How To Lower Your High Cholesterol With Statin Drug?

[Mobi]

The cholesterol thing is mainly a big cash cow for the pharma industry. Like high blood preasure it doesn't need medication. If you follow a moderate diet (plenty of raw vegetable, salads, fruits, no or only little meat and sugar, no or only little of alcohol, nicotin...) and have some exercices (30 or minutes a day) that would be much better for you. There are no side effects and you will feel much better.

An old answer, however most people (especialy Americans) prefer take medication, wich sometimes have more sideffects than benefits. But it is you life and your decission.

I have no doubt that is true for many - but it is dangerous to generalise for all.

I take at least an hour's exercise a day - have done so for years, and I eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of vegetables and fresh fruit. I don't drink or smoke.

But I still need a whole team of meds to keep my blood pressure under control - which thankfully it is at the moment.

Similarly, I am careful what I eat to prevent high cholesterol - as it is the same sort of diet that diabetics should adopt. Yet if I don't take Bestatin, my cholesterol levels rise very quickly.

Treatment for most medical conditions is a usually a combination of lifestyle, plus drugs, if lifestyle alone doesn't do the trick.

[backflip]

"backflip: Are Zoloft and the other drug you mention generics of drugs by other manufacturers that have gone off patent and are of similar but not exact chemical formulations of Lipitor?"

The 2 drugs I mentioned have nothing to do with the control of cholesterol. A generic drug is an EXACT, not an approximate copy, of an existing drug. There are generic drugs available for the control of cholesterol but, to say that they are the equivalent to Lipitor, would be untruthful.

When a generic version of Liptitor is available, Pfizer will be forced to sell toaster ovens to make their revenue targets.

[billp]

Merck's ZoCOR (aka simvastatin) - not ZoLOFT - is the anti-cholesterol drug which has gone off-patent. (The patent on Pfizer's anti-depressant Zoloft also expired in 2006, though.) As I said earlier in this thread, Zocor/simvasatin is one of the 2nd generation statins, which are good and tried and true, but not as effective as the 3rd generation, the most successful of which is Pfizer's Lipitor. It's true that Pfizer will need another blockbuster to replace Lipitor when its patent expires in 2010. But they have quite a few things in their pipeline, including a drug to combat obesity. If that works it would be a huge money-maker. I hardly think they'll need to sell toaster ovens in any case.

[westmk]

Side effects - Bestatin?? Greetings, I have been on the 20 mg's for about 5 weeks now and find I am having trouble sleeping at night. I am sure I read somewhere that one of the possible side effects was insomnia. My imagination?? Could be something else but a co-incidence that my sleep has not been the same since I started the drug. I am not enjoying this very much!! Anybody else experienced this?

[Mobi]

I've been taking bestatin 40Mg at night for years and do not, generally speaking, suffer from insomnia.

Maybe you should check out other things/medication in your life before you decide that Bestatin is the culprit.

There are alternatives to bestatin - if you can't solve the problem maybe you should see a doctor.

Good luck

Mobi

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Recently went to the clinic in Hua Hin in regard to my blood pressure. Which had increased around 155/95. It normally was 135/90 and I have been on meds for 30 years to control it.

The Dr. checked my cholesterol and said it was high 208 and put me on Lipitor. I had it checked several years ago and it was the same. Anyhow the Dr. was not concerned with my blood pressure, which bothered me a bit. I started taking the Lipitor 10mg and after a couple of weeks I felt tired easily and noticed my muscles ached going up stairs etc. Then my wife told me my memory was going to hel_l and I would get confused a lot more than normal. Generally felt crappy.

Ran out of the pills and didn't get around to getting them for several days. During that time I was feeling better. So the wife googled Lipitor and found http://www.medications.com/se/lipitor after reading the comments regarding side effects and finding some of them were very close to what I experienced. I've given up on Lipitor and will work on my diet and exercise.

[Prakanong]

Recently went to the clinic in Hua Hin in regard to my blood pressure. Which had increased around 155/95. It normally was 135/90 and I have been on meds for 30 years to control it.

