Deterioration after starting trimethoprim+zocor

[jazzmowsky]

Allen,


I have just read the post attached to the link you left. I am amazed and admire your tenacity; it makes what I am tolerating small in comparison. I really do send you my best wishes.

Julie.

[Brian C.]

In engineering terms, when we get an attack we must attempt to set up negative feedback to lead us back to quietude. This is the principle behind meditation. If we get rattled and panic this introduces positive feedback, which feeds the instability and chaos.

I had a bad case of tachycardia in a record shop in Soho a couple of years back. They were playing up-tempo funk. I'm sure with calmer musical background I would have recovered quicker

Brian.

[jazzmowsky]

Hi Brian,


Funny you say that about Soho episode, I find that stressful films/programmes set me off. Wallender last night was uncomfortable viewing, yet I like Branagh and his work, don't see enough of him on tv. Music is another trigger; my daughter likes trance music and that sets my heart off. By the way, husband has just arrived with Asda Q10 and Seven Seas Omega oil capsules. I am a little concerned about the vitamin E content of the fish oil as this tends to start ectopics, but it doesn't look to be too much as 3% of daily intake only. The Q10 is one a day, so I am going to have a sandwich with my first dose !!! What do you think about the vit E thing ? Best wishes.

Julie.

[Brian C.]

Oh yes, I can't take suspense any more - and neither can my wife. We only watch slow-moving, old-fashioned thrillers these days. Poirot and Joan Hickson's Miss Marple for us! We don't do "edgy"

As far as Vit E is concerned I don't supplement but fry my eggs in palm oil every morning. That contains the full balanced spectrum of tocopherol and tocotrienol types, not just the alpha-tocopherol which is all most supplements contain.

Too much Vit E will interfere with CoQ10 utilisation.

Brian.

[jazzmowsky]

Presumably then the Seven Seas omega fish stuff will be alright then ? I don't take any other supplementation. I used to years ago , potassium and magnesium, then the pharmacist said it would interfere with sotalol and then I got liver damage from diclofenac. I decided then not to self-diagnose and treat and just to leave well alone. The raised ALT's were worrying, specially when they sent me for a Hep C test, my GP thought I had it after the placentapraevia bleed with my daughter. They left me for 5 days before the test thinking I had it and when I turned up for the test I was a nervous wreck !! Needless to say the test was negative and it took me weeks to settle down again. I did go subsequently for a liver scan which showed some fatty deposits and after a year off dairy and everything else worth living for, the ALT returned to normal by which time I was taking simvastatin. Round and round. Because of my life-style with Nikki, I don't get out a great deal, exercise is reduced to a stepping machine in son'r ex-front bedroom ( much to the amusement/horror/facination of neighbours opposite ) I just don't want to become another statistic of early demise. It's not that I don't know quite alot, it's the putting it into practise thats the problem. My heart is quieter when I am empty, and so brain says empty is good !!! Age says, get thick round middle, woman, so I eat even less ! I probably need a psychiatrist more than the Q10, thinking on it !!!

Julie.

[Brian C.]

Well Julie, eating a low-carb diet with plenty of quality protein and fat will keep you trim and healthy

I do believe you need to increase your magnesium intake though.
Bring on the nuts 'n watercress!

We get bags of spinach, watercress and rocket leaves from Sainsbury's and eat some every day. Good stuff! Even better from one's own garden.

Brian.

[Allen1]

Hi there Julie,

sorry I didn't get a chance to respond to you earlier, I agree with you when you say that talking about your problems is comforting and it does help you to get through the tough times. I also read your other post to me and believe me what you are going through is not small in comparison. When people like myself get worn out we can go for a snooze to help us out, you on the other hand are both a mother and a carer for your daughter 24 hours a day, that is a hard thing to do when you are healthy and much more of a challenge when you are under the weather, but you have to be a real super hero when you have health issues like yours to cope with as well.

I think that you will find that each and every one of the folk who are members here, all have real life horror stories that have been started or caused by statin use. A lot of the problems are common amongst us and some fair worse in one lot of problems and some in others. Everyone here will try to help if they can, Ray Holder and Adec were the first to help me, Dee and Brian and Brooks were all a great help and inspiration and just about everyone else has at times given sound advice ie Biologist and Jeff Cable an others. This is a great community it is just a shame that we all had to become ill before we found it, but it has been a godsend to know that we are not losing our minds and what we are going through is shared by so many others and that we are no longer alone and just like a big family we don't always agree with each other sometimes.

