Dr. Beatric Golomb: Recommendations & Other Info

[Dee]

Hi Pam,

I am just catching up on some forum reading, thanks for posting your experience with Dr. Golomb.

Two things I would like to comment on:

1) If I remember correctly, Bill was on the statin for some time, then was given the antidepressant? SO many folks comment about feeling "down" when taking statins, I am wondering if the statin was directly responsible for the depression? If so, what a double whammy and how tragic!

2) I was glad to see Dr. Golomb refer to sleep apnea. I developed a severe case at exactly the same time I began having problems walking. I told the neurologist I felt the statin had caused body-wide muscle damage and weakness, including the muscles in the neck/throat area. He blew off my remarks, and said there was no evidence that statins cause sleep apnea. To this day, 4 years after stopping Pravachol, I still have to use a CPAP machine.

If Bill does end up having sleep apnea, at least that can be treated. That alone will make him feel much better.

[pgrimm]

Dee,
Yes, Bill wa on lovastatin for five years. He started reporting pain in his shoulders a few years back. He asked if it could be the drug,but they told him that since his blood tests came back normal, there was not way the lovastatin was causing any problems. Over a few years, they kept prescribing varouis pain killers, some of which are on a list that interact with lovastatin. They also had his dose up to 60 mg once during this time. He had to deal with the death of his son last year, and asked for counseling at the V.A. He didn't get counseling, instead he got the antidpressant that set this whole myopathy thing off in just a couple of days. Doctors are unaware which drugs travel the same pathways. They prescribed five on the list, but Dr. Golomb agreed this was the one (mirtazapine that caused his problems to escalate). I can tell you that now he's off lovastatin he no longer flies into rages as he did for years. One day he failed to take his coenzyme q10, and wow, he had a meltdown by late afternoon.

His sleep is still very bad. Dr. Golomb works for the V.A. and was honest in saying that once she put in the order for the test, there was no telling when they would acatually give him an appointment. He will turn 65 this November, and then he can get Medicare. Hallelujah. The one good thing he has experienced with the dreaded V.A. is the good doctor, Beatrice Golomb. Hopefully with private insurance he can get the test done sooner.

I am feeling very helpless these days. I am trying to protect my young mentally ill client by getting him off lipitor. I'm getting the usual, "there's no way this is causing cognitive problems", and the "just go away" attitude. I think I'm getting to be a pretty angry woman, and it's showing up in my work. I'm getting told, "You know, perhaps if you were a bit nicer about it". Probably true, but having gone through this with Bill, I'm feeling pretty impatient with people who laugh at me regarding this subject. My patients have no choice, they have to take what they give them. I feel I have to do all their fighting, and not feeling real effective right now. Guess I'll have to lighten up, but don't know if I can pull that off!!!

H

[cjbrooksjc]

Pam: If you are not afraid of repercussions, you may want to write a 'file letter' containing your experiences and your concerns, and copy those who are snubbing you, and their superiors. Often a 'letter to the file' will be enough of an enticement for people to take an interest; usually out of fear. I don't make this suggestion lightly. This sort of fear can cause a serious backlash.

Best,

Brooks