The Dr. checked my cholesterol and said it was high 208 and put me on Lipitor. I had it checked several years ago and it was the same. Anyhow the Dr. was not concerned with my blood pressure, which bothered me a bit. I started taking the Lipitor 10mg and after a couple of weeks I felt tired easily and noticed my muscles ached going up stairs etc. Then my wife told me my memory was going to hel_l and I would get confused a lot more than normal. Generally felt crappy.

Ran out of the pills and didn't get around to getting them for several days. During that time I was feeling better. So the wife googled Lipitor and found http://www.medications.com/se/lipitor after reading the comments regarding side effects and finding some of them were very close to what I experienced. I've given up on Lipitor and will work on my diet and exercise.

I am on Hyzaar Forte for blood pressure but it sneaked up like yours - my GP put me on a Calcium Blocker too but i suffere from adverse effects so stopped it on the advise of a Dr I was travelling with (I work in Clinical Trials so can get personal advice from colleagues and friends who are very well qualified people easily and for free)

I measured the BP over a months and its controlled - my GP was going to take me off the Hyzaar and put me on cozaar alone but we will wait till Feb to get the holidays and my birthday outr of the way ;-)

But here is the rub - I just went to my annual halth screening and my cholestorol ration has sneaked into the red - even though HDL is up from last year so is the TGL - the Dr at the screening prerscribed me lipitor and another drug for this

He also prescribed iron tablets for anaeamia which I do not have

He tried to put me on Alaprurin for high Uric Acid (I do but have no gout episodes and Hyzaar contributes to the high levels)

He tried to give m a booster for Hep B which I do not need (both because my antibodies are high enough plus he had old info) I had to tell him to read the latest research and ponted out i had worked on the actual study

Anyway I went to my GP and he told me I did not need any of the medications he was trying to prescribe.

I spoke to teo colleagues at work and they went through the results and both agreed I did not need the medications - one of them who is a close pal is one of the senior researchers on the largest ever lung cancer trial in theworld and is a very highly respected Dr worldwide speaking at many conferences and congresses.

All of them mentioned the possible side affects but the health screening Dr did not - there are snake oil salesmen about and even for someone inside the industry they will try it on

[percy2]

When my annual lab tests, which I do on my own and read the normal range as an indication as to whether I need to see a doctor revealed that my cholesterol had risen from its 30 year 220 level but with incredibly high HDL component to 270 I self medicated on Lipitor 10 mg. which I had heard of a lot.

My cholesterol dropped to 170 and stayed that way for a year while I lived in Oz. Returning to Thailand, I didn't like the 50 baht a pill I was paying for Lipitor, so I followed advice from lopuri3 and switched to Bestatin as 3 bhat a pill. Cholesterol at last testing remains at 170.

PTE,

Could you describe how you do your own lab tests.

Cheers

[gunnyd]

One product you may want to check out is Red Yeast Rice manufactured by pharmaceutical companies under the names Mevinolin or Lovastatin. If you consider using this I advise you to find it manufactured by a drug company not a dietary supplement. In the United States the FDA made supplement manufacturers remove the active ingredient from Red Yeast Rice being sold in heath food stores. They did this because they discovered that Red Yeast Rice acted like similar statin drugs because it is a statin.

As always, PLEASE seek medical advice as always before making any changes.

Arizona's Nurse Ratched, GunnyD

[chiang mai]

There's an emerging link between the use of statins and memory loss which is quite alarming. As a Crestor user for some years I can confirm the link exists since I suffered horribly from short term memory loss and this returned once I started to control my cholesterol via diet and exercise alone. The link to memory loss has been evident for a couple of years although for obvious reasons the pharma companies are not keen to highlight it although independent studies are now beginning to publish results and the issue is becoming receiving more attention. The other downside of statins is that many use the same pathway as COQ10, an important enzyme which is suppressed when statins are used. I read a report some time ago that The British Medical Association will not prescribe any statin that does not contain a COQ10 supplement to counterbalance the depletion caused by statins - apparently this is not so in many other countries around the world.

