How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

ELSOL — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:54:42 GMT

CHOLESTEROL LEVELl of 117....you do not need statin drugs...and a cholesterol level of 40 that your doctor says he would like you to have...I have heard that is too low!! Your cholesterol is already low!! Find a new doctor!

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

taratune — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:45:32 GMT

Does any one know if there is a connection between very high Lp(a) levels (300) and high pregnenolone levels? What causes pregnenolone levels of 500? (not taking pregnenolone supplementation).

Thanks,

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

EatYourVegetables — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:28:42 GMT

I just found out that statins could do this last night when a family member told us she had that condition!!

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

Tikka — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:55:31 GMT

Dr. Mercola,

My husband was on lipitor for three years. After complaining of severe muscle weakness and pain, he was switched to Zocor. The pain was worse. His MD. then suggested using the COQ10 in addition to the Zocor. He quit taking the drug last week at his own will. He has experienced significant muscle atrophy.

He is now taking an elevated dose of the COQ10 alongside Fish Oil, and garlic.

I believe that the risk of rhabdomyolosis is not communicated by these pharmeceutical monsters. Every one should know about this potentially life threatining condition. Can you shed some additional light on this condition? Post care procedures for recovering from statin use?

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

Napleswhiz — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:57:19 GMT

Very interesting. Do you have an opinion about repacing PRAVACHOL with POLYCOSANOL?

My doctor said POLYCOSANOL is also a STATIN. From what I read it is a product derived from sugar cane. Please advise. Gerard SWART

guswart@comcast.net

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

Splavinweed — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:29:10 GMT

It's astonishing how long it takes for new medical information to reach general practitioners. At my local surgery one general practitioner insists that there is no lower limit below which one should not use statins to lower cholesterol, while another wants stations, by law, to be added to all manufactured bread!

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

Think First — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:34:05 GMT

I had a heart attack, inserted 9 stents. I was put on Lipitor and Plavix. At the time of my heart attack my total cholesterol was 146/37. In other words a little low on the "good" type but perfectly fine otherwise. My Dr. wanted to get my cholesterol to under 100. I had some exposure to alternative sources and began to study. The muscle weakness, pain, loss of memory, nerve damage and depression that followed I will not go into here. The best supplements I have found to help at this point are mainly plenty of Omega-3 (enteric coated - stomach acid will destroy most of it otherwise), Alpha Lipoic Acid for the nerve damage, Vitamin D3 - helps the muscles to rebuild, it's not just for bones, and at least 400mg of CoQ10. It's made a slow but steady improvement. What I did not realize is how much the sugar and grains were affecting me as well. From what research I've done it is slowly emerging that grains especially cause an inflammatory response in the body after eating them. I have not found enough to say what is good or bad about which ones yet. Sort of like the glycemic index on carbs, one may emerge at some point but I have nothing to offer there. I do know that limiting my exposure and eating less of them has helped as well. I also take an Ester-C with Quercitin and Magnesium Citrate and Malate. Tumeric is a great natural anti-inflammatory, and Bromelain helps as well with allergies, inflammation and congestion. Bromelain used to be used in IV's before and after operations to control inflammation and as a natural blood thinner so be careful you do not thin your blood too much. It does not stop clotting, it just makes it flow more freely. IP-6 made from rice bran is also a great leacher of bad chemicals. Red yeast rice is a no-no. It induces the same symptoms as any statin drug.

Hope this helps!

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

samurai — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 03:10:29 GMT

Dr. Mercola,

Thanks so much for owning the problem. That was very cool. I am happy to have Islander and PPARGammagirl back. PPARGammagirl gives such wonderful advice on the forum, as well as answering questions that I ask her on personal e-mail. She and you are very advanced in your thinking, and I value her, and your forum. Now, as a woman that has had no experience in medicine, and only in the corporate world, I need good folks like PPARGammagirl and Patty D.

Thanks again.

Samurai the health warrior.

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

tonywoodphoto — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:38:50 GMT

Dear Chris, you wrote: Red yeast rice also inhibits our body's ability to produce Ubiquinone (CoQ10) shich is vital in metabolism and the production of energy---->where did you get this info and where can i learn more. I take it you are advising against Red yeast Rice, what are you suggesting?

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

ADB_203 — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:28:49 GMT

I eat red meat at least twice a day...lots of eggs.

My cholesterol ranges between 121 and 137.

Healthy and happy at 70.

Walk a couple miles a day.

Have a glass or two of red wine, the 8% Lambrusco.

Cut out wheat, grains

Do eat some green veggies.

Take cod liver oil.

Mother made it to 95 and a half.

I've only 25 years to go.

