muscle pain from statins use

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Kathy McCain said:
HI, I am currently, not on statins. I have ALWAYS had high cholesterol, both good and bad. The dr's have never been concerned about it. I had a catherization, of course before my AVR. Clean arteries! My recent cardiolite test was excellent! My current cholesterol is a little higher though, 230! Go figure, it must be hereditary. I am slender, usually exercise at the gym and walk. I am usually on a low fat diet, of which I have NOT been following since my surgery! Before I get on any statins, I will tell my cardio I would like to try diet first. I DO NOT want to take these, I'm on enough meds, thank you. I am also extremely sensitive to alot of medications. Everyone reacts differently though.

Good luck to you, and let us know of the outcome. We are here to help.
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thanks kathy for the advise .it's a bank holiday in the uk today so will have to wait till tomorrow to see my GP an will post on what he changes my meds to then .
 
can some point me in the direction of some good diet information and a list of alternative supplements to lower my cholesterol naturally. thanks jeff:)
 
Jeff,

Being on a low fat diet is rather difficult, especially at first. I do believe it helps though. If it does not help with your cholesterol, it should help control weight, and over the long haul keep you generally healthier. Limit diary products, or buy skim milk, and low fat cheese, sour cream. Instead of using butter, or sauturated fat to cook with, use olive oil. Always check the fat content, especially trans fat, and saturated fat. Decrease your intake of meat that has alot of marble fat. Eat more fish, fresh fruits,and vegies. There are some herbal products (you can get them at the health food store)that you probably can not take, now that you are on meds. Be sure to get an okay from your Dr. first. With certain medication, you should not take herbal products.

Oh, thought I'd let you know. Saw my cardio today for a review on my latest post op tests. Everything looks great! I don't have to take any statins for my cholesterol. I believe its' LDL and HDL? Anyway, the so-called "good" cholesterol is high too, and supports the other. That's what all my GP'S have said for years. So, no need to worry!
 
Rich said:
I won't say statins don't benefit a lot of people. If you can tolerate them then it is your decision.I am just amazed at the level they dropped the acceptable range compared to the 'old days'.
...Iv'e told this story before but it still keeps me wondering. When I was in my early forties having a routine physical, my total cholesterol was 250. I beleive my tryglycerides were almost 500. The doctor told me to watch my diet and so forth(no statins back then), but I didn't.
Then I was in my late fifties facing my AVR. My cardio ran a cholesterol check on me. My total was 170 and all the rest of the numbers were perfectly in range. How did that happen, I never changed my lifestyle or diet.
My catherization showed all my arteries were totally clean.
It still raises a lot of questions for me to this day.
Rich
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I will go so far as to say that statins do help a lot of people. Just not everyone, and not for everything they get prescribed for. For example, they are still being prescribed to slow calcification of valves, despite the fact that several large studies (each with some statin manufacturer funding) have specifically shown that they have absolutely no value in slowing or reversing valve calcification.

As far as the shifting of cholesterol values, this is entirely normal over a course of even a few months. Many factors affect cholesterol numbers. This is why it is entirely as improper to base a prescription of statins on one cholesterol reading as it is to prescribe blood pressure medicines on one office reading. The other reason is that lab tests do have a percentage of incorrect reports. Note: Yet many doctors prescribe on one result anyway, despite the possible danger to you, for their own convenience.

Best wishes,
 
Bob,
I totally agree with everything you said.
Two years ago I was facing cataract surgery, and one of the requirements from the hospital was a minor routine blood test prior to the surgery. This had to come from my PCP.
But this doctor insisted I have a full blown blood test. So I did even though I had other priorities at that time.
My numbers came back a little high, at least by todays standards, but I wasn't told my numbers, no phone calls, nothing.
Then I get a call from my CVS pharmacy to pick up my prescription. I had no idea what they were talking about,and I was sitting at home recovering from the first of two eye surgeries. So we go to the drug store and they present me with a prescription for Lipitor. I was really ticked off and refused the prescription. I then called this doctor who finally returned my call about two weeks later. Needless to say we really got into it. This person is no longer my PCP and never will be again!!
Rich
 
Have to say I seem to get good results from simvastatin. My cholesterol numbers are good. As for any muscle pain: one of my knees has been surgically repaired, the other needs replacement, and I have spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal in the lumbar region) that causes back and leg pain upon standing and walking any distance. So when I walk a few miles(which I still do daily) I hurt. I wonder how I could distinguish that pain from any possible side-effect the statin might be causing. How would I know if the statin is the culprit and not these other conditions?

