side effects are unique to each person. My Cardio offered to prescribe the generic version of Zocor which I believe is pretty inexpensive (will know tomorrow
.Zetia would cost around $35 / month on my new Rx plan.
It made some difference, but not $420 / year worth!
'AL Capshaw'
A Big THANK YOU to All who replied.
I appreciate all of your inputs and experiences.
The concensus seems to be that the side effects are unique to each person. My Cardio offered to prescribe the generic version of Zocor which I believe is pretty inexpensive (will know tomorrow
Zetia would cost around $35 / month on my new Rx plan.
It made some difference, but not $420 / year worth!
'AL Capshaw'
Simvastatin costs me $12/month! It is generic of Zoroc.
God luck.
Al,
For those that can tolerate statins it's probably a good thing.
But as you have read there are many who cannot take a statin drug.
That includes my wife and others like Ann.
My wife was on Zetia for a long time but it didn't do much, then when the report came out a year or two ago, it basically said that Zetia was pretty much useless. It also said that it does not only work thru your digestive system, but thru your liver as well, contrary to their adds..
So my wife and Ann thru it in the trash.
My wife goes to an MD from our hospital. He is a cholesterol expert and strongly believes in alternative things, he will prescribe a stain as a last resort.
So far so good for my dear wife.
Rich
For those that can tolerate statins it's probably a good thing.
But as you have read there are many who cannot take a statin drug.
That includes my wife and others like Ann.
My wife was on Zetia for a long time but it didn't do much, then when the report came out a year or two ago, it basically said that Zetia was pretty much useless. It also said that it does not only work thru your digestive system, but thru your liver as well, contrary to their adds..
So my wife and Ann thru it in the trash.
My wife goes to an MD from our hospital. He is a cholesterol expert and strongly believes in alternative things, he will prescribe a stain as a last resort.
So far so good for my dear wife.
Rich
ALCapshaw2
Well-known member
VERY Interesting post Rich.
But it Begs the Questions:
WHAT kinds of "alternative things"?
and How Well do they work?
FWIW, I just checked the Lists of 'Generic Specials' from 3 of my local pharmacies and None of them list Simvastatin so I will have to call for their rates,
and to see if there any statins on the $4 or $5 monthly special list.
'AL Capshaw'
hensylee
Well-known member
don't recall numbers, but they are too high. need to get them checked soon. I'm already late but am not at home to get it done by my own dr.
hensylee
Well-known member
Rich, what are the alternatives. my dr said use niacin ,(the kind that doesnt cause flushing) various things. I am also using red rice yeast, fish oil, etc.
RobThatsMe
Well-known member
Hi Gang,
This is a Thread of high interest to me. I have high Cholesterol too.
I have avoided any drugs in the Statin family due to the side effects I have read about, and from the personal experiences noted here in the Forum.
What I find interesting is that all the posts so far mention use of some type of Statin drug. I was not interested in my doctor prescribing a Statin to me, (which, of course, was the first thing he did, until I told him I did not want to be on them), so, we then discussed alternatives.
He put me on a drug called WelChol,(colesevelam HCI), which acts as a binder, blocking the absorbtion of bad Cholesterol into the body. He told me that normal results using this medication will reduce the bad cholesterol by 30%.
I take 3 pills after lunch, and another 3 right after dinner. So far it has performed as he said it would, and my bad cholesterol levels have gone down by jsut over 30%.
I have 2 questions.
1. Has anyone else used/tried this drug? What were your results?
2. Other than Statins, has anyone tried another medical alternative, and if so, what were the results?
Thanks,
Rob
This is a Thread of high interest to me. I have high Cholesterol too.
I have avoided any drugs in the Statin family due to the side effects I have read about, and from the personal experiences noted here in the Forum.
What I find interesting is that all the posts so far mention use of some type of Statin drug. I was not interested in my doctor prescribing a Statin to me, (which, of course, was the first thing he did, until I told him I did not want to be on them), so, we then discussed alternatives.
He put me on a drug called WelChol,(colesevelam HCI), which acts as a binder, blocking the absorbtion of bad Cholesterol into the body. He told me that normal results using this medication will reduce the bad cholesterol by 30%.
I take 3 pills after lunch, and another 3 right after dinner. So far it has performed as he said it would, and my bad cholesterol levels have gone down by jsut over 30%.
I have 2 questions.
1. Has anyone else used/tried this drug? What were your results?
2. Other than Statins, has anyone tried another medical alternative, and if so, what were the results?
Thanks,
Rob
i would be interested in getting away from taking statin drugs, but without
an insurance/prescription plan, welchol is a bit expensive.
you're taking 6/day, best price i've seen is $1.25/pill, which would put the
cost at around $200/month.....equal to two years of statins.
the generic is supposedly available outside of the us, but i haven't been
able to find a source yet.
