I don't think physiatrists will all be equal in the realm of nutrient support. It may be ginnie's experience is rather unique.

The MDs around here who are physiatrists, do not do what she describes. Chiros do however.

I think checking out an intergrative physician would be a better route to take. (sorry ginnie).
Sally here uses a physician like this. These are often M.D.s and can also address the cholesterol issue and statin use.

This search engine may help:
http://www.abihm.org/search-doctors

Yeh maybe I got lucky with the physiatrist I have. I actually researched her and questioned what her education really did. She has several more letters on the back of her name, and she did get extra education for pain management, which is what she specializes in. Also that holistic approach she believes in as much as possible. She is definately integrated medicine. Wish there were more of these kinds of doctors. I think asking the physiatrist what they do by phone maybe would be the best way for people to find out about their local doctors. Also in my community, there is a doctors referral list, that tells about each doctor in my area. Take care all. ginnie

Apparantly my vitamin D levels are fine. I have not had a heart attack. I did experience atreal fibrilation many years age, perhaps 20, due to over exertion and emotional strain.

With regard to my initial cholesterol level, maybe what I should do is get off of Lipitor just long enough for my cholesterol level to reach its unaided (by statins) level. I don't know how long that would take. I have no idea what my cholesterol was before I started taking statins 25 or 30 years back nor can I recall who my doctor was at the time.

When you say 1000 mg of the active form of B12, what do I look for at the pharmacy.

When you say an integrative doctor, are you referring to an internist?

It was my primary care doctor who got me to look into my physiatrist. The internest usually does not prescribe any pain medications. At least this is true in my neck of the woods. From there I did research and found out what her specialty was. I sure hope you find the best possible care. don't settle for someone you are not absolutely confident in. I will be thinking of you. ginnie

Thanks for your support Gennie. Since I had so much trouble finding a physiatrist who emphasized pain management, I started looking for doctors that are certified in pain management, at least that's what they claim. I realize that this is an area that many people can be taken advantage of because they are desperate. I have been living with this problem for some time and I have adjusted to it because I believed there was no solution. I will find the right doctor. I have the motivation, the time and the skills. I used to do research for a living.

I bought Nature's Bounty, Quick Dissolve, Advanced Active Form B-12 Methylcobalamin 1000 mcg/preconverted Bioavailable Form. I hope that's the right one. What a mouthful.

Yes, Nature's Bounty is fine... take it on an empty stomach..always. This is the first excursion into a local pharmacy that I know of. 6mos ago you'd still have to get it online.

Costco has their own brand now, too.. a big bottle of 5mg. Since hubby and I both use it twice a week at the 5mg dose, this saves us more money than even Puritan's did!

I think it takes about 3 months for cholesterol to return to pre-statin levels. Since you were on it so long...it might take longer. Typically suppressing enzymes is a problem in the body...and it can take a while for them to wake back up. There might even be a rebound effect if the body wants MORE cholesterol to get you back to its designed "normal".
It can also take a long time to recover from the PN if that is what your trigger is. We have some members here who recovered some after stopping statins, some who refused to stop the drug, and left, and some who did recover at least 50% within a year.
A poster friend of mine on the PD forum has posted some genetic studies that show some people are more prone to statin damage than others. If you search "statins" on there here, you'll find alot more than what I post about. The poster's ID is olsen, if that helps. We exchange links fairly often.

Because the negative effects of statins have been suppressed,
by Big Pharma... there is still a lack of enough data to give a more accurate estimate for you specifically. The CoQ-10 will help with your heart muscle and other muscles, but the jury is still out about nerve damage per se. Statins do so much damage all over sadly!

Yes, integrative MD's have been the only doctors that understand hormone balancing, autonomic neuropathy, blood testing, etc. Wonderful to have them, they keep learning safe ways to help and most important, prevention!!! That is how I found out about the infrared dome hothouse.

After my father died of a heart attack in 1987, I had a complete physical. While we could find no record of what my cholesterol was at the time, my wife and I independantly remember that it was north of 300. If I stopped taking statins at this time for say, one month, I suspect that my cholesterol would return to an even higher level due to my age. I'm just guessing. In any case going cold turkey is out of the question. So what would you, or if I could find someone more knowledgeable, recommend my maximum should be?Is there some kind of expert but unbiased physician that could recommend a more or less safe but reduced level? I don't of course want to get rid of the neuropathy just to have a heart attack a year after I reduce my Lipitor intake,for example, to 20mg.

I am having the same problem with finding a doctor that specializes in intergrative medicine that I had in looking for one that specializes in physiatry. So I'm back to looking for one with some decent credentials that specializes in pain manageament. As I said before, it's a field that is ripe for exploitation.

If you go off the Lipitor, you will not die instantly. It does not work that way. It is not helping control blood pressure, blood sugar or seizures.

It takes time to develop clogged arteries. When you go off, get retested and see what your level is. If it is high to you, Then you can start at 5mg a day for a couple of months and see if that works. Dr. Jay Cohen recommends this approach in his cholesterol book. He believes that the drugs today are given in much too high a dose, and that lower doses can work.

This is his book:
http://www.amazon.com/about-Statin-D...en+Cholesterol
This is not expensive and a very useful helpful book.
It might guide you enough for you to make a better informed
decision.

For example, new studies using the potent Crestor, have shown that only 5mg TWICE A WEEK lower cholesterol enough for most patients.

Have you stopped sugar and bad carbs? They really make cholesterol much worse. When I stopped, all of my numbers came down.