Rib Cage Pain & Hair Loss

[billies]

My doctor put me on 10 mg Lipitor in June of this year. I took them for about 2 1/2 months then started having strange waves of pain in the rib cage but more so on the right side. I had a couple of friends who had muscle pain on lipitor so I stopped taking Lipitor at the beginning of September. I also was experiencing hair loss but didn't contribute that to the lipitor. After I stopped lipitor the hair loss stopped as did the rib cage pain.

I saw my doc at the end of Oct and they ran tests again and she said that I needed to be on the lipitor and she didn't think the pain was related to the lipitor. I started the lipitor again about the middle of November. So far no pain but marked hair loss. I believe that the hair loss has something to do with the lipitor.

Has anyone else had hair loss with lipitor?

My cholesterol results:
In June of this year / In October
Total chol 227/213
Triglycerides 174/244
HDL 61/51
LDL 131/112

I'm not sure what to make of these numbers since the June levels were pre-lipitor and the October levels were after taking lipitor for a couple of months and then stopping for about 7 weeks but I think it curious that the triglycerides are really up and the HDL has gone down. My doc says these levels are "a little too high" but I'm wondering about the cost/benefit ratio.

Even before I found spacedoc forum, my gut was uneasy about the lipitor. I am a 70 year old woman, no history of heart disease although my Dad had a heart attack at 69 and a stroke at 76. I have margional HBP but undercontrol with medication. I live in Mexico and walk everywhere....always uphill! LOL Do Yoga 2 or 3 times a week. I "feel" healthy and strong.
Billie

[sos_group_owner]

Hi Billie & Welcome to the Forum,

Re your cholesterol and hair loss...

Total chol 227/213
Triglycerides 174/244
HDL 61/51
LDL 131/112

Your LDL is only sightly elevated and your HDL levels b4 Lipitor are excellent. From Dr Graveline: "clinical studies have failed to show that the use of statins lowers cardiovascular risk in women who do not already have coronary heart disease or diabetes": http://www.spacedoc.net/women_statins.htm

Your primary issue is elevated triglycerides and those can be controlled by diet.

Cinnamon (C. cassia) is very effective at lowering triglycerides as well as stabilizing blood sugar levels. Available in most drug stores in 500mg capsules.
Take 1 to 3 capsules daily Or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of the spice isle variety of cinnamon.

Also cut back on carbs, especially the white foods: sugar (biggest offender), flour, bread, rice, potato. Replace with whole grains: stevia (sweetener), buckwheat, spelt, oat & coconut flours, sprouted grain breads, wild and brown rice, sweet potato, whole grain pastas.

Excellent website "all about cinnamon": [http://www.innvista.com/health/herbs/cinnamon.htm]

Omega 3 (fish oil or cod liver oil) lowers VLDL (total triglycerides divided by 5) and triglycerides.
Available in 1,000mg capsules.

Re Hair loss - read Dr Graveline's article at this link: http://www.spacedoc.net/statins_hair_loss.html

Fran

[AnneW]

To Billie: I am 50 years old and after being on lipitor for only 2 1/2 months (Aug, Sept 2005) experienced considerable hair loss - my scalp was beginning to show! A doctor recommended taking 1 mg of folic acid a day, and it helped me. I have been off the Lipitor since mid Jan 2006 and still experience severe muscle pain all over my body - sometimes my 'ribs" hurt just from breathing and I would swear I had pneumonia. Hope this helps.

AnneW

[billies]

Thanks for the advise and insights to both of you. I'm headed back to the States later this week and I plan to stock up on the supplements both of you have mentioned. I'll also be seeing the heart doc and it will be interesting to get his take on this.