Please give me your opinion ... I have mutation for MTHFR C677T (homozygous), cholesterol 246, which has gone down to 160 with Simvastatin, hypertension, vasculitis caused by lyme, fam. history of stroke. Would you take statin drugs?
Stopped it for a couple months and my muscle pain, weakness stayed exactly the same, so went back on it.
I am taking Co-Q10 with it.
Would appreciate your opinions, have no knowledgeable doctors I can ask. Thanks, in advance, Ginny
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
NO WAY I'D TAKE STATINS.
Red Yeast Rice works very well, as does Vitamin E, and Omega 3's. The combo dropped my husband's cholesterol by 100 points.
I'd also take the active form of folic acid (such as folapro) to counter the effects of the MTHFR C677T mutation.
High total cholesterol is less of a problem than if your LDL and/or VLDL level(s) is (are) high.
Vitamin E is a natural blood thinner that doesn't damage the stomach lining (unlike Aspirin or other NSAIDS).
Vitamin C increases the strength of the blood vessels (making them less prone to rupture).
Vitamin K causes calcium to go into the bones instead of depositing in the blood vessels.
Essential Fatty Acids (Fish Oil ~ Omega-3) help reduce stroke/heart attack risk by reducing inflammation in the body.
BTW, it is a misnomer that high cholesterol automatically means one is going to have a heart attack or stroke. There are a lot of variables that go into whether a person will have such an occurrance or not, and there are many who have very high total cholesterol but who have very low stroke/heart attack risk due to other lifestyle factors.
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
razzle-your knowlwdge of this subject is very helpful to me
back i am living *ell after 6 months of low dose lipitor
there have been warnings on here about them since 2004 or so
i recently brought one back up
newer easy reading on the problem can be found by searching here for rhabdomyolysis
or by googling duane graveline---he has written 3 easy to read books
statins interact with so many of the drugs we take and also do the same damage that Bb does to us...mitocondrial damage...
i was taking lg doses of coq10 and still eneded up in a walker
even if you dont get so bad you end up in hosp and almost die you do damage and then have exercise intolerance
please educate your self on it
there are a few relevent threads on it up top now because of my struggle
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
"BTW, it is a misnomer that high cholesterol automatically means one is going to have a heart attack or stroke. There are a lot of variables that go into whether a person will have such an occurrance or not, and there are many who have very high total cholesterol but who have very low stroke/heart attack risk due to other lifestyle factors." --------------
Absolutely!
Posted by back2game (Member # 23927) on :
Thank you to everyone for input. My HDL was always good and LDL was never in danger zone. My cardiol. put me on it as I have valvular heart disease.
You have made my decision easy for me ... it has been weighing on my mind for months. Did not know about the mitochondrial damage.
My poor lil' Mom is in nursing home battling end stage alzheimer's. Guess what drug she has been on since her 50's --- lipitor.
Thank you, again, for all your knowledge. God Bless All of you.
Posted by back2game (Member # 23927) on :
Must thank you all individually, Lymetoo, lpkayak, Razzle --- your knowledge is vast!
You've all opened my eyes and the risks far outweigh the benefits.
Posted by rks (Member # 24316) on :
I have heard many people say Red Yeast Rice supplements, but I did a little research (a very little actually!) and I ran across a couple sites that said Red Yeast Rice can cause the same side effects as statin drugs.
Just throwing that out there . . .
Posted by back2game (Member # 23927) on :
thanx, rks, will probably just continue with the COQ-10, E,C,flaxseed oil, for now. check the levels in a few months and go from there.
p.s...my kidney function had declined a tiny bit, so I'm soooo glad I asked this today.
Posted by rks (Member # 24316) on :
Hope the levels will stay in the good range for you. As I'm sure you know, diet and exercise helps too. : )
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
i tried the red yeast for years and it didnt hurt me but didnt change my lipid numbers
even my llmd said the diff between red yeast and lipitor is like a bandaid to major surgery
back2game
my mom was in nursing home with "abnormal onset dementia" for 7 yrs b4 she died
i know what you are going thru
remember WE are not docs...but try to read some of the books and research and make you own decidion...dont let us tell you what to do
duane graveline does recc a special diet and certain supps-but it can get complicated
thanks for the input here---i will need support for awhile i am sure
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
mercola has also written about cholesterol
Posted by Lemon-Lyme (Member # 19229) on :
Get a VAP or NMR lipoprotein test (if you haven't already). Get your hs c-reative protein tested. Also make sure you aren't Vit D deficient.
Based on risk factors, inflammation and particle sizes, then I'd recommend talking it over with your doctor and see what he/she says.
Total cholesterol is close to a meaningless number. You need the breakdown of LDL, VLDL, Lp(a), HDL, trigs, and particle sizes for each.
Posted by back2game (Member # 23927) on :
Will use this as guide for ordering labs, thanks.
My CRP fluctuates from too high back down to normal. Was Vit.D deficient and had to take mega doses for 4 weeks. Was testing normal last time they did it.
I really hate the roller coaster we have to ride every day. Trying to stay positive, but it's really tough, as you all know.
How do you really know if all the insane muscle pain and weakness is lyme or statins? Sorry, just having a very, very confusing day.
Thank you all, again, and hope you have a minimal pain day. Ginny
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
i knew it was statin when it was so severe i needed walker for 3 weeks
could NOT bare weight on left leg
i stopped lipitor that night and walked without walker in 10 hrs
now pain comes and goes depending on exercise
the statin pain is SPECIFIC
for me to an area-lower leg muscles-in patches
the same patches hurt after too much exercis
also...it is a crampy pain that gets so bad in the one area it is bad pain...then no strength in muscle and it wont hold me up
this has been describes a lot in the liturature-this specific pain
lyme pain for me moves around and can be sharp-burning-dull ache to pain...it is for sure different
i never had this lipitor pain until last aug and it comes and goes but when it comes it always is in the same place and feels the same
Posted by back2game (Member # 23927) on :
thx, lpkayak, your description helps lots. when i was on lyrica, i needed walker to get around due to muscle weakness. since getting off that, it has improved so much that i can walk about 1 block every other day. the pain is still constant, but at least i can hold myself up!
i really thought i would be in wheelchair permanently only 2 months ago.