and here is another with more horror!

http://www.askapatient.com/viewratin...445&name=ZETIA

I notice that many of the people who are posting take both Zetia and
a statin.

I wonder if some of the side effects are the result of the lower cholesterol itself and not the drug? Cholesterol provides benefits to the body..and is not the "devil" the drug industry has painted it.

I am still going to try the Zetia (I haven't filled the Rx yet tho)...and try it.
Today I could not get Rx list .com to load this drug. Wonder why?

Niacin remains the only other alternative.
Other natural ones are
soluble fiber
Niacin (which causes the flush and needs periodic liver tests).

Good news about the lump, enjoy yer vacation. The Zetia and statin thing was one I found over 2-3 yrs ago when you steered me to Zetia. most of the info I saw had it combined for a 'kick' effect when the statin wasn't doing enough- rather than increase the statin, they piled on zetia. That's why I had to twist my doc's arm about it, she was sold on Lipitor (thought it should be a food additive for the world) ans was surprised and thought twice about the whole thing when the Zetia alone did the job for me. I wasn't a major problem, just a 245 that Lipitor brought down to 125, but the Zetia brought it to 130 or so. She was surprised (thought it was only to be used in combination w/Lipiyor when high numbers (300 and more) were evident, and had a doubt or two removed.

Ask your doctor why people with high cholesterol have longer life spans than those with lower cholesterol levels.

mrsD recommended I post this question in this thread, as it might have to do with parathyroid problems, so here goes!

I had to have my thyroid removed back in January. Now, all my life I've had problems with leg cramps if I drank too much milk or ate too much cheese, etc., but after the surgery, the doctors wanted me to take calcium, so I started getting serious about taking it. The muscle cramps started after a couple of days and got progressively worse, till even the muscles in my arms were spasming. My toes were curling! I have heart rhythm problems and that got worse also. Anyway, I realized the cramps started after I began taking the calcium so I stopped for a few days, then the cramps faded. I started the calcium up again and the same thing happened; I repeated a couple more times just to be sure. mrsD suggested contacting the endo to be tested for parathyroid problems. I'm thinking now, the parathyroid thing has been going on for many years due to the milk problems.

Also, after reading some of the comments on this thread, something else occurred to me. While in the military, I was assigned to two different installations that are now major Superfund sites (researched this due to multiple medical people asking me if I'd been exposed to radiation) but since I was not in the Middle East during the depleted uranium usage, I didn't think anymore about it. Until...I found a listing for a "minor" nuclear "incident" at one of the installations I was at, during the time I was there. So I guess the thing I'm wondering is, could that have aggravated what was originally a fairly minor parathyroid problem?

Like many of you, I was on statins for many years and had worsening leg pain with no obvious source, so after hearing scuttlebutt about it, I did some research and decided to quit taking it. I had eaten a good diet (almost no eggs, butter, low-fat milk, careful about all fats) had still not been able to get my cholesterol levels below 180, so I'm now on niacin, and have developed lesions on my liver, which the doctors say are benign and aren't concerned about, but I have pain in my upper right side almost continually now, on top of everything else! I'm 57 and am almost chairbound and helpless. I've had three mini-strokes and have the short-term memory and retention ability of a five-year-old, so I'm getting really frustrated dealing with just getting quality healthcare from the VA.

Anything the members can suggest to help me get a bead on getting some quality of life back would be super-appreciated! I take so many different medications that it's a challenge just to keep track of what I've taken and what not, and getting refills, etc. So, set me straight, guys and gals!!! Thanks a million in advance! Dawn

This is the link to the parathyroid thread:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ht=parathyroid

I would like to know what drugs you take now.
SSRIs can cause muscle cramping too. This is due to their effects on lowering dopamine during long term use.

I'd also suggest heavy metal screening...with your military background. Also all the vaccines you have had?

Hi Dawn,

If you suspect you have a parathyroid problem, you could have a blood test (PTH) and see what results you get. There are some other blood tests that go hand in hand with the PTH. What are your calcium levels?

Cholesterol is not just from one's diet, our bodies make it. Some people over produce cholesterol no matter how restricted their diet.

Muscle cramps can have a range of causes. One frequent cause is dehydration so be sure you stay hydrated.

Pain in your right side? Do you have gallstones? An ultrasound could rule that out.

What does your doc say about your symptoms?

Hope you find all the answers you seek. Good luck in your quest. Let us know what you doc has to say.

I have an enlarged thyroid I had an aspiration 2 yrs ago I did not feel a thing The dr was great I am supposed to have another ultrasound done but my neck is so messed up now with arthritis I have not done that It involves leaning your neck back for a period of time.

Hope you do ok with your testing etc It is always something it seems.

Darn it, did I still not get to the right thread? LOL, please bear with me, I'm a little befuddled! mrsD, the med list is pretty long, let's see: levothyroxin 75mg/day, omeprazole 80mg/day, metaprolol 150mg/day, propafenone 100mg/day, fish oil, calcium 600mg/vitD400mg/day, gabapentin 600mg 3/day, methocarbamol 1000mg 3/day, niacin 500mg/day, cetirizine 10mg/day, hyoscyamine 0.125mg prn, Lortab 7.5 3/day. I have a prescription for Soma but can't take it unless I stop taking the pain med, so I just don't take it often, but needless to say, anything that causes me additional muscle spasms I don't tolerate very well at all. Calcium level in August was 9.2. They didn't test for magnesium but thyrotropin was 2.97, if that helps. That's the stimulating hormone, isn't it? Shouldn't they know what the exact T3/T4 levels are? Didn't test for that though.

Yes, they had me on an SSRI for several years, but I couldn't really tell that it improved my mood at all, and dried my mouth so bad I could barely talk. I originally had the disc collapse about 6 years ago and went downhill pretty quickly. The VA had me on SSRIs for depression/PTSD, but when my health had deteriorated to the point that I could no longer work in my profession, I was in even worse shape emotionally and going down fast. Then I started reading about SSRIs and quit them immediately, and bingo! I started adjusting. The withdrawal was a little rough, but hey, I was alive and not planning my funeral. Now, I wouldn't recommend those at all, I really feel they almost drove me mad.

When I could no longer work at all, I just tried to develop some hobbies and read more, and learn what my new limitations were. From reading and researching, I'm thinking my doctors are averaging about 15 years behind the rest of the medical community, so getting up-to-date information seems to be up to me. Thank goodness I have this forum now, I can read what is happening to others like me and how they have handled it, what works for them.

They took my gallbladder a couple of years ago, I did have stones, but it didn't stop the pain. LOL, Mom says we have a family history of gallstones so it would have been a problem eventually anyway! Thanks for the well-wishes, I'll try to keep ya'll up to date on the VA saga, as it unfolds. Sometimes it's like a soap-opera!