[Tammi]

You might find it useful to read Duane Graveline at

http://www.spacedoc.net/

[chiang mai]

You might find it useful to read Duane Graveline at

http://www.spacedoc.net/

I have read the book, or at least parts of it. The problem with his theories is that they are not widely supported and I don't see a rush of evidence suggesting he is right. I am near certain that many parts of what he suggests is true and correct but he is a lone voice in the wilderness currently and statins have been around for a long time. It would perhaps help if the information he offers were free and thus remove the element of, I can make money out of this topic.

[Tammi]

You might find it useful to read Duane Graveline at

http://www.spacedoc.net/

I have read the book, or at least parts of it. The problem with his theories is that they are not widely supported and I don't see a rush of evidence suggesting he is right. I am near certain that many parts of what he suggests is true and correct but he is a lone voice in the wilderness currently and statins have been around for a long time. It would perhaps help if the information he offers were free and thus remove the element of, I can make money out of this topic.

I haven't bought or read the book. I just get his free newsletter. I think the best thing I ever did was come off Lipitor - of course I might yet be proved wrong.

[Wrong Turn]

Recently went to the clinic in Hua Hin in regard to my blood pressure. Which had increased around 155/95. It normally was 135/90 and I have been on meds for 30 years to control it.

The Dr. checked my cholesterol and said it was high 208 and put me on Lipitor. I had it checked several years ago and it was the same. Anyhow the Dr. was not concerned with my blood pressure, which bothered me a bit. I started taking the Lipitor 10mg and after a couple of weeks I felt tired easily and noticed my muscles ached going up stairs etc. Then my wife told me my memory was going to hel_l and I would get confused a lot more than normal. Generally felt crappy.

Ran out of the pills and didn't get around to getting them for several days. During that time I was feeling better. So the wife googled Lipitor and found http://www.medications.com/se/lipitor after reading the comments regarding side effects and finding some of them were very close to what I experienced. I've given up on Lipitor and will work on my diet and exercise.

BEENTHEREDONETHAT,

It seems this doctor was in a hurry to prescribe you Lipitor. What he should have done with such a barely high cholesterol score of 208 was tell you to eat:

Oats. Good 'ole Quaker Oats.

For some people Oats works; for some it doesn't.

Have your cholesterol checked again after a fast, two times, after making some dietary changes.

Western doctors IMO, always jumpt to handing out prescriptions, for any condition, before trying an alternative. I am not even sure if it's legal for them to tell you about natural things these days. Try natural remedy first as a trial. If it doesn't work, we can go the prescription drug route.

[Sheryl]

First of all, for the poster who wanted to know if his insomnia might be a side effct of simvastatin -- yes, it could. Not common, but possible. Try stopping it and see if the problem resolves within a week or so If it does, you'll know. The down side of this is that other drugs in the same family (" statins") will likely do the same. In which case you'll need to discuss with your doctor whether or not to try a different class of drug, or whether just dietary control is sufficient in your particular case.

Which brings me to point 2 -- all people with " high chelsterol" are not the same. There are 5 main types of hyperlipedemias (high fat levels in the blood), with many sub-divisions within type. In some choelsterol is elevated, in some cholesterol is normal but triglycerides are elevatyed, in soem both. Firthermore there are different types of cholesterol: HDL, LDL and VLDL, and both the absolute levels of these and their ratio to each other are more important than the overall total cholesterol. It is OK for simple screening opurposes in someone without a history of a problem to check only the total cholesterol but treatment should never be based on it. If it comes bcak elevated then they need to measure the HDL and LDL. The LDL is the "bad" cholesterol and desirable levels vary with age and specific risk factors liek smoking, high BP, history of heart problems or family history of same.

Some of these disorders are highly genetic and may not respond to dietary modification/exercise while others will reposnd well. In short, waht was true regarding one person's " high cholesterol" may not be true for anothers.

While there is definietly a tendency to overprescribe cholesterol lowering drugs (and to overpresecribe, period, in Thailand), there are also definitely people who need them. The key ios to know which one you are.

Anyone told they have "high cholesterol" or "high lipids" and need medication should specifically ask:

- which of the blood lipids is elevated? What is my LDL ? What are my trigklycerides? (If these have nto been measured, stop right there and insist on a full "lipid panel", i.e. triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL.)

