Bad reactions to Livalo and Lipitor after a few months and years.  I'm thinking of trying Fluvastatin (Lescol).  Is anyone taking it? 

I realize it is expensive but I need the statins for cardio and cholesterol reasons.  My doctor is a great heart man but not so good at prescribing meds. 

Fluvostatin has pretty much the same adverse effects as the other two so I doubt will make a difference.

 

Have you discussed with your doctor alternative meds to stains e.g. niaspan?

4 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Fluvostatin has pretty much the same adverse effects as the other two so I doubt will make a difference.

 

Have you discussed with your doctor alternative meds to stains e.g. niaspan?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has produced a gem of a study with critical implications for patient decisions and lessons for future research. The trial was stopped more than a year early because there was not a hint of benefit for patients to this point, making further evaluation unnecessary. There was even a suggestion of harm, with more strokes in the Niaspan group - but that may have been a chance occurrence. https://www.forbes.com/sites/harlankrumholz/2011/05/31/five-lessons-from-niaspans-disappointing-study/#3b9985295f9d

My doctor is in the "try different statins phase of his evaluation." I'm in the take other medications ( loperamide ) to stop Lipitor giving me diarrhea so much.  If I take Lipitor in the morning I don't get the leg cramps I got by taking it at night.  However the Livalo caused so much pain I couldn't walk so I stopped that although there was no problems with diarrhea while taking Livalo.  Zimmex was OK but didn't reduce cholesterol enough. I don't know why Doctor didn't up the dose of the Zimmex except it may be too cheap.  Now the Zimmex (I tried it again) following the Livalo causes sever leg pain.  

 

The doctor and what I've read seems to think try statins till one is found that causes less side effects for example the Livalo caused no bowel problems like the Lipitor caused. 

This study was not of niaspan vs statins. It was of adding niaspan in patients already taking statins, which is quite a different matter. It found no value added to doing that.

 

Failure to demonstrate improved survival despite better lipid profiles has been a feature of studies on statins, too.

 

 

 

 

I've been using BESTATIN 20mg for several years now, seems to work fine.

 

Mac

Early studies in Niaspan showed it was capable of actually regressing arterial plaques. I took it for 3 years because I did not want statins. Eventually my doctor cancelled scrip because of pressure from industry studies but you are correct study basically said if statins do the job why use Niaspan. Ironically docs stopped prescribing at about the same time it went off patent.  I think it's a good option and speak from personal experience 

3 hours ago, tonray said:

Early studies in Niaspan showed it was capable of actually regressing arterial plaques. I took it for 3 years because I did not want statins. Eventually my doctor cancelled scrip because of pressure from industry studies but you are correct study basically said if statins do the job why use Niaspan. Ironically docs stopped prescribing at about the same time it went off patent.  I think it's a good option and speak from personal experience 

Did you get quarterly blood tests for cholesterol while taking Niaspan and if so what were the cholesterol levels?  What did you do after the doctor took you off of Niaspan? 

8 minutes ago, amvet said:

Did you get quarterly blood tests for cholesterol while taking Niaspan and if so what were the cholesterol levels?  What did you do after the doctor took you off of Niaspan? 

Yes. Niaspan brought cholesterol that was about 250 total down to the 180s and LDL down, TRIGS down, and HDL way up. To be honest it was about the same time I left the USA and since I walk everywhere here and have a generally healthier lifestyle I stopped cholesterol meds...but still take BP meds daily. I should get tested but sort of lazy about that since I have been in LOS.

 

I was taking 1 Gram daily at bedtime because there is a flushing effect that eventually minimizes the longer you take it. I would not be averse to starting it again but doctors now days are statin happy and hard to get anyone to recommend it.