I see you have got your Q10 now, I think it could take up to a month for them to really start to make a difference, the changes will be subtle and you will have to try different amounts to see what is best for you. Starting with the 1 a day 30mg dose is very low but it will give you a chance to look out for any changes in your symptoms. It may be a good idea to take 1 twice a day on the second week up until you find what is best for you without breaking the bank.

Discussing the Q10 with your doctor would do no harm and also asking his/her advice and as Brian mentioned earlier most of us are also taking L-Carnitine as well as the Q10, you could see what he/she thinks about its usefulness with your problems.

Well that's me typed out for now

All the best,

Allen

[jazzmowsky]

Hi Allen and Brian.

After a busy week, I thought I would update on how things have been going. A week without zocor and trimethoprim !!! he one thing that has been noticeable is my quiet heart, specially during the night, not sure that is the simvastatin removal, but certainly trotting to the loo twenty times definitely is ! I also fee more upbeat, but that might just be christmas coming, but I was exceedingly low last week. I had my bloods done last Wednesday and the surgery rang today, they want a repeat next week as the TSH levels were abnormal, don't know if level elevated or low, but will know next week. I have read a bit and my palpitations could possibly be a thyroid issue, we'll see. Have been taking the Q10 and the omega's and eating better so lift in spirits could simply be a better calorie intake. Hope you are both okay, and Allen thank you for your compassionate last post - you see alot don't you. Look forward to hearing back from you. Happy Friday, if there is such a thing !

[Allen1]

Hi there Julie,

great to hear that your spirits have lifted, being able to talk about issues and eating better is good both emotionally and physically.
As far as the loo goes, I'm down to a maximum of 4 trips during the night and have even manage with just the 1 occasionally (more recently). I still have some bad palpitations now and then which are more noticeable at night, but they are not as bad as when I was on that muck. You may find that your problems re-appear now and then as they do for many of us and some of the problems just don't go away but some do get milder as time passes. Statins are truly an awful product and the manufacturers should be held responsible for the harm that they are knowingly doing.

I hope your blood tests for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) come out ok, there seems to be quite a few folk here who have problems with their thyroid as mentioned in the Statin Drugs section:-
http://www.spacedoc.net/board/viewtopic.php?t=1347

There are a lot of good folk on this site that have helped me out when I was really down, adec and especially Ray Holder were brilliant, John Brooks, Brian and Dee have sorted out such a lot of unexplained problems that proved to be quite common amongst us ie needing the loo at night amongst so much more, its a shame that our doctors were completely unaware of what was the cause though.

Keep up with the eating better idea, as long as you are ok, then your family can only benefit from your new found energy and maybe it will help to normalise your heart problems to a degree.

All the very best,

Allen

[jazzmowsky]

Hi Allen,

It's quiet now and I can write back to you ! Thank you for the link, I have spent a terrifying half-an hour reading the posts, some of which I have to say I don't understand a word of, especially from the Biologist and others who seem to have alot of knowledge about Armour and all the other things they are taking. I have had thyroid function tests all along, the last one was earlier in the year when there was a problem with my GFR, that's another topic that I could wax lyrical about and no doubt somewhere here folk have problems with kidney function too. I suddenly developed liver problems originally and the statins were prescribed for me, then a year later my GFR appeared to have plummeted and I was referred for further testing which ended up to be ok, but I was unsettled for weeks while waiting. I don't understand why my thyroid should start to play up, if it is the statins that have created this I am not sure how I can accept what is happening, at the moment I just feel lost. I have to return on Monday and then wait for the result, if I have an underactive thyroid how can I be sure that I will receive the correct treatment ? I am VERY confused. The morning temperature thing does not surprise me, I can't get my temp above 96 at any time of day. I feel as if I am approaching information overload. My husband just thinks it is another ridiculous thing to worry about, when I tried to talk to him earlier he said I was making a mountain out of a molehill and that my life would not be complete without SOMETHING to mither about, so no support there it seems. So, now I am on my own I shall make a cuppa and sit and try and get my head around all of this. Phew. Goodnight to you, thank you for being there.

Julie.

[Allen1]

Hi there Julie,

don't tear yourself apart by worrying too much. Try to take in any information slowly and accept it as information and not what is happening to you, treat it all as if you were reading an interesting story that you can come back to when you are ready to or have some spare time to fill.

