What can be done about statin damage?

[Cathy]

Just wondering what everyone else is trying to reverse statin damage? Vitamins, supplements ect., what and how much?

[sos_group_owner]

Hi Cathy,

The first line of defense (repair) is CoQ10.
Statins deplete our CoQ10 and this is the primary reason for all the various side effects.

Perferred type of CoQ10 is in gel form that has some vitamin E or take with vitamin E. Start with 100mg and increase as needed. The only side effect is that CoQ10 can lower BP so if you are taking BP meds or you have naturally low BP, you will want to monitor BP while increasing CoQ10.

Dr Graveline discusses CoQ10 deficiency at this link:
http://www.spacedoc.net/statins_CoQ10.htm

Dr Beatrice Golomb discusses statin side effects and CoQ10 at this link:
medicine.ucsd.edu/ses/adverse_effects.htm

What type of statin side effects are you experiencing?

Fran

[Cathy]

Severe muscle aches, PN, can't remember things( short term), joint problems, especially the knees, sunburn like skin from ankle to calf, vision problems. All in all I'm a mess. All my DRS. are doing is treating the pain. I'm on Duragesic 75, percocet for that. Anri-depressants, sleeping pills and hbp meds. Can't take neurontin and similar drugs. Drs. don't want to talk about supplements....let alone that this was caused by lipitor. They want to throw it all into Fibro. except the one who passed away who told me it was DEFINATLY lipitor toxicity. Thanks in advance for any suggestions..... I am on coq 10, 300mg a day, since I quit the lipitor 16 months ago. Thanks again....Cathy

[prof]

Hi Cathy--Just want to see I'm with you. I was on Lipitor for only 17 days, half at 5 mg. Developed knee problems I never had, PN, some eye symptoms, and sleep problems. No prior history of any of this. I'm about six weeks out, supplementing with COQ10 (as I was during Lipitor). I'd say I have some improvement, but not more than 50%.

Hang in.

prof

[sos_group_owner]

Hi Cathy,

Have your doctors done a CK or CPK blood test?
CK (creatine kinase) - CPK (creatine phosphokinase)

A CPK is a blood test that measures creatine phosphokinase (CPK), an enzyme found predominantly in the heart, brain, and skeletal muscle. When the total CPK level is substantially elevated, it usually indicates injury or stress to one or more of these areas.

This test's results might be negative, but there is still muscle damage.

When this happens, the doctor should do a muscle biopsy.

Excerpt: "Muscle-related pathologies are most often confirmed by serum CK levels; however, muscle pain or weakness also has been reported without CK elevations. The absence of CK elevation in these instances suggests that the CK level may not be an adequate test for muscle pathology. Several case studies have used muscle biopsies and electromyography to confirm muscle pathology when CK levels were not elevated."
Source: ww.ptjournal.org/PTJournal/May2005/v85n5p459.cfm

Have you contacted Dr Beatice Golomb's group?
medicine.ucsd.edu/ses/
Her group conducts an onging statin side effects study.

You might want to print this page and take to your doctors:
medicine.ucsd.edu/ses/adverse_effects.htm

It spells out all the statin side effects that your doctors are not acknowledging.

I'm not a doctor but I know first hand that everything you mentioned is related to Lipitor. My husband had almost the same list side effects: Severe muscle aches & muscle atrophy, short term memory loss (including several bouts of TGA), joint problems (shoulders & knees), dark pigmentation all around his neck (still present), and vision problems (amaurosis fugax - visual disturbance in one eye).

He stopped taking statins 18 months ago and is improving SLOWLY. Current therapy is nutritional supplements and going to a chiropractor.

If your doctor(s) will not do these tests (CK/CPK and/or muscle biopsy) to confirm that you have muscle damage, you should seriously consider finding a new doctor. Your health is at stake and covering up your symptoms with pain & sleeping pills is not going to solve the problem.

It might be best if you searched for a medical doctor that specializes in naturopathic medicine.

ww.naturopathic.org/
Click on "Find", select your location and a list of naturopathic physicians is displayed.

If you reside in the USA, you can (and should) report your Lipitor side effects to FDA's MedWatch - Adverse Event Reporting Program:
ww.fda.gov/medwatch/

Hope this information is useful,

Fran

[sos_group_owner]

Hi again Cathy,

A good friend that took statins and is also diagnosed with FM gave me a link to the National Fibromyalgia Association's most recent newsletter:
In particular this article~ "Sick and Tired":
ww.fmaware.org/fmOnlineNewsletter/2006/vol6/no1/article_sick.html

You may also find some very useful info on this site.

Fran

[prof]

I think supplementing with CoQ10 is a very good idea. Based on the studies of PN associated with statins, there appears to be a different mechanism responsible for the statin-induced neuropathies than the myopathies. Thus, it is less clear that CoQ10 can be helpful for the former, but the fact is we really don't know. I also supplement with B vits--especially folic, B12, and B6--the same regiment as for homocysteine, with additional B12. My "hunch" is that this may help with neuropathies as well.

prof

[Dee]

Also try Alpha Lipoic Acid...it is used in Germany to treat diabetic nerve damage. Hasn't helped me, but it is worth a try.

Another one is Benfotiamine that is used for nerve damage in diabetics..it is form of vitamin B...extracted from thiamine if I remember correctly.

[mousa]

Hello Cathy,
I have just joined and also looking for how to reverse statin damage - if that is indeed what I have. Have been on daily 5mg Lipitor on and off for years. I say on and off because would stop taking when my feet got so painful it was difficult to walk. Then I would go back on again when feet got better because what else to do with hyperlipidaemia? I was diagnosed almost 2 years ago with CIDP (Chronic Inflammatory Demylinating Polyneuropathy) and am wondering now if Lipitor was responsible. Also had palpitations - neuro says all part of CIDP. In Dec 2005 had a CT64 of heart that showed all bloodvessels absolutely clear! Immediately stopped Lipitor. Also, for other reasons, stopped eating chicken and last total cholesterol was 146!! I don't now eat any animal, only fish. Am taking daily CoQ10 29mg for past 3 weeks or so. Maybe I should up it? Have had no palpitations for over a week! Wishing you all the best. Feel sure all will be fine!

[bunnylady]

I've been on the vitamins for 4 months- still in a lot of pain so went to a new doctor and he put me on a dose of methyl prednisolone 21 pack - and is redoing the dosage for me as I was stepping down too quick for my symptoms- I went from an invalid to my normal self in a day- how long do I have to stay on it I don't know- will keep up with the vitamins- I got down to 3 a day or 12 mg and the symptoms came back 1/2 as bad- I don't want any of them- I'm done with headaches and joint pain- called doc and he's fixing me up - I'm weak but am going to lose the weight I gained, exercise and should be good in a month or so


FOR PEOPLE THAT WORK AND NEED TO GET BETTER YESTERDAY INSTEAD OF MONTHS PLEASE ASK ABOUT METHYLPREDNISOLONE
(Does Dr. Graveline endorse this)?
Dr. Bohnfalk- Georgetown, TX ( I did throw out the Niaspan and Zettia) I'll tell him later

Patty