Lipitor, who takes it?

I'm conducting an unofficial poll on the pros and cons so if you have any experience with this or any other statins, please share. :kiwi-fruit:

Thanks,
Joe

Bingo! I take Lipitor 10 MG, which I believe is the smallest dosage. If I were to loose 15 lbs., I would not have to take it. I did loose the 15 once and the #'s were perfect without the Lipitor. Unfortunately, the 15 lbs. found there way back home. and I'm back on it. I would say I've been on it for 5 years with no ill effects. I know that is not the case with everyone.

Tom

I have been taking Crestor 40 mg (highest dose of strongest stuff) for more than 10 years, but last year my doc lowered me to 10 mg as he thought I had some side effects. Looks like the lower dose is good enough so far, as I'm still somewhat alive.

I have serious trouble with the statins. Well over 2 years ago one of the docs put me on one, within a week I was SO ANXIOUS and had a couple of panic attacks. I freaked out in the parking lot at work. Called my friend back in LA who is a neurologist and he said STOP THE CHOLESTEROL MED IMMEDIATELY!! Took about a week to calm down. Apparently, there have even been suicides from people taking statins. Usually they go back to the doc and instead of taking them off the statins, they prescribe even MORE drugs to counteract the drugs and .... some bad things have happened.

During my workup for my recent surgery, once again a doc prescribed a statin. I started taking it and within a week, again, panic and stress and freaking out!! My cholesterol is not very high. Just one number is a tiny bit high, but the docs just go by the numbers. So I cut the dose in half. I've been taking Pravastatin now for about 4 months. 1/2 a 20 mg. tablet at bedtime and it seems okay. I have not had any bloodwork since taking it to see what the result is. So that's all TBA.

Any time taking a statin I have to be on high alert, because they make me SUPER CRAZY!!! I know, I know..... "how would you know, Tom?" It's easy. Even SUPER crazier than normal for me. :stupid:

Don takes a pretty high dose of Lipitor and has done so for years, status post triple bypass and other cardiac procedures. He has never had one bit of trouble. So side effects are all over the map. Most tolerate. Some (me) do not.

I don't take lip from anybody...oh, um?...wait....wrong subject...sorry!

rampside said:

I don't take lip from anybody...oh, um?...wait....wrong subject...sorry!

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I took it for about six months, but I got the classic muscle weakness / joint pain side effects. It was as if every joint in my arms and legs had been sprained. It took over a year for the effects to subside. I take Simvastatin now and have for several years with no side effects.

When I was younger and still doing a lot of running, I experienced a lot of leg pain, joint, & muscle problems with the Lipitor even at the low (10mg) dose. Refused to take it for some 25 years after. Did the usual ups & downs as I tried to watch my diet more carefully. Because of family history, my doctor always pushed for my going back to a low -dose Lipitor. This fall my numbers were way up (must admit, I wasn't watching what I ate too carefully for the past 6-8 mos.),and my doc had me do a cardiac calcium scoring scan in January. He didn't like the numbers that came back on that, so he ordered a stress test, complete with the nuclear imaging scans. Fortunately, those came back good, but I figured I'd consider all of it a "shot across the bow" and agreed to go back on the 10mg's of Lipitor. I'm also getting back to better eating habits. Never have quit on plenty of exercise.

It's been about two months now, and no ill effects. Since quitting the running long ago, I switched to doing a lot on the elliptical and bicycling, and that's been fine - certainly not feeling the aches and pains I got when running ( Those days are done! :redface-new

One side note: When it came time to send in my prescription, they asked if there was a Meijer pharmacy near me, as Meijer has a Lipitor program where the meds are FREE. Don't know exactly how this works (....don't think it's connected to my recent enrollment in Medicare A/B), but all I know is that every month they call and say my refill is ready and no money changes hands. Never has. If you currently take a Lipitor statin, check out this program's availability in your area with your Doc. Free is good.



I have heard good things about Crestor and checked that out; but the problem there is that the original patents on Crestor still haven't run out, so no generic form is available. The cost was prohibitive and no break from my health insurance on it either.

Bob

Hippocrates said a long time ago "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food"

Diet and exercise, exercise and diet Joe. Statins should be your last course of attack. In my worthless opinion.

I've posted my health issues enough that ya'll should know ma and statin drugs do NOT see eye to eye. The side affects isn't living.

Peace

I took red yeast rice for several years, which is a natural source of statin. Eventually, I had to move to the minimum (10mg) dose of Crestor. No side effects to report, and my cholesterol is in acceptable limits.

