heart attack - stent, statins, restenosis

[heartrecovery-net]

Hi everyone,

From July 2001 for 2 years I was prescribed a locally (Israel) marketed version of Pravastatin known as Lipidal following an MI and stent implantation. Dosage 20mg. I have no way of knowing if the 20mg dosage of Lipidal is equivalent to a 20mg dosage of Pravachol, however according to my doctors this was a 'low dosage'.

Those 2 years evolved into a nightmare. Regarding cognitive side effects I experienced forgetfulness (for instance name of coworker, chance meetings with people I recently had met and not remembering who they were and where I met them), confusion, poor work performance, easily distracted, and a general feeling of 'what I already know, I know - but learning NEW things became impossible (which is a big problem when you are in the computer field).

The cognitive problems were dwarfed by the change in emotions - not getting along with subordinates, associates and bosses, and worse of all, a general apathy towards those closest to me - my wife (in particular) and family.

After discontinuing the statin in mid 2003, I felt the start of a resurge of emotions within several days. Although hard to pinpoint, it took a number of months for cognitive functioning to return to pre-statin levels. (I made life style changes in order to 'hopefully' compensate for statin's cardiological benefits that I was now forfeiting in order to eliminate their side effects)

In the beginning of 2007, my cardiologist wasn't particularly pleased with my annual ECG, even though it was not positive and I was/still am leading a very full and active life.
After a Thallium scan came back positive, he suggested we do an angiogram, and while on the table do a small repair (angioplasty) - IF at all necessary.

During the angiogram, my cardiologist was totally surprised to find that the stent was 100% clogged - 100% restenosis. After 2 1/2 hours of attempting to open the blockage, he threw in the towel. While I was still recuperating in the angiogram room, he pleaded with my wife in the waiting room that I MUST return to the statins.

I asked my cardiologist how many of his PCI patients that need to come in for a 'tune up'(angiogram) every couple of years continue to take statins but still need the 'tune-up'? I did not receive an answer.

It seems that cardiologists are even more reluctant to reduce statin medication for patients with stents under the belief that the artificially reduced levels of blood cholesterol will decrease the chance of stent restenosis occurring. And even if true - at what personal cognitive and emotional cost??

Today (May 2008) I do not take statins as the general rule, still lead a very full and active life, despite the blocked artery. I am aware of the many research papers proving that the cardiological benefits of statins are INDEPENDANT of their LDL lowering properties. As such, I have changed life style habits in order to hopefully reap cardiology benefits that statins supply by natural means (exercise and food choices). I took a mild statin for the month following the 2007 angiogram as a 'booster' following the mild intrusive procedure (angiogram) - NOT because I was interested in lowering the cholesterol numbers. I also took a low dose of a statin recently for a month, again as a booster due to not being able to exercise for a couple weeks due to circumstances beyond my control.

On a daily basis I still take aspirin and Tritace (ACE inhibitor).

Mike Stone
author of "Surviving a Successful Heart Attack" (2005) and
"The Next 20,000 - After the Heart Attack, the Statins and Restenosis" (2007)

[cjbrooksjc]

Mike: I hope you will consider CoQ10 and L-Carnitine in addition to your current aspirin and Tritace regimen. If you read the articles and posts here you will know how statins work and how they have potentially damaged your mitochondria. Lingering effects of statin poisoning are often compared to the effects felt by a low grade flu: muscle ache, burn, or pain, low energy levels, sleepiness - much the same as the symptoms of fibromyalgia or CFS. Some of us seem to have a better recovery history than others, but all of us (I believe ALL) have felt improvement when taking CoQ10 and L-Carnitine. Welcome to the forum.

Best,

Brooks

[heartrecovery-net]

Hi Brooks,

Yes, I did take CoQ10 when resuming a statin temporarily. THanks for bringing that up.

Mike

[Allen1]

@ heartrecovery-net

Mike, you are playing with fire by taking statins "Booster low dose or any other way" you know what they already did to you before! Your memory problems are similar to my own and I also had an MI and put on Zocor, then 10 years later a triple bypass (so what good did statins do?)

With a lot of luck you may have escaped any further damage, but taking chances is a really bad idea. Most folk on this site including myself are still continuing to have many problems both physical and mentally (as you described) even though a lot of folk stopped taking the medication more than a year ago.

Please do not take unnecessary risks with this poison and I hope that anyone else reading this will also think carefully before exposing themselves to such a life altering risk, especially if they have already experienced what STATINS can do to you.