RobThatsMe
Well-known member
Hi ChouDoufu,
I agree this drug can be expensive, and the generic for this drug, "Privalite". has some side effect that I really want to keep away from.
My cost for a 90 day supply is 0.17 per pill, but I do have an insurance prescription plan.
But, back to my questions, Is anyone else using this?, and also, Is anyone using another alternative to Statins? If so, what is it, and what kind of results have you experienced?
Thanks,
Rob
I agree this drug can be expensive, and the generic for this drug, "Privalite". has some side effect that I really want to keep away from.
My cost for a 90 day supply is 0.17 per pill, but I do have an insurance prescription plan.
But, back to my questions, Is anyone else using this?, and also, Is anyone using another alternative to Statins? If so, what is it, and what kind of results have you experienced?
Thanks,
Rob
To all,
My wife is currently taking a relatively new supplement called Natrol Carb Intercept. She has to get it directly from her doctor's office, and the cost is around $30 for a two month supply. She is also continuing with the CoQ10 because of the length of time she was on Zetia.
How well will this one work only time will tell, but she absolutely cannot tolerate a statin drug. Of course she also does diet and exercise as well.
Rich
My wife is currently taking a relatively new supplement called Natrol Carb Intercept. She has to get it directly from her doctor's office, and the cost is around $30 for a two month supply. She is also continuing with the CoQ10 because of the length of time she was on Zetia.
How well will this one work only time will tell, but she absolutely cannot tolerate a statin drug. Of course she also does diet and exercise as well.
Rich
BigOwl
Well-known member
Al, Zetia won't help much if you keep your dietary cholesterol down (to below whatever the recommended levels are now). It also hasn't been shown to be all that effective anyway--although I take it because I can't exercise at the moment and can use all the help I can get. My triglycerides have gone down measurably since I started taking it, but that may simply be a coincidence because I've been watching my diet to manage type 2 diabetes without drugs.
The best ways to keep cholesterol levels down are still diet and exercise. As we age, though, the exercise part gets harder, but diet is something we're in complete control of. Eating sensibly, moderately, and keeping saturated fat levels and simple carbs down can really help. Statins are powerful drugs that some of us couldn't well do without (I'd have a really hard time surviving on non-statin measures, so I'm glad I can tolerate them).
One bit of advice: do NOT take over-the-counter niacin. Even the time-release versions need to be monitored, and you're better off with a prescription version like Niaspan. It's usually cheap (mine's only $10/mo) and helps keep your HDL up. You get a "weaning packet" first to help build up your tolerance, and I don't flush at all now. Make sure your doc knows what you're taking, including all supplements, because of possible interactions.
And don't forget the plant sterols you can get in food now. They're pricier than regular margarine and yoghurt, but a whole lot cheaper than meds if your totals are low enough for them to help. If you use butter or margarine on toast, or margarine for any reason, these are really good substitutes. But still, always check with your PCP.
The best ways to keep cholesterol levels down are still diet and exercise. As we age, though, the exercise part gets harder, but diet is something we're in complete control of. Eating sensibly, moderately, and keeping saturated fat levels and simple carbs down can really help. Statins are powerful drugs that some of us couldn't well do without (I'd have a really hard time surviving on non-statin measures, so I'm glad I can tolerate them).
One bit of advice: do NOT take over-the-counter niacin. Even the time-release versions need to be monitored, and you're better off with a prescription version like Niaspan. It's usually cheap (mine's only $10/mo) and helps keep your HDL up. You get a "weaning packet" first to help build up your tolerance, and I don't flush at all now. Make sure your doc knows what you're taking, including all supplements, because of possible interactions.
And don't forget the plant sterols you can get in food now. They're pricier than regular margarine and yoghurt, but a whole lot cheaper than meds if your totals are low enough for them to help. If you use butter or margarine on toast, or margarine for any reason, these are really good substitutes. But still, always check with your PCP.
Lat year I met a priest who could not tolerate any of the statins as they affeted his memory...he used to forget words during his sermons. He takes Omega 3 and Non-flush Niacin (sorry I cannot remember the dose) but it worked for him.
Again, at rehab I met a person who swore that Fish Oil and Niacin works for him great!
I tried 500 mg fish oil...it made me eat more!! There is also 'Red Yeast Rice' which my herbalist swears it helped many people...it did not help me.
Again, at rehab I met a person who swore that Fish Oil and Niacin works for him great!
I tried 500 mg fish oil...it made me eat more!! There is also 'Red Yeast Rice' which my herbalist swears it helped many people...it did not help me.
