Re: Crestor....

I think you should inform yourself whether this is a good idea for you before you decide to take it.

You can have a "Lipoprotein a" test to see if you have that risk factor. (it is genetic and some believe predictive of cardiac problems)

I'd suggest you read the link I put up on the "Drugs that may cause PN" post in the Subforum above. The newest link has the statistics of benefit you can perhaps hope to achieve with a statin (which is pretty low).
http://www.naturalnews.com/028988_st...e_effects.html

One factor that will raise cholesterol like that is low thyroid functions. Often elevated cholesterol is the first sign of that.

It is your decision after all. But with no other risk factors, or close relatives with heart attack/stroke, I'd wait and see myself.

Uff dah! That is high.

MRSD what is the scoop on that new prescription made from fish oil....foo, I can't remember the name, but it is basically highly concentrated fish oil....any one know the name? Would that maybe be less 'bad' than a statin? Darn, can't remember the name...

My platelets were on the higher side, still not too high by lab standards, altho my lab says high, at 389....

359 is the cut off at my lab. I saw 450 was the cut off when I did research.

I don't even want to see my cholesterol. ugh.

Found it...."Lovaza".

Good to know Cyclelops... my primary doctor does like natural remedies if possible... I will ask her about Lovaza and also do a bit of research.

171 is not that high for triglycerides. Really high numbers go up to 1000 (highest in those young people taking Accutane!!)...but many have high triglycerides.

Mine hover around 150. They used to be near 400, but fish oil took them down.

There are two forms of LDL... the regular tests do not distinguish between the two. Regular LDL is not thought to be as dangerous as VLDL which is a tiny fat globule which can get into the insides of blood vessels. So asking for a breakdown test to see how much of that high LDL is really the dangerous kind, can help you decide about that Crestor.

Fish oil is very good for lowering triglycerides, but it does not do much for LDL levels. It might help raise HDL some too.

http://patientsville.com/medication/...de_effects.htm
This website gives alot of information gathered on side effects reported for drugs. Some are FDA medwatch reports as well.
Crestor is the only statin that had deaths reported during its clinical trials. And for a long time Consumer watch groups tried to get it taken off the market. In fact the company who makes it didn't even research it much....after it was released it cause many liver damage reports, and it was discovered THEN that doses for Crestor have to be adjusted for certain patients with liver enzyme anomalies, which are more common in Asian patients. So it has a built in toxicity potential other statins don't have. Not all persons who react this way are Asian however, so it is like Russian Roulette, IMO.
http://www.onlinelawyersource.com/cr...r-failure.html
The various risks are detailed accurately at this link.

Since Cymbalta is also liver toxic, I'd not take it with Crestor.

Thanks for the info MrsD. My poor liver is always on the defensive... sometimes my enzymes are elevated. I also have a "fatty liver". This round of testing showed a bit of elevation with ALT at 68 (6-40) and albumen slightly elevated at 5.4 (3.6-5.1), others are borderline. Dag, maybe the meds I already take may be causing this... Thanks for the head's up on thyroid. This study has been done several times and then repeated and it appears to be okay...

I am really on the fence about Crestor. Actually, my triglycerides are much lower this round. Last testing showed them to be 368 (20-149). I think I will try the natural approach first with 3 g/day fish oil and CoQ10. I am taking fish oil now, but not enough at 1,200 mg/day. I do not take Cymbalta, but I do take Savella. I have repeat labs due January 2011, I will ask my primary doc about the VLDL...

Mere, did they look for primary billary cirrhosis... if I remember you had a +ANA? Just a thought, since you mentioned liver.

ugh, I suppose I should go and get my cholesterol with breakdown....this is all getting way too complex these days.

I don't really know Cyclelops... my bilirubin is normal though. Sorry about fanning the top of this can of worms. Don't you just love it... always something to be concerned about.

Sounds like a plan Mere.

Thanks Kitt, great quotations you share...

Here is one I saw when I was in Chicago and liked...

"Success is not forever, and failure isn't fatal" - Don Shula

I am not a big sports person, but I do like this quotation.