All the best,

Allen :)

[gotts1936]

Somehow, victims of statin drug damage need to get their messager out to the public.

gotts

[heartrecovery-net]

Hi Allen,

Believe me, BELIEVE ME, I think I still carry emotional scars from those 2 statin induced nightmare years when I was taking statins - and you can believe that I will do anything and everything in order not to take them.

I have gone to great lengths in changing my life style to 'hopefully' duplicate the advantages that statins do supply - in particular anti-inflammation, anti plaque-rupture, etc. (and we all know that these benefits are totally independent of LDL levels - essentially the last number of years I have been betting my life that the lipid hypothesis is null and void.) My life style changes includes eating habits, and plenty of exercise. I am 58 and try to be out every morning by 5AM to bike ride 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

However I accept my present reality as it is. My 100% clogged stent (total restenosis) translates in simple words to "my critical LAD artery - a.k.a. the widow maker artery - is totally occluded".

From all my personal reading/research, which included going thru published research papers and tremendous sites such as this, I have come to the conclusion that the benefits that statins do supply are due to statins contributing to an increase in Nitric oxide, and an increase in Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPC) which improves endothelial function. Again, according to what I have read, serious exercise also leads to these benefits. Which of the 2 alternatives (statins or exercise) causes the most benefits? I honestly do not know. I am not a doctor. Because of that long statin nightmare, I have put all my eggs in one basket - I go with the exercise.

That said, I acknowledge that I may be oversensitive to my health situation due to the blocked artery. It is also my understanding from research papers/articles etc that the a.m. statin benefits start happening well before the the 'evils' of statins start to take hold. In addition it is my understanding as well that the a.m. benefits are obtainable with a significantly less dosage than is clinically subscribed today.

Yes, as much as I am 'against' statins, I have on 2 occasions since 2003 (for about a month) elected to take a small dosage as a temporary boost when I felt absolutely necessary. The second time was recently when due to circumstances beyond my control I had to stay off my foot for about 2 weeks - no bike riding and I really did not get into an equivalent alternative. What is a small dosage? I literally cut statin pill into quarters - about a 4mg dosage until I could resume my normal daily routine.

Bottom line - in my case I simply weighed my risks - and I gave preference to helping my small functioning aterioles (that have developed circumventing my clogged stented artery) over possible small side effects that may or may not develop from a single month of low dosage statins.

I do appreciate your feedback.
Best regards,
Mike

[Allen1]

Hi there Mike,

after my M.I. my heart also re-routed past the blockage to get a blood supply going as needed over time, the human body is an amazing thing.
Taking statins has not stopped 2 x 80% and 1 X 50% blockages from occurring (beside the original 100% blockage from the M.I.) This is around 10 years of Zocor prior to a triple bypass, for the majority of that time I have complained of the very same things you mentioned in your post and so much more, I also cycled to work everyday (18 1/2 years) and that was getting harder to do as time went by. The factory closed and now I get around on an electric bike as I do not have the strength to pedal very far, some days my thoughts are clear but more often than not they are ok for short periods and then very foggy if I have exerted myself or even while having a conversation.

The fact that I stopped taking statins since February last year does not mean that the problems have stopped in either the mental or physical side, a lot of them have dwindled but the fatigue and mental alertness plus mood swing problems keep coming back as well as a few other nasty problems.

I really hope that there is no reaction to your little boosters as life as a brain doner is not much fun, even the village idiot wants to punch my lights out as he thinks I am after his job! :D :D :D

Really though, why take risks when you already know what statins have done to you, I am 52 and I doubt that I will ever work or live a normal life again, this is serious stuff and what you are doing makes me cringe especially as you know the problems!

Take care,

Allen :(

[cjbrooksjc]

I think everyone should proceed as their body tells them, but I want t be certain I have made my point. Below are a couple paragraphs cut from one of Doc Graveline's papers:

*************************************
Red yeast rice is readily available in the United States as a food supplement and as such it does not fall under FDA guidelines. The prevailing opinion about this substance is that since it is natural and uncontrolled it is generally safe to use. This is wrong. The first thing one must understand about red yeast rice is that it is just another statin. When someone takes red yeast rice they are effectively on a statin and subject to all the purported benefits and side effects. I have had many reports of side effects from this "natural drug" sent to me. Myopathies and even the dreaded rhabdomyolysis have been reported from the use of Mother Nature's red yeast rice. The issue is primarily one of dosage or, in some cases, co-administration of other drugs.
*************************************

Be very sensitive to the signals you body might send you if you continue a RYR regimen. Once you damage your mitochondria, the path back is either terribly long or GONE.

Best wishes,

Brooks