Breathing difficulties and statin drugs

[lars999]

Anyone wishing to read extensively about breathing difficulties and statin drugs should Google the title of this thread and have at it.

Among the first hits are this Forum and Dr. Beatrice Golomb's "Stopped Our Statins" website. Some of these websites discuss other drugs that can cause breathing difficulties.

Enjoy!
Lars

[lars999]

Here is nicely compact description of a standard pulmonary test and data showing how our pulmonary capacity varies with age.
http://www.physioage.com/diagnostics/PulmoAge.php

I have become quite concerned that Lipitor additionally reduced my pulmonary capacity, along with muscle strength, physical stamina, etc. Whatever the cause, I certainly have only about half the aerobic capacity I had only two years ago, before Lipitor trashed me so badly. I expect that this will be one of the standard tests used by pulmonologist.

Lars

[BDavis]

Lars999,
My diagnoses of Statin damage came from a Pulmonologist. She worked at the Medical School in Portland Oregon. I went to her with fear it was Pulmonary hypertension. She interviewed me and was the first to tell me my problems were most likely from the Lipitor I was taking. She ran a bunch of test and determine that I should indeed get off the Lipitor and the diagnoses was Left heart failure with secondary pulmonary hypertension.

Since she only dealt with patients with PH she released me back to my primary doctor who did not conquer and wanted me back on Lipitor. I stopped going to my primary doctor and have not had a doctor yet that understands what Lipitor does/did.

Good luck, I think you'll find a Pulmonologist will be helpful.
BeLinda

[lars999]

Thanks BeLinda!

Hope I get a similarily objective pulmonologist!! I do intend to visit a pulmonologist in some to several weeks. That is one of three visits I have planned to specialists soon.

My own suspecision is that Lipitor was messing badly with my heart muscles in the months before I quit taking it. My cardiologist's face got a few shades whiter as I described why I thought that, although he would not overtly concur.

Presently, plumonology effects of some sort and/or lasting damage to mitochondria are my prime suspects for why I have not been able to fully recover to pre-Lipitor levels of aerobic capacity and physical stamina.

SO far, EVERY GP I know flatly denies that statins do all the damage that posters here have experienced. "Statins are miracle drugs that have saved hundreds of thousands of lives!" is the well memorized refrain. They must all have had very effective teachers!! OR maybe there is something about GPs that makes them especially receptive to drug company brain washing.

Thanks again,
Lars

[David Staup]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18689579

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstitial_lung_disease

http://www.medicinenet.com/interstitial_lung_disease/page2.htm

http://www.medicinenet.com/interstitial_lung_disease/page3.htm

Many idiopathic and connective tissue-based causes of ILD are treated with corticosteroids,[4] such as prednisolone.

[lars999]

Thanks David!

I had seen the Wikipedia article and, probably the PubMed one too. The other one will save me looking for something like that again (my ancient laptop took a major hit this morning and I did not have my recent web searches backed up).

ILD is high on my personal list of probable causes of my dyspenia (shortness of breath), now that statin-induced congestive heart failure seems to be negated (it was 1st).

Some nice information resulting from use of heart rate monitor is that both my heart rate and shortness of breath recover quickly from being run up to levels where I stop to recover. -- only a few minutes needed. During my treadmill cardio stress test, the cardiologist remarked on quick appearance of dyspenia and looked concerned when I said that was one of things that had not improved after quiting Lipitor. His written report clearly states that this is residual issue, that all aspects of heart function is excellent, save a benign condition that is likely age-related. That report will be going with me to meeting with pulmonologist.

Thanks again,
Lars

[lars999]

Met with pulmonologist today and was pleased to find that he was quite aware that statins can cause interstial lung disease and had treated numerous victims. Basically, they simply took the victim off statin drug and situation improved. I got impression that reversal was not generally complete, at least as far as he knew (perhaps because victims simply did not return after major, but perhaps incomplete, improvement).

They did a full pulmonary function test and decleared that my lungs are normal for an old man my age. I then asked if that represented a nominally full recovery from statin damage. Answer was probably, but, because no pulmonary function test was done while I was still taking Lipitor, he could not state yes or no.

Now my goal is to recover pulmonary function to something closer to my previously enjoyed level. There has been small improvements last two time I went cross country skiing in mountains, so, maybe ....