Your husbands response is a familiar one and it is also not that far from being right in some context. He is trying to stop you worrying needlessly the best way he can and he may also be trying to deal with your concerns the best way he can.

Remember, don't worry about what may or may not happen, there is enough problems in everyday living without dwelling on what if or maybe.

Try and get a good nights sleep and face any problem when or if they happen ok.

All the best,

Allen

[jazzmowsky]

Thank you Allen for those kind words, and yes I think you are right in what you say regarding Jon, my hubby. I think he also carries the responsibility of Nikki very heavily sometimes too, and if I am not upbeat and optimistic, it tips him into non-coping mode.
I like the method you suggest, a little at a time and just ingest gradually. I happily took the simvastatin for two years and I would have lobbied others in it's favour had I been asked to do so. As as family we have many health issues, and although my parents are long-living, the last 20 years have been beset with heart/kidney/cholesterol problems and I just wanted my older life to be perhaps a little less fraught with similar health issues. My mom (81) had a large stroke last June and is still in intermediary care and the person I knew no longer exists. I encouraged her to take a statin three years ago when her cholesterol hit 7.0 and she was having kidney issues. She was given Pravastatin and so was my father (84) who has just single-handed taken down a 40 foot chestnut in their garden, having told me AFTER the event !!! I will wait until next week before I worry about any thyroid issues, and then go and have a long chat with our GP who is very good and cares deeply for my situation with Nikki. I am lucky in that respect.
Hope you have a peaceful weekend Allen, thank you for replying, I really don't seem to be able to think reasonably in the dark of the night, this morning when Jon got home at half seven and it was getting light, things didn't seem half so bad. You are lovely, thank you.

Julie.

[Allen1]

Hi there Julie.

I'm pleased to hear that you will take a slower approach and you must really try to detach yourself from the symptoms while you are reading the posts for the first time, if or when you go back to a post, it will not be such a big shock and you will be able to see things in a less responsive way. I used to get myself worked up and get angry when I read some of what has happened to folk here, especially when I could see that the exact same things applied to myself on many occasions. You have to learn to take a step back and not get too involved while reading things, it doesn't mean you don't care, but it does stop you from making yourself ill with worry.

As for the statins, we were all hoodwinked with them, and how they were the the best thing since sliced bread. A lot of the doctors I have seen are now aware of some of the problems but many can't accept that they have caused such a diverse amount of conditions as we have found out from experience in posters on this site and others like it.

Your Dad must be one hell of a man to get a tree that big down, I had some connifers that got to about 15 feet as I was unable to trim them because of the weather etc, I bought an electric chainsaw and took them down and I was like death warmed up by the time I did that. That was about 6 years ago when I was around 46 (he really does put me to shame)

Anyhow take care of yourself and as you have said everything looks worse in the darkness of night, even more so if you let things get to you. You also sound like a really Lovely person too, your husband also sounds like a pretty good guy, remember though that us blokes want and need to be able to protect the ones we love, call it male ego or whatever, a bit of reassurance and the odd hug sometimes helps us blokes to cope in situations like this too.

All the very best and have a good weekend,

Allen

PS guess who's got the flu!, my grandson gave me it for Xmas

[jazzmowsky]

Hi Allen,


Well, what a pressie to get, poor little chap, how old is he Allen ? And you are much too young to have grandchildren arn't you eh ??? We are in the same age bracket, I don't know why I thought you were older, mind you I still feel 21 even when my 23yr old son comes home, dwarfs me ( he is 6'7 ) and makes me remember I am after all an owd fogee ! His words not mine. I am 6' so no small chicken, but he towers above me which is quite nice really. Nikki at 20 is also 6' but because she has never been able to stand up her height is not something that you get a perspective on. I look after by myself, lots of time spent, and when I hoist her I think my goodness, you are a lump ! I have downloaded some traditional carols this afternoon from itunes and she is singing away in the background while I type - lovely. My son qualifies as a dentist next year, as long as he doesn't imbibe too much alcohol between now and then ! He has been completing his registration exams and his hospital placements in the last couple of weeks and he says the elderly ( looking me straight in the eye ) are his LEAST favourite group, then children, so I don't know how he will cope with the real job after graduating - whenever I go to our dental practice I am generally one of the youngest in the waiting room, not counting the toddlers. Similar thing at the GP, I was in the middle of an INR clinic this week and my god it was eye-opening. I just hope I can LIVE many years before I get to that stage !!!

