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Statin Question?

Hi Folks. I haven't posted in a long time but have a question about statins.

About 4 months ago my cardiologist put me on 50 mg of pravastatin because he felt my cholesterol was borderline. Keep in mind that my cholesterol has always been that way for the past 10-15 years and which my primary doctor has always told me just to watch my diet and exercise. It was my first trip to see the cardiologist.

My PN started almost 16 years ago and I have been controling it with meds, supplements and water aerobics. But lately, the pain/burning in my heals and soles has become much worse. I kind of blamed it on the demolition of my bathroom which agravated my low back and usually seems to work in unison with the PN.

But now I'm beginning to wonder if the pravastatin could be part of the problem? Also, if I must stay on the statin, I assume I should be taking CoQ10, which I have not been doing at this point.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I found this today. A mention of this researcher was made on another forum here, so I searched her on Google.

This is her site, and it is very worth reading, as she analyzes the research data without financial bias:

http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/
detail from the site: How statins REALLY work:
http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/w...ally_work.html

This is an interview with her and Dr. Mercola that I haven't viewed yet--- too busy today--- but will view very soon.

Part 1 of 7:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QUChSlUEH0
I think it is 90 minutes in all.

Dr. Seneff explains how statins damage people. (this is information drug companies withhold from you and me and your doctors).

You absolutely MUST do CoQ-10... preferably aqueous type, which is water soluble, Q-gel or the new water soluble Ubiquinol. I am using
100mg of the latter and so far am seeing lots of improvements in stamina and energy. The water soluble ones don't need high doses like the oil/softgel type, and 100mg a day may be all you need. Without it you risk much, including heart muscle damage.

Quote:

Originally Posted by atltom (Post 870895)

About 4 months ago my cardiologist put me on 50 mg of pravastatin because he felt my cholesterol was borderline.

Only borderline? Please look into controlled-release niacin, and ask your doctor about giving it a trial. You can google it and/or search NT for cholesterol statin niacin.

It controls my wife's cholesterol as well as the statin they had her on. Beware of prescription Niaspan; controlled/slow-release niacin (same thing) can be gotten OTC for 1/10 the cost. ;)

Doc

The question is not "which drug to take".... but whether you need ANY drug at all!

Please take the time to read Dr. Seneff and watch her videos.

Then make your decision.

Dr. Smith, Yes, borderline. My last 6 years average is 191 cholesterol, 41 HDL, 125 LDL AND 119 Triglycerides. I guess out of all of them the LDL is actually borderline.

The more I think about it perhaps the doc may have been influenced by the fact that both my 90 yr old Mother and 68 yr old sister are both on Lipitor.

But I will look into the controlled-release niacin. Thanks.

The C- reactive Protein test is an important test. The inflammation is at least or more important that cholesterol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by atltom (Post 870989)

Dr. Smith, Yes, borderline. My last 6 years average is 191 cholesterol, 41 HDL, 125 LDL AND 119 Triglycerides. I guess out of all of them the LDL is actually borderline.

My cholesterol has always been fine, but my triglycerides high, and the doctors (at the time) kept at me about fatty foods. I practically went vegetarian, and no difference. Then when I went on my current diet (high protein & fat - low carbs) for pain, my triglycerides dropped like a stone.

Some doctors are recognizing triglycerides can be due to carbs, but many still associate/connect them with high fats...

Doc

With a low borderline lipid profile you have atltom, seriously consider the negative potentials of nicotinic acid:

Quote:

Nicotinic acid

Common side effects of nicotinic acid include flushing, itching, and gastrointestinal disturbances such as nausea and vomiting. Hepatotoxicity (liver cell damage), including elevated liver enzymes and jaundice, has been observed at intakes as low as 750 mg of nicotinic acid/day for less than three months (34, 35). Hepatitis has been observed with timed-release nicotinic acid at dosages as little as 500 mg/day for two months, although almost all reports of severe hepatitis have been associated with the timed-release form of nicotinic acid at doses of 3 to 9 grams per day used to treat high cholesterol for months or years (8). Immediate-release (crystalline) nicotinic acid appears to be less toxic to the liver than extended release forms. Immediate-release nicotinic acid is often used at higher doses than timed-release forms, and severe liver toxicity has occurred in individuals who substituted timed-release niacin for immediate-release niacin at equivalent doses (33). Skin rashes and dry skin have been noted with nicotinic acid supplementation. Transient episodes of low blood pressure (hypotension) and headache have also been reported. Large doses of nicotinic acid have been observed to impair glucose tolerance, likely due to decreased insulin sensitivity. Impaired glucose-tolerance in susceptible (pre-diabetic) individuals could result in elevated blood glucose levels and clinical diabetes. Elevated blood levels of uric acid, occasionally resulting in attacks of gout in susceptible individuals, have also been observed with high-dose nicotinic acid therapy (34). Nicotinic acid at doses of 1.5 to 5 grams/day has resulted in a few case reports of blurred vision and other eye problems, which have generally been reversible upon discontinuation. People with abnormal liver function or a history of liver disease, diabetes, active peptic ulcer disease, gout, cardiac arrhythmias, inflammatory bowel disease, migraine headaches, and alcoholism may be more susceptible to the adverse effects of excess nicotinic acid intake than the general population (8).

from http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/niacin/

Your HDL's are a bit low, is all I see. The fabricated new LDL targets have been put forth by the drug companies.
Read Dr. Seneff.... for the real understanding of the stats on cholesterol:
http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/w...ally_work.html

Quote:

I would like to start by reexamining the claim that statins cut heart attack incidence by a third. What exactly does this mean? A meta study reviewing seven drug trials, involving in total 42,848 patients, ranging over a three to five year period, showed a 29% decreased risk of a major cardiac event (Thavendiranathan et al., 2006). But because heart attacks were rare among this group, what this translates to in absolute terms is that 60 patients would need to be treated for an average of 4.3 years to protect one of them from a single heart attack. However, essentially all of them will experience increased frailty and mental decline, a subject to which I will return in depth later on in this essay.

This is another link to Dr. Seneff:

http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/s...ink_twice.html

Why a person should think twice before starting a statin therapy.