PN and High Cholesterol Question from a Newbie!
 

I am 79 and twenty years ago was diagnosed with CIDP BUT was "downgraded" to peripheral neuropathy about 6 years ago and am grateful for that.
My only symptoms now are total body tingling and numbness in my feet and hands.
I also have high cholesterol (218/72) and know that these meds and PN are not compatible and I have tried some of the more popular meds over the years with bad results. For the past 6 years or so, I only take Zetia and Red Yeast Rice along with COQ10.
Here's the question - I would love to stop the Red Yeast Rice AND the Zetia and perhaps try a niacin product. I truly feel that the numbness and tingling might improve and it is worth a shot.
What's your opinion?

in my opinion 218 isnt high enough to worry about

Welcome Terri232. :Wave-Hello:

So - would you stop the Zetia and RYR??

My chol # have been 300+ since 2003, I took Lipitor for a year back then and had all kinds of weird issues, plus a chronic RSI injury started that same year..
I take no statins at all , my dr doesn't like that but too bad... I do try to eat healthy and avoid most of the junk foods.
I suggest doing a site search here and read past posts, then decide for yourself..

Can you elaborate on those numbers?

Is the 72 your LDL?
Is the other your total?

RedYeastRice contains statins.

Try Googling Dr. Beatrice Golomb MD
Who specializes in elderly patients and
See what is being learned today about
Statins.

The zetia is not much of an issue yet
As far as I know.

I'm also not sure--
 

--what you mean when you say your diagnosis was "downgraded" to "peripheral neuropathy" from CIDP, as CIDP--chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy--IS a form of peripheral neuropathy, albeit one with somewhat specific findings on testing--if those findings aren't there it is highly unlikely that a CIDP dignosis is corect, and there are hundreds of types of neuropathy:

http://neuromuscular.wustl.edu/antib...mdem.html#cidp

There certainly are reports of neuromuscular side effects from statins--and if cholesterol is a concern one can make dietary changes and certainly try a niacin product. I too am interested as to what your 218/72 numbers represent--a total cholesterol of 218 is hardly that high (especially for someone in their eighth decade); is that your LDL number or a total number?

I am glad I am not the only one a little perplexed at the number listed in the original post. 218/72

I immediately thought it was a blood pressure reading until I read the entire post.

If the 218 represents overall cholesterol, the view on cholesterol has changed.