I just took an hour-long bike ride and forgot all about statins....so thanks for all the input, guys.
The rest of the story is, my doc wrote out a prescription and I picked it up, but I've had second and third thoughts and lots of friends saying "don't do it." So, I've decided to hold off and focus.

Chicken stir-fry over brown rice and a nice cab for dinner....onward. :friendly_wink:

Cheers,
Joe

killdeer43 said:

I just took an hour-long bike ride and forgot all about statins....so thanks for all the input, guys.
Chicken stir-fry over brown rice and a nice cab for dinner....onward. :friendly_wink:
Cheers,
Joe

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Smart choice. Diet and exercise.

Yep, it was discussed with my doctor, I said give me a chance to change my diet, which I did. Got the cholesterol down by 30% in 6 months. It's up a little again, but I told him I will deal with it, and that a statin is a last resort.

I take enough meds because of my kidney transplant. I am cautious about mixing too many together. IMHO, doctors are too quick to prescribe meds. But my doctor is pretty good regarding "choices" and letting patients decide.

walrus

There are some cons. Some have been mentioned. I'm sure there are others. The pro is..... they lower your cholesterol. If you need your cholesterol lowered, then they'll do the job. And many people take them with no problem. The only way you'll know if you have a negative reaction to them, is to take them.

Crestor 40 mg for probably around 10 years also. Never have has a bypass or a stint, but did have a small partial blockage diagnosed when I started taking it. The only real knock I've read/heard, and may actually notice on statins is that they can break down the joints over time and cause joint pain. Supposedly, statins deplete B12 and it's a good thing to take supplemental vitamins.....which I've done for years. The pros? If you take them, and exercise, you cut your blockage risk dramatically.

West

CA-35 said:

Smart choice. Diet and exercise.

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+1

Meds address the symptoms.
You're the only one that can address the root cause: What you put in your mouth, and keeping the calories burning going.

The number one issue I observe with American diet, (IMO) is the lack of variety. Folks ALWAYS eat the same stuff.
Oh!.. and for your crying out loud: Stop raising your kids on soda with food.... Drink water! (Or a Cab here and then as Joe is suggesting... great antioxydant source )

bluesypicky said:

+1

The number one issue I observe with American diet, (IMO) is the lack of variety. Folks ALWAYS eat the same stuff.
Oh!.. and for your crying out loud: Stop raising your kids on soda with food.... Drink water! (Or a Cab here and then as Joe is suggesting... great antioxydant source )

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I've always been a picky eater but I'm also pretty bored with what I find myself eating. I mean, there's absolutely nothing, no place, anywhere near where we live that we can even get home cooked meals. There's just fast food. Personally I've been eating more vegetables. Never been my favorite really but I've learned how to spice 'em up.

Statins I've taken tore me up. I couldn't walk to the mailbox and back without getting tired and having to stop and rest. I broke out in hives. The pains in my legs were awful. I've taken every Rx statin there is and side affects came with them all. I took so called natural statins with the same results. The only thing I take now is my diabetic medication and I'm not too happy having to do that but it's unavoidable. Cholesterol is just fine. BP is excellent. My knees are falling apart but hell man, ya can't have everything. Decent food would be great though.

Peace

I've been on Zocor for so long that there was no generic version when I started. 10+ years, maybe? No effects that I am aware of other than what the blood tests tell my doctor. Two issues. First there are studies in the literature that show a statin by itself does not work but a statin plus niacin works well. Second there is a genetic component to the effectiveness of statins by themselves and if you have a particular genetic marker the literature suggests statins alone will do nothing for you.

I'm old enough to remember when margarine was hailed as the "healthy" alternative to butter - despite the fact that margarine was mostly partially-hydrogenated oil which we now know is deadly. I remember seeing physicians in magazine ads claiming health benefits from Chesterfield cigarettes even. Times have changed since then, and they continue to change.

Fat and cholesterol aren't the enemy - the study published in the 60s that linked fat to heart disease has recently been discredited because the author had cherry picked data to support his theory that there is a link. In fact, some very smart folks have spoken up and suggest we should turn the food pyramid upside down, getting most of our calories from nutrient-dense foods like fats, cheese, etc. and severely limiting our grain intake. All grain contains phytic acid - an anti-nutrient - and we don't make the enzyme needed to digest it, so it carries iron, calcium, zinc and magnesium out of our body. Not good...

I'm happy that statins work for some of you, but I'd never add pharmaceuticals to my daily diet because some numbers from a test don't match what "normal" is supposed to be. A close read of most current pharmaceutical labels often lists side effects that, if you experience them, are much worse than the original problem the drug was prescribed for.

It's a crazy world out there...!