Confused about whether to stop taking a statin

[mdshaffer]

These are my insights from reading Spacedoc and other research

Cholesterol is not a villain and we need it
Some people have livers that are particulary efficient at producing cholesterol or they eat too much food rich in cholesterol
Inflammation is most likely the root cause of CHD
With the occurrence of inflammation, cholesterol can make the situation much worse
The vast majority of the medical community in the US and the regulatory agencies such as FDA say Statins are safe; it is only a small (vocal) minority that do not
Some people because of their genetic makeup have short term adverse consequences to statins, but most tolerate it very well
Long term use consequences are not well understood by anyone
Statins, even in very low doses can help contradict inflammation just like baby aspirin
Statins block CoQ10 production and statin users need to supplement

So what should I do if I am diagnosed with high cholesterol of 300 and a ratio of 5. I have been on 20 mg Simvistatin for at least 15 years without seeing any adverse consequences (I do have a tendency to get gout if I don't drink enough water and my short term memory seems to be going, but I am now 55), but other than that I am healthy? I now take 100mg of CoQ10 per day based on this site and other research that says it brings slightly elevated blood pressure back to something considered more typical.

If you have a very efficient liver function that produces more cholesterol than what is considered the population average, is there any harm to the liver by reducing the amount of cholesterol it makes though a statin?

Given the lack of agreement, what would be considered a good "middle or safe or balanced path" towards cholesterol reduction using a drug that I tolerate well to date but has potentially long term adverse side effects? I have believed that 20mg Simvistatin to lower my cholesterol to around 210 (along with CoQ10 supplementation- which did bring down my blood pressure to a slightly elevated 132/86 average) is a balanced approach in that I am much closer to the population average than I was before instead of an extreme.

[David Staup]

you seem to have made up your mind...
what is the point of your post?

If you're looking for agreement here...I suggest a bit more research, and a change of "opinion" first.

[damaged]

I was a healthy, stronger than average working carpenter in my 40s when I was first given a statin. Within a few weeks I began to experience joint/muscle pain. I was assured that "It couldn't possibly be the statins". I continued to take the drug at the urging of three different doctors. I am now functionally crippled and classified as disabled.
I've spoken with guys in their late 20s that are in wheelchairs, contemplating suicide after suffering the effects of statins.
After being laughed out of countless doctors offices for the first 5 years of my search for an explanation of my malady, a black box warning now resides on the labels of statin drugs, and a clinic has been developed at Mayo for the sole purpose of finding some relief for others like me.
Here is part of an exchange that I had with the director of that clinic:

Dear Mr. XXXX
Thank you for your note. We have seen patients that take just a few
doses of statin that have developed lifelong muscle damage. There is no
known universally effective treatment. We are looking into various
options of treatment, however, but these are primarily through research
studies.
....
You might want to factor in the above when considering the current "disagreements" on the use of statins.

[catspajamas]

Why take something that may or may not cause memory loss when there are other alternatives? My husband has been on Lipitor for over 10 years. His memory is terrible and getting worse. Has symptoms of dementia. I have begged him to get off the statin but he thinks he will "die" if he doesn't. He has lost weight, eats a healthier diet and I believe he really doesn't need the statin. If you are experiencing memory loss at your age you should be suspect.

[mdshaffer]

In response to:

"you seem to have made up your mind...
what is the point of your post?

If you're looking for agreement here...I suggest a bit more research, and a change of "opinion" first."

No you are the one who has clearly made up your mind about statins (that they are bad) and your post response is useless.

You completely miss my point that rarely in human physiology are things black and white because of individual variance. My post is to make the case that there is a third middle path option other than stopping statin use completely or continuing at a strength intended to hit some arbitrary serum cholesterol target espoused by the medical community to bring down the incidence of CHD. Based on my research there are good things that statins can do in the body as well as bad.

