COQ10: Can it prevent Statin Side Effects?

[gotts1936]

I ran across this article dated Feb. 7, 2009 by the Mayo Clinic.

This comment was interesting, " current guidelines don't recommend routine use of coenzyme Q 10 in people taking statins ". Wow!

Check it out: *www.mayoclinic.com/health/coenzyme-q10/AN01541.

Any comments?
gotts1936

[Allen1]

Hi there gotts1936,

anyone wishing to use your link will need to remove the period (full stop) at the end of the link or they will just get an error message ok.

*http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coenzyme-q10/AN01541

Question
Co enzyme Q10: Can it prevent statin side effects?

I would assume from reading the article that the writer "Thomas Behrenbeck, M.D" was just replying to a question in a slightly biased way leaning to doubting the need for Q10 supplementation. I would have to say that after reading that article I would probably not have bought Co-Enzyme Q10 as it does make you doubt if there are benefits.

All I can say is a BIG Thank You to adec and Ray Holder who pointed me in the right direction and to using Co-Enzyme Q10 and L-Carnitine, it really does make a big difference, unfortunately I was already damaged by statins before finding out about Q10.

The reply to the question should have been along the lines of throw away those statins as they are poisoning you, try some Q10 and see if it helps then change your lifestyle if you are able to, if not then a little of what you fancy and everything in moderation is always a good line to remember. :-)

[gotts1936]

Hi, Allen1, I have always enjoyed your responses. My question is, after being in pain from the waist down for three years, will COQ10 and L-Carnitine repair the damaged mitochondrial pathway. I know there are individuals on this website that use 1000's of mg a day and they say it helps. I have one leg that has a damaged calf muscle and the other leg does no longer have a calf muscle. Again, will it ever be possible to repair our damaged mitochondrial pathway and have our wasted muscles repaired and functioning properly?
Oh by the way, I use 200mg of CoQ10 and 500mg of L-carnitine a day. And, I do not want to mask the pain, but I want my leg muscles returned to normal.
Will that ever happen?

[Ray Holder]

Hi Gotts

Q10 is unlikely to repair the damage caused by throttling down the mevalonate pathway, but could be necessary for a long time, or even permanently, to keep body needs of Q10 satisfied.

Similarly with carnitine, if your muscle wastage is not responding to 500mg carnitine a day, you are not taking enough to satisfy your needs, statins having damaged the natural supply.

I would suggest that you are not taking enough of each one, in my advanced age, I take 1200 mg Q10 a day, and 12 grams L carnitine, but I also need carnitine for late effects of polio, besides which, both are needed to ward off heart failure problems.

Try adding to one thing at a time, so you know which is helping, your leg muscle should respond over weeks to more carnitine, probably at least 3-4 grammes a day, but get up to that level gradually, or your bowels will object, in fact it is sometimes recommended to increase gradually to bowel intolerance, and then reduce by 250 mg a day.

I should wait a few weeks to see if extra LCarnitine is making improvement, before adding to your Q10 dose, although I suspect you need 500 or more mg daily, but if you change two things at the same time, you cannot be sure which is working on what symptom.

I fear that over here, prices are increasing fast, due to currency value variations, but US web prices seem to stay fairly static, so best of luck!!

Ray

[Allen1]

Hi there gotts,

Ray has answered the question a darn sight better than I could, as usual it is sound advice and it is working for me. The damage may not repair but it should help with pain and hopefully it could stop it getting worse and in some cases it will improve muscle strength and stamina to a degree. Taking them is not a cure but it can make a hell of a difference (especially when you find the quantity you need) to what you can do compaired to not using them.

All the best,
Allen :-)

[gotts1936]

Ray and Allen1, thanks for both your responses. I will increase my Carnitine dosages and see what happens.
Thanks again,
gotts1936