[ewizabeth]

My doctor has suggested it the past few years because my cholesterol has been creeping up there. This time it was 244 and the LDL had gone up too. I finally gave in and agreed to start on Zocor (simvastin). I got the 20mg pills tonight. At least I won't have to worry each time I eat a piece of cheese now.

[Dejibo]

I put myself on oatmeal for breakfast at least 5 out of 7 days per week and mine fell to 189. Everyone in my family is on the pills stuff but this far I have avoided it.

Im proud of you! being pro active helps.

[mrsD]

I hope you have thought this thru, Ewiz.

Here is a thread that was on MS not too long ago.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...=remyelination

Zocor is very lipophilic and enters the brain besides making it more problematic.

[SallyC]

I had heard that too, MrsD. AT first they thought that statins were good for MS, then the **** sx hit the fan and they began studying them and found that they were not at all good for MS.

Wiz, I control my cholesterol with Benechol Margerine (about a tbsp or 2 per day). It tastes just like butter and has cholestero lowering thingys in it.

My PCP says it's working, so I'm keeping it up. There are a bunch of those chol reducing things out there now....you may not have to take Zocor, you may be able to do it with you diet?

[Kitty]

Doesn't Niacin help reduce cholesterol?

I've been eating lots of oatmeal, too, and it really has done me a lot of good. That, along with a good diet and little to no salt works well for me.

Wiz, you don't need to lose any weight, though. Yours could be genetic.

[mrsD]

Long acting Niacin does work, some. But it is hard on the liver and also raises blood sugar for some.

At 244, that is not so terrible.

At least consider replacing the CoQ-10 you lose to the Zocor, with a supplement. This will protect your heart and mitochondria.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8SSCNaaDcE

We won't be hearing much about LDL etc cholesterol in the near future. Lipitor and Crestor will be generic...no more ads. And the new HDL drug by Merck will replace all the statins. It is in the pipeline now.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/...22042020101117

Another simple thing that can lower LDL is psyllium fiber (Metamucil). Twice a day one tablespoonful.

There are studies showing people live longer with higher cholesterol. It is thought to be due to improved immune functions. Also the molecule in the skin that makes Vit D for us during sun exposure is cholesterol based.

[Kitty]

My doctor wanted to put me on something a while back....and my numbers weren't that bad I didn't think. I refused and opted to try Krill Oil. I take 1,000 mg a day of it and that seemed to do the trick. He was okay with that which made me wonder why he didn't suggest it in the first place.

[Jomar]

I got really stupid on lipitor & had extra sore muscles too.

The timing of starting it was bad - I had work injury flaring up too.
but dr wanted to do a general checkup and saw the 245 # so rx the lip.

thinking back I wonder if the lipitor brought on more of the muscle pain making my work injury worse?

other possible related things I noticed - might have been work injury or a combo of injury/lipitor
close up vision = reading mainly - blurry
some vertigo/dizziness
foggy brained - like ALZ/ADD

never really sorted it all out as I finally got good PT and quit the lipitor at about the same time.
Started feeling much better what ever the reason.

family members on both sides have high - maternal grandmom was @350
and had no heart problems at all - but did have Alz. passed @ 96

Think it over -
the pharmacist did tell me it is something you can go off of without any consequences other than the chol # will go back up.
no withdrawal - mrsD can probably clarify if I misunderstood that pharmacist.

[mrsD]

That is correct Jo...no withdrawal. Only a slow return of the cholesterol numbers.

Brain fog, memory loss is the most alarming symptom. Dr. Graveline MD from NASA had memory loss from Lipitor and wrote a book on it.

Some doctors and scientists believe this cholesterol myth was fabricated by the drug companies. And I tend to believe this myself. Google "Cholesterol Myth" and read that website for more information.

[Kitty]

Originally Posted by mrsD

Some doctors and scientists believe this cholesterol myth was fabricated by the drug companies. And I tend to believe this myself. Google "Cholesterol Myth" and read that website for more information.

Wow. I just read The Cholesterol Myth and the 9 facts at the end of the article. Scary!

I respect your opinion on these things a lot, mrsD, and just the fact that you believe this is huge to me!

My pharmacist alluded to some of the same things....and I go to him before going to my doctor when I have questions about meds!