Lars

[Kattumaram]

Zocor therapy for ten years has left me with a loss of endurance; I simply run out of breath during heavy exercise, running or weight training.
I noticed progression of the loss of endurance over that decade, but until I found Dr. Graveline's site, I had no idea that a possible cause was the statin drug.
I quit statins about six years ago, but my endurance has not improved. What was a comfortable 12-14 minute 2-mile run is now a struggle at 15-20 minutes.
I consulted with Dr. Graveline when I learned of statin-induced pulmonary inflammation and its possible sequel, interstitial fibrosis. Dr. Graveline replied, "The link is definitely there."
I have since learned that statin drug therapy exposes the patient to a 100% probability of some degree of pulmonary inflammation as well as similar probabilities to rhabdomyolysis and cognitive disfunction.
If Dr. Graveline is correct, that statin drug therapy results in degrees of permanent mitochondrial mutation, I don't ever expect my condition to improve. I thank the Lord and Dr. Graveline for pointing me to the truth before really serious damage was done to my system.

[lars999]

Kattumaram,

I find it interesting that you, like me, associate their adverse effects from statins with heavy exercise, running or weight training. When I was first prescribed Lipitor I was unable to do more than limited (by my standards) physical activity, thanks to various injuries. During the first years I was on Lipitor, I had additional injuries, which I now strongly associate with Lipitor having weakened various ligaments, resulting in loose joints, leading to injuries, even one ruptured tendon.

I did manage to get past some of my injuries, both from before Lipitor and some after I started Lipitor, and three years ago was able to start working back towards my previous exercise levels. By ski season 2009-2010 I was exercising fairly heavily and finding that my performance was steadily decreasing -- this was very puzzling and disquietning!! I now know that was simply result of increasing degree of damage to my mitochondria, thanks to Lipitor having deprived them of needed levels of Ubiquinol (active versions of CoQ10).

Ski season last was a real disaster, with drasticly lowered capacity for aerobic activity. Then on 10 June 2010 I learned about Mevalonate Pathway and Krebs Cycle and how badly all statins degrade performance of these exceedingly essential biochemical processes. I have never taken another Lipitor pill or any other statin drugs since then -- and never will.

ALL statins are on my list of prescription drugs to which I am strongly allergic.

In recent months I have been learning just how fortunate I appear to have been that I did not further degrade my already badly Lipitor damaged body by attempts to return to previous levels of aerobic physical activity.

My total cholesterol levels were much like yours and Lipitor lowered them to around 150 for several years. I now have my normal total cholesterol levels back again.

Aside from the bogus fuss about cholesterol level, I have none of the usual "risk factors". I do not even have any clearly detectable plaque in femoral arteries in upper legs or their extension into lower legs and feet, nor in carotid arteries. Cardiac performance is totaly normal, even up to about 10% above my nominal age-related max heart rate of 150 bpm. I routinely push my heart rate up to between 150 and 170 during cross country skiing at 9.000 to 10.000 feet -- and only know this because I wear a heart rate monitor.

I now consider the GP that prescribed Lipitor and my present GP (used ONLY for strictly limited medical advice, which is then checked) to be rabid Cholesterol Quacks. Ditto for cardiologist I use -- he too is good for other medical matters.

I presume that you too are aware that few, if any athletes can tolerate statins and still maintain their performance levels.

Lars

[Kattumaram]

Your comment about cardiologists is quite appropriate I believe. They are wonderful mechanics; exercising great skill, they can repair almost any damaged heart. Unfortunately, for the most part, they have not a clue as to what causes heart disease, or they are prejudiced against any therapy that may cut down on their source of income. (I apologise to any cardiologist who may take offence to that statement, but I stand by my opinions based upon not a little research over the last decade.)

The modern physician is anchored firmly in convention and is not willing to depart from accepted practices even when they are known to be ineffective or in some cases dangerous. The spectre of malpractice suits hangs over their heads as well should they depart from convention and really try to "do no harm".

Fortunately for us there are brave souls like SpaceDoc who are willing to risk the wrath of the advocates of conventionalism and promulgate information truly beneficial to our health and well-being. :wink:

[lars999]

Frankly, I think few GPs have any realistic, data-based idea of what causes cardio-vascular "disease", especially given all the sheer BS about cholesterol.

As I make the rounds in effort to understand what Lipitor actually did to me and, especially, how much of that damage is still with me, I am finding that various specialists (excluding at least cardiologists) are quite open to at least limited discussion, even treatment, of statin adverse side effects.

GP and cardiologists simply consider ALL statins to be wonder drugs and that they have only limited, if any side effects. They all are really quite defensive, as perhaps they should be, having written so many thousands of prescriptions for these nearly useless pills, that are really poisions for so many of us.

Lars