finding non statin fixes
 

I had a heart attack in july '13 and have been prescribed various statins which i've tried to take, despite major misgivings about the disastrous impact they have on PN.

Because I have tried both lipitor & crestor with horrible results, my cardiologist to try pravastatin. I did, and it's no better than the first two.

So here's my problem: I made a pact with him to try it for 2 weeks & if it's still intolerable, he will consider non statins. But I have the distinct sense that he's upset at having to deviate from the cardiology playbook.

I was hoping that a PNer who's faced a similar dilemma can point me to some non statin fixes.

There will be the new cholesterol replacement soon, as they are
just leaving trials. They are injectables, however, but the jury
is out about long term toxicity potential. They are not statins.
http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-man...-early-promise


If I were you I'd get the lipo a and b testing, and also c-reactive protein. Lipo a if low is a very good predictor of non-cardiac risk.
Lipo b is more difficult. Lipo a is genetically driven, so you don't need to redo this test if low.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-density_lipoprotein

If you absolutely have to do a statin, make a deal for Crestor 5mg twice a week. Then get tested. You may not get the horrible side effects and you may see improvement enough to satisfy your doctor, for now. There are studies showing this low dose does reduce cholesterol enough.

Lower triglycerides with fish oil or krill oil, and avoid ice cream and high fatty foods. (some good fats are allowed.) Triglycerides IMO and from what I have read, are much worse than cholesterol numbers.

Red Yeast rice is not a option, because it has statins in it.
Really you need to read or watch Stephanie Seneff's papers and YouTubes. Basically she is researching what cholesterol really means in our biology...something that the drug industry DID NOT DO...and her information is very different from what doctors have been told.

several people i know have improved their cholesterol and triglycerides signicantly by take Cayenne Pepper capsules, 500 mg 40,000 heat units 3x a day. their numbers are still dropping 6 month after starting.

Hi Antonina,

I, too, have cardiac issues and intolerance to almost every statin I tried which was many. I am now taking Crestor with very little problem and fantastic results. Sorry to hear Crestor is also a problem for you as I found it is the best thing on the market, at least for me. mrsD's comments were great. My doc orders the lab tests she mentioned and monitors them as needed.

Maybe the low dose and less frequency of Crestor suggested by mrsD may work for you.

Wishing you the best.

My wife has been controlling/lowering her cholesterol with niacin for a couple years now. She didn't like being on statins either, so made a deal with our doctor. Her numbers are down and our doctor is fine with it.

Doc

in the news today, eat an apple....

Increasing soluble fiber in the diet... like pectin (apple) or
psyllium seed (Metamucil) can absorb excess cholesterol that is excreted by the bile. It helps a little. But the liver synthesizes more cholesterol if the diet is low in it. This is why dietary control often does not change things much.

Cholesterol is not the enemy....inflammation is.

I have not had the same dilemma as I did not have a heart attack. I did however have high cholesterol and PN. I already knew that statins are bad news for PN patients, and a quick 1 week experiment made it clear that for me they were a bad choice as well (ouch!).

Now, the following is not "advice", it is purely my own experience, so anecdotal, with n = 1. It is however 100% accurate, with no hearsay, and with blood tests backing it up.

Although I wasn't too worried about the cholesterol, I did want to eat as healthy as possible, with the intention of reducing (unneeded) inflammation as much as possible. I hoped - and this turned out to be the case - that this would reduce my PN pains.

After 6 months I had - almost inadvertently - lowered my LDL (by 40%) and increased my HDL (by 25%). What was more spectacular however was that I had reduced my triglycerides by 66 %. As noted in another thread, my GP hardly believed her eyes, and was ready to declare me "risk free" - even though my total cholesterol was still relatively high.

I am not going to name or suggest a specific diet, but I can say that.

• I completely stopped eating processed foods
• I reduced my sugar (well, fructose) intake by 90%
• I used olive oil exclusively
• I used fresh produce
• I ate mostly lean meats and avoided simple carbs
• I also reduced the more "complex" carbs in the form of wheat products
• I made sure I ate lots of fiber from veggies and fruits
• I used lots of fresh garlic, ginger, and turmeric
• I ate quite a few vegetables and fruits from my own garden, and from the garden of a friend in Tuscany
• I ate lots and lots of chili peppers
• I tried to eat fresh fruit every day, and tried to avoid those with a lot of fructose in them. Lots of berries.
• I ate a lot of nuts (not peanuts) like macademia and walnuts
• I drank only water and coffee
• I did not avoid "fatty foods" and used real butter, real eggs in moderation
• I did allow myself some french fries every week to keep it "real"
• I spent every waking hour outside throughout spring and summer to catch some sun
• After a while I felt energized and put in a lot of effort to keep moving
• I tried to reduce stress as much as humanly possible
• I did not count calories
• I took low dose aspirin (50mg/day)
• I took high dose high fish oil (9.000 mg of DHA/EPA daily)

This "list" was based on my own understanding of books about the Zone diet, the paleo diet, the work of Dr. Lustig on sugar, but also the common sense book "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. And, not to forget, reading around in this very forum.