To date, because both sides in this debate have good arguments and research to back them up, I have become conflicted and therefore have chosen to take a middle path between the two. The purpose of my post is to find out if others have reached a similar conclusion that in the absence of medical agreement, it does not have to be yes or no when it comes to statins. So if someone out there agrees with me, I would like to hear your thoughts on what you think should be a middle path with regards to dosages and target cholesterol levels given the potential side effect risks to taking statins and the risk to developing CHD by not taking statins

[David Staup]

you sir are an idiot

Thomas Aquinas labeled your affliction "cultivated ignorance"

You can take your "theory" and shove it!

again I say IDIOT


have a nice day, go away, and don't bother us here again...please

[catspajamas]

We all should be open to what any medication is doing to our body. All medications no matter what they are have side effects. Some are tolerable , some should be heeded. When I was going through the zocor nightmare I asked my dr about the periferal neurapathy and muscle weakness warnings that came with the medications. He poo pooed the idea my nerve damaged feet and muscle problems were caused by the zocor. When I went to Mayos they said my problems were "drug induced"...meaning my Dr. should go through all my meds and see which one was causing my problems. That Dr. refused to do so. I fired him. In the meantime I had developed shingles and it was the dermatologist that suggested I go off all my meds and reintroduce them one by one. Thats how I found out for sure it was the Zocor. I may be a extreme case because I truly believe if I hadn't of gotten shingles and was looked at by a Mayo trained dermatologist I would be dead today or at the very least bedfast
I urge everyone to read as much as you can about any drug you are prescribed before you start taking them. After you start taking them heed any new symptoms you may get. The first thing you should suspect is "that you are having a adverse reaction to that particular drug".Look it up. Be educated. Take your health in your own hands.

[mdshaffer]

To : David Staup, "electronics technician" - wow that is an impressive title

473 posts on this site says it all about you.

You don't say anything in your posts in this thread that I can even begin to debate or discuss in this forum. Instead, because of your apparent lack of credentials and relevant experience all you seem to be capable of is bluster and insults.

Although I am not a pharmacologist, I do have some medical training with a doctorate in Biomedical and Clinical Engineering and 23 publications in refereed professional journals. At least I have the courage to put my views out there and hear the views of others which is something you haven't demonstrated to me.

473 posts....Unbelievable... bet not one of them says anything useful to anyone. You really need to consider getting a life instead of spending your time calling people idiots when you don't know anything about them.

BTW, go ahead and write your rebuttal with all of your insults and name calling that I know will be coming because you can't possibly restrain yourself. Your posts in this thread are out there for everyone to see what you are really about and how you respond will let everyone know your true character.

I will continue to read Dr. Graveline's site since I am personally very interested in the potential long term side effects of statins and in eventually writing a peer reviewed paper on a more balanced approach to statin dosing during this era of controvery. But instead of wasting my time in un-moderated forums like this I will seek personal experience and opinions from others in a more clinical data collection setting. So go ahead and prowl your little forum rice bowl with your 473 posts. Hell maybe you can set some sort of forum record for insults. I for one won't won't be reading your next reply. And by the way there is now one more person in the world who is laughing at you and thinks you are a pompous jerk wad.

[catspajamas]

People People...lets quit the name calling. Its not necessary. I hadn't been on this site for about 2 years. I am surprised at the inactivity compared with what used to be. I remember all of us just stating what happened to us when on statins and what is helping or not to relieve the damages statins left us with. There is definitely many of us that have damaged bodies from statin use. There is no argument there. Some doctors are now concedeing that statins can have these devastating side effects for some people. I will repeat what I said before,I called the drug company that manufactures zocor and they admitted to me that 1 in 10,000 people got perif. neurapathy in the clinical trials. You multiply that by the millions of people on statins and thats a lot of us that can't take them I was unlucky enough to get both muscle damage and pn. In my case everything that Dr. Graveline has written about has happened to me. I am 74 years old and my nightmare started 13 years ago. Statins ruined my otherwise active life. Its no fun to live in pain everyday and to of had to go through many surgeries because of statins...cataracts, got glaucoma, got neuromas that were removed, got diabetes...damaged nerves and muscles. I am glad they are finally doing some research on this and I wouldn't doubt that at some point statins will be taken off the market. We are all entitled to our opinions. Lets state them in respect to others.

[David Staup]

yep an idiot

chuckle

and, obviously, a liberal idiot....titles... hmmm got self worth issues, you should get help

I'll stack the value of some of my posts against ...oh, anything you have EVER done for others.. which is likely nothing
cause like ALL liberals you don't DO anything for others you do it to others.

I suggest you take your theory to the WEBMD cholesterol forum here:

http://exchanges.webmd.com/cholesterol- ... t-exchange

tons of like minded idiots there

who knows you may even decide to up your statin dose


LLLLLLOOOOOOOOOLLLLLL

[David Staup]

I'm a bit slow, but it just dawned on me........

I'll just bet you are one of the GHOST writers we here have come to know about............you must be so very.... full of hubris.

Does the name Goebbel ring a bell

yea help people...you

laughable

[mdshaffer]

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[mdshaffer]

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