My Lipitor Situation & My First Post

[Kid Eh]

Hello,

I am a 45 year old male. Up until about 6 months ago I was just going through life with not a care in the world. I had never been to a hospital for any illness. The thing was though that I ate without caring what I put in my body. I'll be the first to say that I ate very poorly. Fruits and vegetables were not my friend. Lots of junk food. I also refused to go to the doctor. I smoked for about 6 years but not heavily. Half a pack a day at most. Never drank alcohol. In March of this year I wasn't feeling very well so I decided to go to a walk-in clinic to get checked out. It seems that I had high blood pressure. It kind of runs in the family. So I was put on a blood pressure pill. About 2 months later (May 7 '09) on my walk into work I experienced some chest discomfort. Nothing dramatic but enough for me to make a trip to the hospital to get it looked at. Well it ends up that they say I had a heart attack and they want to perform an Angiogram. They do that and find one of my vessels is 99% blocked. So they insert 1 stent and send me on my way. They also prescribed 3 new medicines for me. Here is what I'm currently taking.

- Coversyl (8mg) for high blood pressure.

- Plavix (75mg) for my stent. This is supposed to be for a year only.

- Aspirin (81mg)

- Lipitor (80mg)

Well after a month or so I started to feel the muscles in my legs back and arms hurt. Like I said previously I have never had a health issue in my life. I started reading up on the internet about all these meds I was taking. I found lots of posts about Lipitor and the side effects it has. I informed my cardiologist that I was going to try cutting my dose in half and see what happens. I did that for a few weeks with not much improvement. I did the same thing again a few more times in the coming months. For the past 6 weeks or so I have been taking 10mg Lipitor and I pretty much have no muscle pain. The thing is I feel like my brain is cotton. I'm also fatigued quite easily. I have decided as of yesterday to get off Lipitor for a month or so to see what difference it makes. Should I be stopping gradually or just stop? Maybe every other day for a few weeks? I forgot to mention that since my high blood pressure awakening I have changed my diet dramatically. Not a bad thing enters my body and I found it to be quite easy. I've lost 30 pounds and am now at my correct weight. I also started a Cardio Rehab program where I'm now walking 5km a day for 5 days a week. In the coming weeks I'll begin some jogging. My cholesterol which they said was borderline when I had my angioplasty has dropped quite a bit. In Canada we us a different scale so I wont bother with the numbers. Needless to say it's well below what my target is. I noticed though that my CK levels are rising a lot. I believe this has to do with the muscles. The Lipitor is the cause of this I'm convinced.

So basically I'm asking what I need to do in terms as an alternative for Lipitor? Mostly for it's anti inflammatory properties. Also has anyone else with a similar situation as mine (a stent put in) had to deal with this? I recently met someone who took the medication for a few months after he had a stent put in and then couldn't take it. He takes no meds now and it's been 5 years. He feels fine. He tells me to eat well, don't stress, and exercise and you'll be ok. I just have it in my head that if I stop the Lipitor I'll drop dead in a few months. I will say though that I'm a person who worries too much. Been like that all my life.

I know I'm rambling on and jumping all over the place but this is my first post so cut me some slack.

Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

P.

[damaged]

Your story is a carbon copy of mine.
If I had it to do over again, I'd take one of the over the counter Fiber suppliments (this lowered my triglycerides 100 points in one month), and fish oil (instead of plavix).
Period
If I'd done that...... I would still be able to walk.

[damaged]

on secong thought....
I'd take the plavix only until the stent was completely healed.
But I've read that Plavix can cause some muscle pain, so I've stopped that as well as the statins.

[David Staup]

kid eh,

You're at the right place. stop the statin - cut your dose in half for one week then in half again for one week then stop ... you could probably stop cold turkey but the low doses you're at now should lessen the chance of further damage...
begin taking CO-Q10, magnesiun oratate, selenium, b6, b12, and folic acid

have your vit. D level checked but start now with 2,000 IU to 5,000 IU per day....
read the sections on the main site on diet (kilmer mcully) and the truth on cholesterol.

http://www.spacedoc.net/mccully.htm

http://www.spacedoc.net/malcolm_kendrick_cholesterol

http://www.spacedoc.net/cheerios_fda

are a good start

drink water with electrolyte supplimentation (sugar free)
I use !/8 tsp morton lite salt in 32 oz water...

if your ck level is rising (how high is it) you should probably stop exercising for a while.... I would be helpful if you told us more>

David

[Cat Mom2]

Gee, like me you found this place AFTER the damage was done. I can not believe that doctor put you on on 80mg to start with! What in the blazes are they thinking... and you are only 45 years old. I swear, they are trying to kill us off with stupidity like that. I know a lady about your age they did the same thing to 80mg from the start. She was smart and didn't take them long.

There is a list here somewhere of what natural supplements to take, someone can come along and point you to it or just read the posts and you will find it.

You already know to eat healthier, you need to start on Omega 3 fish oil and CoQ-10. Just stay online and research all you can to learn as much as you can about what supplements to take, what to eat and what not to eat.