As a result, as noted in another thread, I lost 75 pounds, and a blood panel that seemed rather pleasing to my doc. ;)

Would this work for you? I don't know, everyone is different. I'm not even sure what is most relevant from the above list (and maybe I am not including something that is vitally important!). What is clear though is that diet and lifestyle can be a powerful tool. Like Mrs. D. I tend to believe that cholesterol is not the real problem - I like the analogy of seeing firefighters at a fire and concluding that they must be causing them - and inflammation is. More and more doctors seem to agree on that. My own body seems to agree too. ;) The proof is in the... eh... current absence of pudding.

Statins do work in that they do seem to prevent heart attacks from recurring. But that might be because they reduce inflammation in a very crude way, not because they lower cholesterol. If that is indeed the case - and I think it is - then there are better ways to reduce inflammation without risking the damage that statins can clearly do.

I hope this helps you in some way.

I have read that older people need their numbers for cholesterol to be higher to keep their minds working well for them.

Anyone who has arguments with their doctor on statins:

Copy the photo of the damaged neurons that was released recently. That ought to sober the doctor up and allow you to
refuse.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0510150143.htm

My doctor just enters into my file...."refuses statin therapy"...and
she is then absolved of liability.

Ask your doctor if he would give a drug that causes diabetes? Or memory loss (similar to Alzheimer's).
That is what statins do, in addition to killing cells and causing PN and other organ damage.
Pulmonary damage:
http://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/1...C#.UrNZ0PtgJ8M

I don't know if anyone caught the lastest news, but now they
are removing some blood pressure goals for older patients.
This has been brewing for a couple of years...the overtreatment of mild hypertension, which is causing falls and injuries commonly and not really extending life.

As soon as Crestor leaves patent protection, we will see even more anti-statin, negative outcomes made public. The truth will out.

just want to thank everyone for the great ideas/suggestions/information.i really appreciate the attention you all have paid to this issue.

so true that the culprit is inflammation...my crp was elevated. don't recall how high.

i wish there were a dietary equivalent of the exercise program i'm enrolled in. my eating habits are getting better but i need some kind of ongoing hand-holding support to help with food choices.

to call the doc's attention to the newest cholesterol thinking & other current research would most surely not go over.

maybe a brand new cardio would be a first step out of the statin dilemma!! but
i hate to start a search for someone new...i picked him so i would have access to the hospital he admits to. unbelievably, this hospital does not permit doctor-shopping so i could not switch from the current one.

thanks again for all the help!

Hi Antonia,

Changing from a current doctor to another—with a clean break (a.k.a. change of care)—is not doctor shopping; the hospital should not object lest you take your business elsewhere. (You may not wish to, but they don't know that! ;))

How to Change Doctors

10 reasons why you need to change doctors

9 Signs You Should Fire Your Doctor

How to Change Doctors

Doc

dr s:
 

this hospital has insanely rigid policies.

the last time I tried switching I had to jump thru major hoops...ie, explaining to doc why I was firing her...all messy & extremely cringe-inducing. And because their cardiology dept. is very tiny, a switch is even more unlikely.

I think it's either stay put or walk. I have an app't with a new cardio in a new hospital in Jan. Gonna see if he's more flexible.

is it hospital for special surgery?

I don't know the specifics, and don't need to. There may possibly be redress in the NYS Patient Bill of Rights, which every hospital in NYS is bound by (among other laws, rules, regs, etc.).

New York State Patients' Bill of Rights - Revised July 2010

I'm thinking items 14 & 17 may apply, but you'd know better than I.

Best wishes on finding better care.

Doc

no it isn't. i don't mean to act coy but i'd rather not name names. i have no problem discussing hss however.

about 5 years ago i was treated @ hss for a broken wrist and come to think of it, i tried to switch docs at that time but when i showed up for the new doc's app't, he scolded me for not staying with the original one. i was taken aback and wondered why i was not entitled to a second opinion. needless to say, i did not go back to either one. i guess the thinking is that they must unite against an attack by a mutual enemy....the patient!

btw, i have not been impressed with hss over the past 30 years (broken ankle, ruptured disk, etc.) and cannot understand the high ratings they garner.

me either. if my wife had listened to their doctors she would have lost her leg. doctor at Hospital for joint diseases on 17 st saved her leg

you were very lucky to have found a competent ortho! glad you escaped the clutches of hss. so much for their expertise....