I would advise coordinating with a doc you trust before just tossing meds.
 
i have decided to change to a low fat diet and whole grain bread and a cholesterol lowering drink and spreads in stead of margarine or butter , and as soon as my shoulders and arms allow me to get back to my cycling for exercise I will continue to do some walking . still waiting to see my GP hopefully this will happen tomorrow morning . can any body recommend a cholesterol home testing kit please ?.does any body have any idea how long it take to get a statin out of your system
thanks Jeff
 
having visited my GP today and had a long chat with him .we have decided to try EZETROL- ezetimibe and a very strict controlled low fat diet and exercise
he told me not to start taking the new tablet until my present muscle aches have gone to see if i react to these tablets
all thoughts and comment most welcome :)
thanks Jeff
 
Kathy McCain said:
...I have ALWAYS had high cholesterol, both good and bad...I had a catherization, of course before my AVR. Clean arteries! My recent cardiolite test was excellent! My current cholesterol is a little higher though, 230! Go figure, it must be hereditary...
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(colors mine - RDH)

I would just like to post that, to me, This Is The Point: her arteries are clean. Cholesterols are an indicator of possibility, not at all a sentence to atherosclerosis. The gold standard is the cardiac catheterization (or an MRA), where they actually get to "look" at arterial walls. If you have no arterial placque, the argument for statins (for you, anyway) doesn't hold water.

I won't go into the "just to be sure," and "well, you don't want it to turn into placque, do you?" arguments. FUD Factor: Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt.

Best wishes,
 
I just can't take statins. I already have quite severe problems with my muscles and joints and statins just magnified the problem many times over. A couple of years ago I was switched to Zetia and my cholesterol is now just fine. My HDL has always been nice and high and my LDL & VLDL were never bad but the total was just over the recommended level.

Unless there is a new study, I don't think there was any definite proof that Zetia actually lowered cardiovascular risks but I know it works to lower cholesterol levels. I also have not had any of the muscle and joint problems attributed to statins.
 
I am a firm believer in Co-Enyzme Q10. Studies have shown though that you need to get the right kind that go into the cells much better. Good kind is Ubiquinol NOT Ubiquinone. Unbiquinol is more bioavailable to the body. Yes statin drugs DO deplete the Co-Enyzme Q10. Also gets depleted naturally with aging.
 
I take crestor 5mg every other day or at least 3 times a week, I also had to start taking CQ10 with some vitamin B12 and B6 with folic acid, also some C 500mg. I tried lipitor and we did not get along! Left a bad taste in my mouth, I hate these choleserol drugs but the drs believe in them.
 
They cut my LDL in half :) Anyways, I need to really watch my cholesterol and I was wondering about CQ10 and C 500mg, what are they exactly and do they seem to help?
 
terodac said:
I take crestor 5mg every other day or at least 3 times a week, I also had to start taking CQ10 with some vitamin B12 and B6 with folic acid, also some C 500mg. I tried lipitor and we did not get along! Left a bad taste in my mouth, I hate these choleserol drugs but the drs believe in them.
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crestor was the final straw for me it was the one i had the worst muscle pain with i was on 20mg 7 day a week . not sorry to be off it :)
 
update: I have been using red yeast rice for about two or three months now and find that I must give this one up, too. Feeling the weakness in my muscles and don't want it to get any farther along. good luck to all of you in your search for a fix to high cholesterol. I am just going to count on the other things I take plus diet. Exercise must help, too, but I can't do that either.
 
When I came home in July from OHS my surgeon had put me on a satin. I guess because my HDL is low because my overall number was 181 before surgery. Any way I started having sever muscle and joint pain. I took myself off the drug and within a couple of days I was much better and have no muscle pain today. I am taking niacin 1000mg. According to Mayo Clinic that is better at rasing the HDL than satins and also helps prevent build up. I don't get much of a flush from it so it seems to be a good choice for me.
 
Jeff,

Sounds like you have an excellent plan! You should do much better soon.

I like your pooch!

Keep us updated
 
Kathy McCain said:
Jeff,

Sounds like you have an excellent plan! You should do much better soon.

I like your pooch!

Keep us updated
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thanks kathy i will keep you updated. i have to of the pooch's there lovley dogs and a big part of my fitness routine be lost to death with out them
thanks to every body for there imput :)
 
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