You are absolutely right in what you say - I am acutely aware that I am at the first stage of my journey in all of this and I am determined to learn from my mistakes and take a whole new approach to what is coming. I am hoping that the thyroid thing is just a blip, I have had normal test results this year so if I am hypo it perhaps might explain why I have been feeling poorly recently. And I have, it has surprised me. My hubby says that I live in my own world and he is right, it is MY coping mechanism in which I can reach my targets with Nic every day. Sometimes I think 'too much for one person', but that doesn't happen very often. Also with Jon working nights, I am solitary and that's when things play on the mind- and they do !!! alot. Are we able to contact eachother away from this message board? I would like to, I noticed you don't have a facility to be emailed like Brian does. If you would like to email me, I can put it on a post if that is allowed. Well, I shall have to drag myself away from Strictly ( yes, unfortunately I am HOOKED ) and get this young lady bathed.
You have a good weekend, too, I have looked forward very much to your replies - thank you very much.

Julie.

[Allen1]

Hi there Julie,

My Daughter is 33, grandson is nearly 3 and My granddaughter is 13 going on 30 and I love them all to bits. I had a more hands on approach when my granddaughter was a baby, changing nappies and going for walks with her in the pushchair then as she got older going for bike rides and doing the shopping together, she has also got a good head on her shoulders and knows where to find a bargain just like her mother. Due to health problems caused from statins, I haven't had the strength to even change a nappy on my grandson, but have managed to play with him and his toys for the odd half hour before getting exhausted. On a good day I can maybe last an hour, I enjoy that time as does the bairn but it really shouldn't have a time limit built in. He is now potty training and is a joy to be around, I just wish I had the stamina to see him more often though. I'm 52 and my neighbour is 87 and both mentally and physically she can now run rings around me most days (she's still as sharp as they come memory wise), when I start to tire, my mind just goes blank and anything I was about to say just goes out the window, statins sure have made a difference to my life.

I do hope that your thyroid test comes back ok, I don't know much about under or over active thyroids other than they can make you ill and one can cause weight gain as happened to a friend when she was young and started to put on weight, that's when they found the problem.

The reason I don't have an email address available onsite or do direct contact outside the forum is mainly to keep things safe for both participants, I know of people who have gone on-line to My-Space and similar sites just for a laugh, made friends and eventually ended up going as far as meeting up etc. The partners of those people got hurt when the truth came out and even though some stayed together the trust was no longer there and things were never the same again. Even though you or I wouldn't do that, just think of a partner going to work wondering what if etc, I would hate to put anyone in that position hence the forum only for me.

That all sounds stronger than I mean it to but when a partner is getting emails from a member of the opposite sex, no matter how innocent they are, they are going to have an effect on a relationship eventually so better to be safe than sorry.

All the best,

Allen

[jazzmowsky]

Hi Allen,

Thank you for replying, I am duly chastised !!


Kindest wishes. Julie.

[Brian C.]

I can identify with your observation re the 87 year old neighbour Allen. I don't go out much but when I do I half expect to be approached by elderly ladies enquiring "Are you all right young man?" of this pensioner

They mostly overtake me and leave me choking in their dust

Brian.

[Allen1]

Hi there Julie,

you have done nothing wrong to be chastised about and I really don't think you had any intentions of doing anything wrong, if anyone was up to mischief, then this would be the last place to try their luck.
Unfortunately though, we have all heard stories where folk have used chat sites, and in my case know people and someone close who this has happened to and seen the after effects. With the knowledge that things have gone that way in the past and human nature to put 2 and 2 together and come out with 5, what was or is a perfectly innocent chat between 2 people can become a real threat to a partner especially if they are not there when the chat happens.

The forum provides an isolation factor that lessens that effect as everything is out in the open and saves partners from feeling threatened or wondering what is going on etc. I'm not doing a great job of explaining what I mean, but basically why give a partner something to needlesly worry about when life has a tendency to give us more than enough worries on its own.


All the best,

Allen

[Allen1]

Hi there Brian,

it wouldn't be so bad if they didn't show off with their custom paint jobs and go faster stripes on their zimmer frames
I used to be a fast walker but nowadays it is shocking to see so many people passing me by, that often includes pensioners, the problem is that half the time you don't realise just how slow you are going, you just know how tired and breathless you feel.

What have we done to deserve all this!

Well I am going back to bed, the flu has got to me really hard (so much for the jab), I spent most of yesterday in bed too and I am pleased I don't have to go anywhere cause there is no way I am crossing the doorstep today.

All the best,

Allen