Who is on high cholesterol medication?
 

My email is bombarded each day with possible MS medications. Here is the newest.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articl.../01/821427.htm

"Treatment with simvastatin (the drug's generic name) nearly halved the number of inflammatory lesions in the brains of sufferers of multiple sclerosis (MS), Dr Timothy Vollmer told the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Hawaii earlier today."

it claims this medication is proven to reduce the number of lesions. hey look it has pics and everything.

So my question is if anyone here is on this drug for their cholesterol and if they have had any significant changes shown on their MRis.

It is not new...about Cholesterol drugs helping wih MS....but along with some help, may come horrible side effects...like muscle weakness and more.

I never tried them....too skeered of sx.:rolleyes:

I drink promise active "super shots" to keep my cholesterol under control. It works!!

I agree with Sally, controlling it naturally is the way to go. I cut out trans fats, lowered saturated fats and increased the good fats. My cholesterol is about 220 but mostly because my good cholesterol is high.

I wouldn't want to use those meds to treat my MS, too many side effects.

I take simivistatin for high cholesterol (20 mg per day). I have not had a problem with it which is great considering all of the reactions and side effects I have had with other drugs. Controlling cholesterol naturally does not always work. There is also a hereditary factor. All of my older siblings also have high cholesterol. My mother who is 80 and weighs about 120 lbs has always eaten a very healthy diet. And she has had high cholesterol for years.

Luckily, simivistatin has helped me to lower my cholesterol. Any benefits regarding a reduction in the the number of lesions is unknown. But it would be great if it is helping. I would actually consider raising my dosage if there is a true benefit.

I take simvastatin, 40 mg, because my cholesterol, which had always been normal (though on the high end of normal) SKYROCKETED when I hit menopause or shortly thereafter. It can do that.

The drug brought my cholesterol down nicely with no side effects whatsoever. (I have had muscle achiness for almost 20 years, but it doesn't seem to have gotten worse on the drug.)

I haven't had a brain MRI since 2003 (had small nonspecific spots) and am not diagnosed with anything, so can't tell you whether it made any change in my brain even if I did have MS.

Nancy T.

weird stuff since 99? You mean your body was not Y2K compliant? :D

Boy did I read the title of this thread WRONG! :D

I was wondering how one gets high on cholesterol medication and what sort of weird body chemistry would make it work like that!:p

I do the same as Wiz, natural control. I eat a diabetes diet most of the time since the fiance is a diabetic, and I have never had a high cholesterol reading, my goods are higher than my bads and the trigs are right where they should be.

I also read all the stuff on Lipitor and MS and the dose was very high before they saw a benefit. The man is on 80mg of Lipitor daily and I think that is a high dose!

Jim takes simvastatin and is doing fine on it and has no side effects that we are aware of. He's been on it since 2003. His MRI in 2003 showed one active lesion. His last MRI, last year, was void of any active lesions. He's never had a MRI with no active lesions, ever in 21 years of having ms.

Not sure if it has anything to do with simvastatin but we'll take it! Now, if only we could figure out which strange drug could cure the lingering symptoms. :rolleyes:

RW, LMAO!

Cholesterol was always in 'good' range (175) before that first exacerbation. Then it shot up to 223. My neuro at the time said when the myelin gets stripped, it's dumped in the bloodstream as cholesterol. Was put on simvistatin. Cholestrol has dropped but I can't say if it's helped with lesions/ms related stuff.

But if it does I'm grateful!

Thankyou thankyou thankyou...Every day I've come online, I've read "Who is high on Cholesterol medicine"..It catches me every time. :o

I have been on Lipitor for several years. It never mattered what diet I ate or how much or little I exercised, my cholesterol was always between about 205 and 230. Since I started 20 mg Lipitor, it has never been above 140. I have never really noticed any side effects from it, and I have never had any explicit symptoms since my first episode (although I did have extra lesions show up w/o symptoms attached), so I have no idea whether it is the Lipitor or the Copaxone doing it.

I am one of the people who got the very rare side effects from taking simivastatin last year. I developed muscle and nerve damage to my thighs. I was on Avonex weekly injections at the time and the statin went directly to the weaken muscle site of my injections.

I started Zoxor (simivastatin) in April and 4 days later after my Avonex injection, I had strong, awful pain. I had no idea what it was and thought it was either a reaction to Avonex or my MS acting up. When I saw my Neuro in July, I forgot to tell her about the new med for cholesterol. She took me off of Avonex immediately and said she had never seen damage like this to both thighs. A few days after my visit, I called to let her know I started Zocor and I was told to stop taking it immediately.

My Cardiologist said no more statin drugs for me ever. I am now taking 1000mgs of non flush Niacin daily. If the Niacin doesn't work, there is one drug that is a non statin but not generic. I will take it and apply for patient assistance through the drug company.

The generic Zocor lowered my cholesterol dramatically but I now have permanent muscle and nerve damage to my thighs.

You are too funny! LOL:):):):D:D

Funny you should say that!

I lost the hearing suddenly in my left ear on July 2, 1999.

I had surgery to fix a presumed membrane tear in the ear on December 21, 1999.

But it didn't work... so I went around telling everyone that I was not Ear 2000 compliant! :D

Nancy T.

Seriously, Moose?? I NEVER heard this before! Do you think it's really true?

It's kind of hard to believe, because then wouldn't they be looking at people's old and new cholesterol levels when trying to diagnose MS in unclear cases? Wouldn't they then want all MSers to have their cholesterol checked to make sure it's not too high from demyelination?

(But I admit... I've secretly wondered whether even if I DO have MS--which I prolly don't, but maybe I do, who the h knows--maybe the reason it's stayed so very mild is because I eat a lot of food that's bad for me!! All that fat keeps those nerves remyelinated? :D)

Nancy T.

Yes, beautiful. I wouldn't lie to you. I've said many times my disdain for doctors, but I really liked this guy. He was top notch. As far as it being true for all MSers... Who knows?

***Moose loves vegetables, and onions and garlic (natures cholesterol fighters) were always on my menu. I once ordered a foot long sub sandwich with just cheese and vegetables and the little girl giggled that she "had never seen a guy my size order that". ---Yes, before MS and The Wreck I was thinner and had some muscle tone. I told her I was all bound up and needed some fiber for a push. HA!

Ahem. Pre MS/first exacerbation I was at 175. NO change in diet but 6 months after that first attack, my numbers shot up to 223. I asked him about it, and that's what he told me.

Very interesting. I can't remember my exact numbers, but one year my bad cholesterol was at just a borderline level, and at the next measurement it had about doubled. I was aghast, and assuring my internist that I hadn't changed my diet, and certainly not to a solid menu of milkshakes!!

Keep eating that garlic--it's supposed to be real good for you. Its magical properties seem unbounded--by hubby used to rub it on his head regularly, claiming it kept his hair from falling out, until I FINALLY managed to convince him that I'd rather have a sexy bald guy than a stinky one with a few hairs on top of his head!! (The handsomest actor ever is Patrick Stewart, in my book.) I never stopped him from eating garlic, though, because I know it's so good for you.

Well, I'll keep my cloves, er, eyes peeled for any more info on demyelination and cholesterol!

Have a great weekend,

Nancy T.