Statins/colon

[Cat Mom2]

Is there a connection to statin drugs and colon cancer or other colon problems?

I have had colon problems for many years (40 or so years) so I have had my colon looked at many, many times in these 40 years. In the beginning, I had what was called clolitis, now it is called IBS and I have had an extreemly sensitive colon. I have alway had to avoid eating any kind of roughage...

About 2000, I had a colonscopy that came out clean as it always had, not even one tiny polyp. 2001, I was put on Lipitor 10mg and by November 2005, it had been upped to 40mg... That is when I had my 5th year colonscopy done and guess what... I had FIVE precancerous polyps!! That news BLEW me away! Never a polyp before and now that many that had developed into precancerous and that FAST? I kept asking what the He** happened! How did that happen? What made so many suddenly develope and start into precancer? What escalated this?

Ok, my only excuse is that I suffered the memory problems too, that I never made that connection until a few weeks ago..... I already knew SUDDEN... means statin related but I never made the connection to the colon and the statin drug and now it makes perfect sense to me! From day 1 that I got on them, I have had gastric problems that eventually progressed to hourly wake up with acid reflux every night. All of the gastric problems suddenly dissapeared once I got off the drug... Now I can't wait for my next colonscopy!

A bonus for me in all this is that on the supplements suggested here, I am now able to eat ANYTHING I want! For the first time in 40 years, I can now eat salads, beans, corn, nuts... ANY roughage I want! I think it is the Omega 3 fish oil and the vitamin E, but whatever it is, you can bet I am faithful in taking the supplements so I can eat the things I love again!

Am I crazy to think that the statin drug caused this sudden growth of so many polyps and escalate them into precancerous ones?

[catspajamas]

The first adverse side effect I had from zocor was severe diarrhea....then bloody diarrhea....a colonoscopy showed the lining of my colon in one area had sloughed off and bled.....Since off statins my colonoscopies have been normal.....so guess you know what I think.......

[adec]

According to the large pharmas, statins can actually help prevent and reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, bladder cancer, and colon tumors etc. I guess we're slowly learning the truth through long-term real world experiences, and not some limited clinical trial. In a way, these patients have paid their doctors to be guinea pigs for the pharmaceutical industry.

[Cat Mom2]

It really makes you wonder how many people these drugs are killing and ruining the lives of.. and NOBODY has a clue! These are some really sneaky drugs and my guess is that we will never really know how many lives this stuff ruins!

[SusieO]

I was having bowel problems and had an episode where I had some very loose stools along with rectal bleeding and needed to have a colonoscopy (in 2/2004 while on Lipitor).

Lo and behold I had a precancerous polyp that had to be removed and now I am on the 5 year plan for colonoscpy's (OH JOY - NOT)!

None of us realize all the damage and destruction statins has and still is doing to our bodies!

[bucho]

On Zocor (20 mg for 3.5 years) toward the end I had 9 months of constant diarrhea and major digestive problems (on top of about 20 other alarming symptoms -- see my other posts). I would lie awake until 4 AM every night with severe stomach pain and indigestion. Near the end I experienced bloody diarrhea (maroon colored) that convinced me to get a colonoscopy and endoscopy. These found nothing wrong except that the endoscope found inflammation in the stomach lining and a mysterious "foam" in the esophagus that they never figured out. The gatroenterologist summed it up to say I appeared to have "reduced digestive motility" for unexplained reasons.

Shortly thereafter I found this site and took myself off Zocor. Within a couple months all of these digestive problems cleared up. As they say -- draw your own conclusions!

My conclusion from this and all the other aspects of my statin experience is that statins are like a systemic poison that attacks the basic integrity of the body at the cellular level. So everything goes haywire. I may as well have been taking arsenic all those years!

[adec]

Same for my mom. She developed an extremely sensitive stomach on statins, and started to develop an intolerance to certain foods... diarrhea, bloody stool, loose bowel, bloating, pain, irritability. Almost like lactose intolerance, except now it extended to fats and carbs.

She started to get much better off of statins, but very recently started having problems again. I have since started her taking digestive enzymes and probiotics/prebiotics, and will keep everyone up to date.

[Jude Franey]

Several months after being put on statins I developed ulcerative colitis and was hospitalized for a week due to the bleeding. Several months later I developed divertuclosis and was hospitalized again due to heavy bleeding. I was put on 6 to 8 Asacol pills a day which the doctor said I will probably have to take for the rest of my life. I had several flare ups (periods of bleeding) over the months for which I was given additional medecine. During a flare up which didn't want to clear up, I discovered the statin side effect ptoblem on the Internet and I immediately stopped the statin. Within two days the bleeding stopped. I also stopped all the colon medecine and now five months later all my colon problems have cleared up.

I was on crestor for 6 months and then zocor for 22 months. Got no help from doctors. I'm still trying to recover from serious muscle problems.

[wake up call]

My guess is that because you have had issue with you colon before you started Lipitor, there are other precipitating causes...though the Lipitor probaly didn't help!

Food intollerances have a lot to do with colon issues. Things we don't even realize are bothering us can have an adverse effect on our digestive system and consequently our bodies. These intolerances leave us with a "continual internal inflammatory state". Wheat and Dairy are huge culprets, not that these are causing any visible signs, but if you were to cut all wheat and dairy from your diet, (even for a few weeks as as experiment), you would experience quite a difference in your overall health.

The infammation inside you body is why high colesterol levels can be dangerous, lowering the levels doesn't change anything unless you alleviate the inflammation.

[adec]

Statins can inhibit known carcinogenic proteins, such as RAS and RhoA... that's the good news. However, the inhibition of selenoprotein cancels these benefits out, by not only increasing the risk of colon (and prostate) cancer, but more importantly, by triggering many of these autoimmune diseases... the same ones being seen here. Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel, Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis, food allergies and intolerances etc. these are all known autoimmune diseases.

It also bears mentioning and repeating, high-dose statins can not only inhibit vital enzymes, such as CoQ10, but especially lipid soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, E, K. This is most certainly not the most optimal condition, and potentially harmful/deadly, toward colorectal health, or overall health -- in general. There's SO much more to the broad inhibition of ANY substance in the human body than meets the eye. I don't believe this point EVER can be emphasized enough.

[catspajamas]

I too, started having severe diarrhea/vomiting when I started on zocor...I put up with 1 1/2 years of on and off diarrhea...until it got so bad the colon ulceated and bled....zetia gave me the same symptoms....I haven't had a "colon" episode since I have been off statins....I would be in so much pain I would lay on the bathroom floor, felt faint, ..with a pan under me...

[garystil]

After taking Lipex (also known as Zocor) for 3.5 years without a problem, I suddenly developed an intolerance to many foods.

I had dizziness, diarrhea, nausea and dramatic weight loss. Polyps were found in a colonoscopy but nothing else.

One month after giving up statins my problems began to ease. It is now about 4-6 months since I stopped taking statins and I am able to eat anything.

Gary