Anyone take meds for high cholesterol?

[bdcp]

Okay, for everyone who takes something, do you drink and how often? What did your Dr say about it? Mine said a drink or two won't be a problem, but when we cruise I drink more than a couple most days. What is everyone's experience?

 

[goaliewife]

Okay, for everyone who takes something, do you drink and how often? What did your Dr say about it? Mine said a drink or two won't be a problem, but when we cruise I drink more than a couple most days. What is everyone's experience?

I really can't comment on that. I drink maybe one drink 3-4 times a year;however, I recently was out of town and had three drinks one evening and did not notice any untoward symptoms.

 

[Gigi22]

Okay, for everyone who takes something, do you drink and how often? What did your Dr say about it? Mine said a drink or two won't be a problem, but when we cruise I drink more than a couple most days. What is everyone's experience?

Honestly? The subject has never come up, and my Dr. is aware that I do enjoy "beverage alcohol", as he and I have discussed my sommelier course on several occasions.

 

[Pennys_dream]

I am so dumbfounded that so many of you have never had any side effects... I think you might be the only group of people I've ever heard that from. Wish I was one of them! Statins are the very bane of my existence.
I've been on 40mg of Pravastatin since last September, and while it has drastically helped my cholesterol, it has also drastically altered my quality of life. Everything I do causes my muscles to cramp up/lock up, and I have the strength of a newborn. But I can't really even pin it down to being in my muscles -- it's that, but it's also this weird seized-up feeling in my joints and bones themselves. Brushing my hair, I have to stop halfway through and rest my arms. My tongue cramps up when I eat. It's RIDICULOUS.

Nothing helps -- Not even a pretty hefty dose of CoQ10. Tried that for a couple of months. What's worse, he took me off the stuff for almost 6 weeks, and the muscle issues didn't go away. He said he could try me on Simvastatin, but the research I did (and I have done way more than I ever cared to) pointed to that statin as being leagues worse than the one I'm on. In fact, the one I'm on is supposed to generally have the fewest side effects.

But it's amazing how many message boards and articles are out there devoted to how completely awful statins are. I wish I had some other choice. I'm 45, but most days I feel about 90.

Gina my husband had the same problem with muscle cramping-although not as bad as yours. We added magnesium supplement and that helped tremendously .

 

[Pennys_dream]

I really can't comment on that. I drink maybe one drink 3-4 times a year;however, I recently was out of town and had three drinks one evening and did not notice any untoward symptoms.

It's the wear on the liver. These drugs are stabilized in the liver, and alcohol is also hard on the liver. So, be sure to monitor the blood work and use moderation. Moderation meaning a drink on occasion won't hurt, several in an evening might.

 

[bdcp]

It's the wear on the liver. These drugs are stabilized in the liver, and alcohol is also hard on the liver. So, be sure to monitor the blood work and use moderation. Moderation meaning a drink on occasion won't hurt, several in an evening might.

Crestor is apparently metabolized a little differently. It utilizes a different enzyme than other statins. But, I've also read that moderate drinking isn't a problem unless you have pre-existing liver disease, which I do not. Moderate actually means 1-2 drinks per day. Everything I've read says that people who drink "heavily" should use Crestor with caution. Meaning, with monitoring, moderate drinking not an issue for most people. I like my wine

I wish I had pushed back more when she decided to prescribe it. I had lowered my numbers somewhat with diet adjustment. I have NO family history. Everything I read says basically the same thing and that is it should be prescribed for elevated numbers in those with family history. No one in my family has ever had heart problems. My mother's grandmother did have "hardening of the arteries" and died at 47, but she's the only one and no one else has had that problem. My grandmother lived to 88 and my mother is 75. There is so much conflicting data out there. People who take statins have gone on to have heart attacks anyway. Every time I have a muscle ache or cramp I think it's because of the Crestor. I'm 52 and the thought of having to do this for the next 30+ years doesn't really appeal to me.

 

[ICan'tWait]

Tried simvastatin and pravastatin and both made me feel like yuck and I had constant upset stomach. My doctor just insisted I try Lipitor which I need to pick up today at pharmacy. After reading these comments, I'm wondering if Liptor is really that different. Maybe I'm going to wait until after vacation to give it a try....