- which type of hyperlipidemia do I have? and how do you know it is that type? (explanation should refer to specific blood test findings)

- Does this type tend to respond to diet and exercise? (If yes, ask to try that first if you want)

If the doctor is either unable or unwilling to answer these questions clealry, consult someone else, preferrably a specialist in hperlipedemias (metabolic diseases) . But to save some expense, make sure that you have had a full lipid panel done first and that either your LDL and/or triglycerides are elevated...and that the test was done in a fasting state.

Statins and other drugs which reduce serum lipids have a definite place and definite benefit for some people, but like all drugs they have side effects. This plus the fact that they must be taken indefinitely make it best to take them only when absolutely necessary, meaning that it has been confirmed (preferably by a specialist in the field) that you are in fact suffering from one of the disorders of lipid metabolism that does not respond to diet and exercise....or you aren't willing to make the duietary/lifestyle changes and your levels are high enough to pose a serious risk, in which case taking medicvation is the lesser of the evils.

[chiang mai]

That's a useful explanation Sheryl but are you suggesting that once someone starts to take statins they must continue indefinitely? The foregoing is certainly true of blood thinners such as Plavix but as far as Crestor, Liptor et al are concerned, I believe that is not the case - if you understand differently I will be extremely interested to know since I have just ceased taking Crestor after two years!

Mods: You may wish to merge this thread with Liptor thread also.

Edited March 1, 2008 by chiang mai

[Sheryl]

That's a useful explanation Sheryl but are you suggesting that once someone starts to take statins they must continue indefinitely? The foregoing is certainly true of blood thinners such as Plavix but as far as Crestor, Liptor et al are concerned, I believe that is not the case - if you understand differently I will be extremely interested to know since I have just ceased taking Crestor after two years!

The thing that needs to be understood is that high cholesterol levels can result from purely genertic factors OR from excessive fat intake/too little exercies OR both to varying degreres.

People whose elevetaed levels are solely or primarily due to a genetic condition need to be on such drugs long term.

If the problem is a mixture of genetics and diet, maintaining a proper diet & exercise might or might not be enough...depends on the person.

If the problem was primarily a result of poor diet an/or insuifficient exercise then definitely won't need such meds on a long term basis (in fact could probably have gotten blood levels down without them, although the drugs may have helped speed up the process.).

Easy enough to tell, just monitor your LDL and triglyeride levels. If they stay within normal range, you're fine.

[chiang mai]

It looks from this article that a majority of people stop taking statins of their own accord, many it seems because of their side effects. I still reckon that the statins story is going to big news as it unwinds, just as soon as the manufacturers lobby stops hyping the benefits and start telling the complete story.

http://commonground.ca/iss/200/cg200_cassels.shtml

[sleepyjohn]

The cholesterol thing is mainly a big cash cow for the pharma industry. Like high blood preasure it doesn't need medication.

Well I have to start by saying I have some scientific background and I'm normally a skeptic of "way-out" views.

That said some of the accepted and "definite" truths in medicine are being flipped on their heads.

There is good reason to believe the buildup to the cholesterol/heart disease argument was totally faulty.

For example back in the sixties a plot was made of cholesterol levels against heart disease rates. Various countries were dotted along the plot line and yes hey it's proven. Only thing is, if you pick a bunch of different countries the line goes the other way.

Here's another example of the nonsense:

There is a small improvement in heart disease mortality rates for women on statins. Only trouble is.....there's no improvement in the OVERALL mortality rate. Tell that to any doctor and it'll be the first time they heard it!

What's more there's evidence coming along that a mildly high overall (not just HDL) cholesterol level in later life extends your years.

See Malcolm Kendrick on UTube.

Edited April 11, 2008 by sleepyjohn

[FBN]

The OP did not state age of the patient or level of the blood lipids and/or any other health info such as BP and any other underlying diseases such as diabetes etc.

Statins, as any other drug, has its place but may also have unwanted side effects. Do not start this medication with out a proper assessment. There are specific indications for it; stick to those.

Diet will not reduce or change the blood lipid profile significantly over such a short period. (2 months); stick with a proper diet, excercise etc and re-test in 6 months or so.