How to repair damage?

[QueenBee]

Hello. I am new to your forum and am much concerned about recent health developments. I was on Lescol for about 4 years and then Lipitor for the last 6. I am only 50 and have herediary high cholesterol. Only in the last year have I had muscle/joint issues. First my right plantar tendon (plantar fasciitis) then my right knee, then my left shoulder, then my left knee. I have always supplemented with CoQ10 (on my own, not because my doc said so!). NSAIDs no longer help at all and I am having trouble even getting up out of chair due to knee pain. After researching about Lipitor side-effects, including your site, I decided to take myself off the statin. My questions are: 1. What can I take to help repair any damage that might have already been done? 2.What do you consider the best natural way keep the cardio system healthy? I already take 1000 mg Vit C, folic acid, Vit E and fish oil. My chiropractor tried to help me get off the lipitor once with policosanol and it did not work for me. This is long winded, I know. Thanks for any response you can give.

QueenBee

[sos_group_owner]

Hi QueenBee & Welcome to the Forum,

It's not unusual for long term statin users to experience adverse effects.
Even though you are supplementing with CoQ10, it's not always enough
to replace the CoQ10 that is lost from taking statins. My husband
supplemented with CoQ10 while taking Lipitor for 5 years (after 3 years
of Zocor) and still has persistent memory loss after stopping statins 2
years ago.

My questions are:
1. What can I take to help repair any damage that might have already
been done?
*** CoQ10 ***
CoQ10 should be in gelcaps (liquid) and NOT powdered in a capsule.
CoQ10 is most effective when taken with the fattiest meal, vit E or oil.
Take as much as you can afford.
CoQ10 can lower BP, so if you are taking a BP med, monitor BP as
you increase CoQ10 dose.
*** Acetyl L-Carnitine or L-Carnitine ***
Ray Holder wrote an excellent explantion of these two different forms of
L-Carnitine in this post:
http://www.spacedoc.net/board/viewtopic.php?p=1544#1544

AND Dr Graveline discusses Carnitine in his article:
"Genetic Susceptibility to Statin Drugs"
http://www.spacedoc.net/genetic_suscept ... atins.html

2.What do you consider the best natural way keep the cardio system
healthy?
* Replace statins with Dr Graveline's "Statin Alternatives":
http://www.spacedoc.net/statin_alternatives.htm

The one benefit of statins is they are a potent anti-inflammatory.
The fact that statins also lower cholesterol is "irrelevant". Statins
Alternatives are not designed to lower cholesterol (cholesterol is
NOT the problem)...
Statin Alternatives provide the anti-inflammatory equivilant of
Lipitor 20 mg without side effects.

Policosanol does have anti-inflammatory properties (as well as
antiviral, and neuroprotective properties) , so although Policosanol
did not affect your cholesterol levels, you were probably receiving
it's anti-inflammatory benefits.
Some info about Policosanol:
[url]http://www.loweringcholesterol.net/herbal-remedies/policosanol[url]

Re: I already take 1000 mg Vit C, folic acid, Vit E and fish oil.
EXCELLENT... all of these are very important too.
Vitamin E: d-Alpha (not dl-Alpha) - Mixed Tocotrienols & Tocopherols preferred
Fish Oil: fish oil or cod liver oil
Vitamin C: ascorbic acid (not ester C)

When you get a chance, Dr Graveline has written numerous "topic
specific" articles... invaluable information and advice.
http://www.spacedoc.net/

Fran

[QueenBee]

Fran: Thank you for your reply. I will heed your advice. Also, why do you recommend ascorbic acid, as opposed to ester-C? Unfortunately, that is what I take right now.

QueenBee

[sos_group_owner]

Hi QueenBee,

Re: why do you recommend ascorbic acid, as opposed to ester-C?
Ester C is no more than EXPENSIVE vitamin C... AND chemically not
an ester but a costly degraded mix of oxidized vitamin C.
Ascorbic acid with bioflavonoids (hesperidin, rutin, etc.) increases the
effectiveness of Vitamin C by preventing it from being destroyed by
oxidation in the body. Bioflavonoids greatly improve the body's ability
to absorb and hold onto Vitamin C.

Fran

[QueenBee]

Thank you again for the information. I forgot to mention something else I started taking. Until I suspected the Lipitor, I naturally thought I might be developing arthritis, as it runs in my family. I have been taking Glucosamine with MSM for several weeks now, but it has not helped. Would you know if it would even be beneficial at all to continue with that? Do you know if it could interact with the l-carnitine? BTW, I started 500mg of l-carnitine today. Patiently waiting to see if it helps.

Thank you again for taking the time to answer my posts.

QueenBee

[sos_group_owner]

Re: I have been taking Glucosamine with MSM for several weeks now, but it has not helped. Would you know if it would even be beneficial at all to continue with that? Do you know if it could interact with the l-carnitine? BTW, I started 500mg of l-carnitine today.

Hi QueenBee,

My husband takes (and has for several years) a combination liquid:
* Glucosamine
* Chondroitin
* MSM
* Collagen

It's called "Joint-Care"... available at Sam's Club & BJ Food Stores
(and online as well). There is a similar product available at Walmart.
Info about Joint-Care: [url]http://tinyurl.com/hc9at[url]
Retailers and other "drinkables".

One of the reasons that people don't obtain relief from Glucosamine and
Chondroitin is they don't take high enough dose. Most Glucosamine &
Chondroitin sources are HORSE pills... very hard to swallow, but the
jointcare is a liquid... one ounce a day provides the proper amount. It
takes awhile for you to get relief, so be patient.

An additional note about Chondroitin: When my husband's hs-CRP was
measured, it was almost zero. hs-CRP is high sensitivity C-Reactive
Protein and, when elevated, is one of the "inflammatory factors".
Hubby's been taking Jointcare for about 5 years and evidently the
Chondroitin was very effective at controlling his CRP.

There is no contradiction (that I am aware of) with L-Carnitine.

Fran

[bunnylady]

I bought the Joint care at Costco- they were handing out samples- drinking a can a day makes me feel healthy- it tastes good especially in the summer time! Knees still hurt but I figurered it couldn't hurt to drink it- if I hadn't taken it would my knees be worse? I don't know

Patty