On a side note: Thanks OP for bringing it up. It always amazes me how I can get on the DIS and the great information that comes up. I now know to try to CoQ10 with the next go around.

 

[mrsklamc]

I've been taking 5 mg of Crestor for the last 4 months. It's not available as a generic and my Dr actually prefers that because it has less side effects.

Horse manure. I would be point blank asking my doctor if they had stock in AstraZeneca if they told me a lie like that. Actually, no I wouldn't, I'd be switching doctors. There is ZERO correlation between generics and more side effects.

 

[dreams91]

I've had problems with both Lipitor and Crestor. I'm a runner, so it isn't my eating habits. Lipitor caused some bad memory/concentration problems. Crestor was severe muscle aches like I ran a marathon DAILY. Quit them both. Doc put me on zetia. Just had blood drawn so I will know next week if it works. It isn't a statin.

 

[arihillfarm]

Gina my husband had the same problem with muscle cramping-although not as bad as yours. We added magnesium supplement and that helped tremendously .

I can't help on the statin issue, but wanted to second trying magnesium. I'm having bad plantar fasciitis in my right foot and tendonitis in my Achilles tendon on the same foot. I was taking lots of calcium but no magnesium and read about there needing to be a balance between the two for proper muscle and tendon health and function. Since starting the magnesium along with the calcium, I've noticed a significant improvement in both conditions.

-Astrid

 

[SplashMo]

Magnesium is super important. Some people can not eat dairy fats of any kind and it spikes their cholesterol above 300. It is a small portion of the polulation though. HDL is good so total cholesterol is a poor measure of cholesterol when your HDL is high...

 

[CTdiznymom]

I'm also one of those people that have a severe reaction to statin meds. Within days of taking them I'm totally out of commition. I truely does feel like yuo got hit by a bus. I was taking Zetia, and that didn't bother me, but I didn't have significant results with it. I will have to mention magnesium supplements to the MD on my next visit.

 

[peacelover]

I am trying(per my drs advice) fish oil and red yeast rice capules, diet changes and exercise. He really doesn't want to put e on lipitor, etc. I hope these changes work.

 

[CTdiznymom]

peacelover-I also tried Red Yeast Rice and it worked great however it also gave me the muscle problems. Good luck with it.

 

[Dismom55]

I was on a statin and could not take it as I lost muscle strength and took to my bed as I was so tired all the time. Later I found out that for some people statens deplete them of Co Q 10 and if you take that supplement you may not have that muscle side effect. I now take the red yeast rice supplement without side effect. Not sure about the Co Q, but it is supposed to help some.

Then there is a drug called gemfibrozil that the doctor wanted to try me on if the RYR did not help, it is not a statin to my understanding, it helps lower cholesterol, don't know, never took it as the RYR seemed to do enough.

Each persons body is different as my own mother takes a statin without problems. As always talk to your doctor, my doctor is in agreement with the RYR.

 

[SplashMo]

Statins rob your body of Cq10. Taking Cq10 can help but not fully...

If you have High LDL then you want to cut way back on the sugar. Sugar causes LDL to become more dangerous...

 

[ceecee]

I have genetic high cholesterol and Lipitor really lowered mine, however it caused a little heart burn (I was cutting them in half). They discovered I had a muscle disease though and it may or may not hurt my muscles more so my Dr. took me off of it, I tried Zetia but it did not work at all. I am now on Welchol, it is not a statin, I doubt if will work but we'll see. My saving grace is my HDL is high.

 

[dreams91]

My results on zetia are back. It lowered my cholesterol 100 points in just two months. I'm super happy as I had side effects with the statins I tried.

 

[dr&momto2boys]

Many people at least eventually have serious side effects from statin drugs. Just because you may not feel side effects like muscle pain which is VERY common, the drug can still be having an ill effect. Studies show women on statins have a 50% greater risk of DIABETES. Studies also show statins reduce cholesterol that your brain needs and leads to ALHEIMER'S.
All these risks to put your cholesterol numbers where someone has artificially decided it should be. It's not linked to heart disease the way people think...so what's the big deal anyway?

Safe and effective alternatives to statins include taking fish oil and red rice yeast. Exercise to increase your HDL.