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

Lionel Lumbroso — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:53:21 GMT

I was directed to this page by a well-meaning relative, but I'm a bit appalled by the negativity developed toward statins, by the title leaving no place to debate and by the extensive pounding ; I am also surprised that an MD can condone and even generate this kind of nuance-less information. Is there no way to promote the products you believe in without resorting to scare arguments and such negativity?

My dad was a respected specialist doctor and he also had "natural" hypercholesteremy (over 300). He died 6 years ago, at age 77, of a massively atherome-wrecked vasculary system; as he told me, statins came too late to prolong his life significantly, but at least I would benefit from them, since I also inherited this hypercholesterolemy (290-300).

Indeed, after a year or so of discussing the subject with my doctor, weighing pros and cons, we decided to try that treatment and he suggested we try pravastatine first (20 mg/day).

It's now been 6 months and so far thoroughly satisfying, with the LDL reduction objective reached and no symptomatic side effect. Analysis after 4 months showed a reduction of LDL from 230 (2.3 g/l) down to 170 (1.7). The creatine phosphokinase level was normal. I'm no doctor myself, but from what I've understood, most of the muscular distrophy side effects of these molecules are due to a shortage of creatine, which is a precursor of ATP, the muscle fuel. There was no apparent effect on the creatine-generating enzyme.

In "real life" terms, I ride my bike every day for an average of 3 miles and do 20 miles on Sundays, plus 20 minutes of gym every morning, and I feel absolutely no different from before.

In short: with me, statins work and they don't "wreck my muscles". I thought this "different" point of view might interest the site's readers. What my doctor told me is that statins do not work well with everyone, and in that case, your recommendations are sound, but why the machine-gun salvo against statins, who help people like me?

Lionel

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

GabrieleNesta — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:27:53 GMT

I am new to this wonderful website. I actually work in a hospital, had trouble breathing, was taken to the ER, had a cardiac cath done....to make a long story short, followed up with the cardiologist who, without telling me to lose weight or to eat correctly or to exercise, handed me a nice little prescription for Pravachol (statin drug). A co-worker told me the horrors of these drugs, i did some research online and learned so much. Now i don't want to return to the cardiologist. My cholesterol is 170, don't remember the "good" and "bad" numbers. I'm so disappointed in the medical community who blindly hands out prescriptions with no thoughts as to their dangers and then intimidates patients who have alternative ideas. I'm mad at the drug companies who peddle this poison for profit. What an eye-opening experience.

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

george tolhurst — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:49:39 GMT

Why bother with your comments when they don' get posted

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

Vaughn_203 — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:48:30 GMT

Questions: How much LDL cholesterol is enough? What level of triglycerides is enough? What level of HDL cholesterol is too much?

I have hypobetalipoproteinemia and hyperalphalipoproteinemia, maybe also called hypobetahyperalphalipoproteinemia. I am also Type I dabetic for 32 years.

My triglyceride level used to be 10mg/dl, VLDL cholesterol <1mg/dl, LDL cholesterol 15 mg/dl, and HDL cholesterol 77mg/dl. Supplementing with 1 to 2 ounces of coconut oil perday, 4 to 8 eggs per day, extra butter, and cream, I have managed to raise my triglycerides to 35mg/dl, VLDL to 5mg/dl, LDL to 40mg/dl, and my HDL has risen to 86 mg/dl. These numbers are from many tests over the 32 years I have been diabetic. I feel much better with higher cholesterol levels, especially when the LDL numbers are over 40(a couple times), and not as well when they are under 30.

I grow most of my own food and have enough chickens to have plenty of eggs.

Is this anywhere near reasonable? Is this too high of an HDL cholesterol level? What should I aim for? How does too low LDL cholesterol affect blood sugar control? The doctors I have talked to do not have a definitive answer. I have seen nothing on the healthy lower limits for LDL cholesterol and nothing on the healthy upper limits for HDL cholesterol. Any information would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

re: How Statin Drugs Wreck Your Muscles

saynotoquacks — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:40:15 GMT

My cholesterol is very low, 153! I consume many high cholesterol foods daily, including eggs and whole milk and ground chuck, etc. (all free range of course). I am living proof that saturate fat and cholesterol do not raise cholesterol levels, or triglycerides (mine are 33)! "Modern" "medicine" is so full of it. The reason for the fat and cholesterol scare was to promote processed foods like margarine, "Egg Beaters," and so on. It's all about money.

My dad's quack (er, I mean medical doctor) is trying to push statins and blood pressure pills on him, but thanks to Dr. Mercola he is educated enough to JUST SAY NO! The quacks sure have a lot of power to hypnotize through fear-mongering. I think the drug industry is perpetuating a holocaust without any need for concentration camps.