Ezetimibe on it's own?

[Neetka]

Hi. Hello to all.
On the strength of my last blood test results my doctor prescribed:
Ezetimibe 10mg, (replacing Crestor)
Bendroflumethiazide (diuretic)
Aspirin 75mg
Glyceryl trinitrate spray
I found only general info about Ezetimibe, which my doctor claims, is NOT a statin. Yet listed side effects almost exactly match those of statins.
Has anyone used this drug and can share the experience? I am very reluctant to start.
I am 66 yo female, I have been using Crestor for 12 months. I stopped it 6 months ago because of classic side-effects many of you describe here.
In the last 6 months I was experimenting with low dozes of CoQ10 and L-Carnitine. Feel much better, although my bad cholesterol (3.9 against normal 2.0) is now higher than it was before I started on Crestor, 18 months ago. My BP is quite high at times and I am having occasional bad chest pains lasting 2-3 days.
Thank you

[ronni]

Hi Neetka,
I cannot speak to ezetimibe alone because I was on Vytorin a combination of ezetimibe and simvastatin. This drug very nearly destroyed my life. The CoQ10 depletion caused me to have severe chest pains and high blood pressure which I had never had before, along with the classic statin symptoms, muscle pain, weakness, severe fatigue, etc. I was barely functioning, just existing not living. The biggest shame about it was the ignorance of my doctor. I was a healthy active 46 year old that felt like a very sick 80 yr. old in just a matter of months. And the kicker is that I didn't even have high cholesterol! They were treating my cholesterol because of blockages they found in my heart that had caused no symptoms. You may want to increase your CoQ10 supplementation and make sure you are taking the more absorbable ubiquinol instead of ubiquinone. Since starting on CoQ10 (and stopping Vytorin) , my blood pressure has returned to normal and my chest pains greatly diminished. I take Jarrow Formulas QH Absorb (100mg. 3x daily.) Read my other posts for info on how dramatically this increased my CoQ10 levels.

[Neetka]

Thank you, ronny.
We can no longer trust our doctors 100% since so many new drugs appear on the market every week. The tabs I got from the chemist as Ezetimibe (Ezetrol, Singapore Co. trademark) is scarcely mentioned anywhere.
One wonders what to do. It is sad that we must be free guinea-pigs for drug companies.

[Ray Holder]

Hi Neetka

Ezetimibe is not a statin, but works by absorbing clolesterol in the intestines and, although it has side effects, it most probably does not affect Q10 production.

Your chest pains are most likely caused by a statin induced deficiency of Q10 in your heart energy supply, and, if it is anything like mine, will need a fairly large dosage of Q10, the raised BP would support this notion. I did not find ubiquinol successful, I believe I need the oxygen bearing ubiquinone to maintain heart energy more than the anti oxidant virtues the other exhibits,

5 years ago when I first had this problem, I found that I needed about 200mg of Q10 daily, but I am now 86 and need 800mg daily, you should try 200mg daily if you can. unfortunately, the only Q10 which works at a particular dosage for me is the rather expensive Pharmanord brand, of those available in UK. I have just found the Healthy Options brand at iHerb on the net, and that also works just as well, and, as long as the consignment is below £18 in value, attracts no Customs charge and is much cheaper than Q10 in UK. It comes in a few days, very quick service.

One thing to watch carefully is your blood pressure, when taking both Bendroflumethazide and Q10. As Q10 strengthens your heart action, it pumps more efficiently, the filling phase is made more efficient, and that reduces your BP through eliminating back pressure, but the diuretic pulls it down further to too low a level, and may make you feel faint. I had a lot of trouble from this, especially after my breakfast, when I had to stay seated until it wore off. i found it necessary to take my own BP regularly to make sure it was under control.

I have been able to do without the diuretic for some time now, but as my years advance, I now need 800 mg Q10 a day to keep my BP down and angina at bay, but then I am a long way further down the road than you!!

My paper on this subject is indexed on spacedoc home page "Fitting the pieces together"

Hoping this helps

Ray

[Darrell]

Ezetimibe is not a statin, but it (Zetia) sent me into a major relapse of my statin side effects when I started it a few months after stopping my statin (Zocor).

[Neetka]

Hi Ray
Many thanks for your reply, your other posts here are most helpful also.
I never used diuretic before and my Doc did not elaborate too much on the subj. I shall keep my medicines firmly in their bag until I find out more facts.
Having read many posts here I have not seen Pernicious Anemia mentioned, which is vit B12 deficiency, which leads to faulty processing of the lipids, which in turn leads to accumulation of LDL. If so, :?: then I need to start raising my B12 first. In the past I was prescribed Hydroxocobalamine injections by one Dr, only to be cancelled by the next Dr. Now my serum B12 is near the lowest in the recommended range and falling with every blood test.
Learning takes time. Thank you and all who share their knowledge on this forum.
p.c. My CoQ10 and L-Carnitine come from the humble Holland and Barrett

[Neetka]

Hi Darrell

Have you stopped ezetimibe completely? What do you take now?

[Darrell]

I stopped Zetia after just a few days because in just a few days it had me right back to where I was when I stopped Zocor: highly fatigued and almost unable to walk. I don't take anything now for cholesterol. I've decided my body knows the cholesterol level it needs and forcing anything lower is foolishly ignoring many thousands of years of evolution. All I take now is Q10 and carnitine.

[Neetka]

Good luck, Darrell.
The more I learn the more I get inclined to do the same as you.

During the last 6 months I have used much advertised foods "clinically proven to reduce cholesterol" and they do not work for me.

[tuts1230]

i am on ezetimibe at 10 mg and started them about a year ago by taking one every 3 days for a while and then every other day and now every day.I personally have not noticed any worsening of the pain,no pain is not the right word to describe it,i,ll try symtoms,stiffness in quads numbness of skin around thigh area and some days like a hot needle being pushed through my muscle and the act of getting up from sitting has not got any beter since I first wrote about it in 2007 .whether my cholesterol has reduced since I have yet to find out as I have not had a check but I seem to recollect 4.4 total which was not high and was not taking them at that time.I will update after my next check up