I stopped Lipitor 4 years ago and started eating healthier and taking the supplements, the only side effects I had was to loose 50 pounds without really trying. I am still paying for the 5 to 6 years I took that stuff but life has gotten a lot better since I got off of it. I HAVE lowered mine WITHOUT drugs and I have the genetic cholesterol. Good luck on your recovery.

[Kid Eh]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Well I'll give you a rundown of my levels but like I said earlier the Canadian scale is different.

The only thing I know before I had my episode was that my LDL was about 2.75 (they said that was borderline I think)

After one month on 80mg Lipitor and the rest of the meds here's my levels.

CK = 94 (Target should be <210)
LDL = 1.53 (Target should be (<5.1 Low Risk <3.5 Med Risk <2.0 High Risk)
HDL = 0.83 (Target should be >1.29) so I'm low here
CHOL/HDL RATIO = 3.35 (Target should be (<6.0 Low Risk <5.0 Med Risk <4.0 High Risk)
TRIGLYC = 0.92 (Target should be <1.71)
CHOLESTEROL = 2.78 (Target should be <5.20)

Now three months later with the last six weeks of it being on 10mg Lipitor.

CK = 162 (Target should be <210)
LDL = 1.66 (Target should be (<5.1 Low Risk <3.5 Med Risk <2.0 High Risk)
HDL = 0.98 (Target should be >1.29) so I'm still low here
CHOL/HDL RATIO = 2.92 (Target should be (<6.0 Low Risk <5.0 Med Risk <4.0 High Risk)
TRIGLYC = 0.49 (Target should be <1.71)
CHOLESTEROL = 2.86 (Target should be <5.20)

So I stopped taking them now for 3 nights. Tonight will be my fourth. Should I maybe cut them in half and do week of 5mg and then another week of 2.5mg before packing it in?

Do I really need all those supplements if I believe I have no damage? I was thinking some CoQ-10, B-12, Vitamin C. I don't want to be taking a bagful of supplements cuz who knows how those will make me feel. Keep the suggestions coming. I really appreciate them.

P.

[Kid Eh]

So I found a converter and here's some of my stats in U.S. values
These are my most recent ones.

LDL = 64
HDL = 38
TRIGLYC = 43
TOTAL CHOLESTEROL = 111

[ronni]

Hi kid eh,

Your story is very similar to mine. I did not have the heart attack, but it was discovered from a baseline stress test that I had two 80% blockages. I was only 46. The stress test was ordered because of my family history. I did not have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and the the previous two years, I had actually been taking really good care of myself, lost 40 pounds, exercised 5 days a week, etc. I received two stents, was put on Plavix, aspirin and Vytorin 10/40. Within days I started feeling muscle weakness and fatigue. Over the next 10 months, my health was completely ruined. I started having chest pains, high blood pressure, extreme fatigue. I had another stress test and hearth cath. They tried adding beta blockers and then calcium channel blockers. I continued to deteriorate and the doctors could not figure out what was wrong. Through much research and help from folks on this site, I discovered that my problem was the Vytorin and a severe CoQ10 depletion. I demanded a CoQ10 test and my cardiologist did one to humor me. It came back severely depleted. I stopped the Vytorin, added L-Carnitine, CoQ10, Vitamins C & D, Fish oil, B vitamins, astaxanthin. I slowly started to recover. Some other medical issues have come up and I believe they also are related to statins. I would strongly advise you to stop the statin, especially with your rising ck levels. Most likely your CoQ10 is depleted and needs supplemented. I still take the Plavix and have had no issues with it. Because I was given drug eluting stents, the Plavix needs to continue indefinitely. Good luck to you in your recovery.

Ronni

[Kid Eh]

It seems everyone has a different supplement suggestion so I don't quite know which to get. The majority say CoQ-10 and Omega 3 Fish Oil. I'm going to get those 2 plus some Vitamin C and B-12. Since I don't seem to have any muscle pain now should those do? Now what are the doses I should take? The highest dose of CoQ-10 I found is 60mg. This is so overwhelming.

[Kid Eh]

I guess I should add that I'm mostly concerned about replacing the anti inflammatory properties that Lipitor gave me.

[epfleger]

Hi Kid:

Stop those statins before you do some damage you can't walk away from!!!

If you're worried about inflammation, get your c-reactive protein levels checked. While not specific to any location, this test gives you an overall sense of inflammation in your body. It is inflammation, not cholesterol, that is your enemy. If yours is eleveated, meaning inflammation somehere in your body, there are supplements that you can take to slowly and safely control the inflammation.

I have no comment about plavix, other than to note that some of the potential side effects seem very nasty. I wouldn't touch that stuff with a ten foot pole.

Good luck!!

Ed Pfleger

[uncle2blade]

Kid Eh,
Welcome to our forum, There is a lot of good information here please help yourself. I can't tell you how much this forum has helped me. You can find my story in My statin stories and My statin stories up dates. As for cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease,(Arerosclerosis) My understanding is that we need cholesterol, the problem is the plaque in the cholesterol. What I do is take a few supplements to reduce the plaque.

Vitamin K2
Astaxanthin 4 mgs.
Ester-C 1000 mgs 2 times a day
Omega 3 900 mgs. 2 ttimes a day ( pharmecutical)
CoQ10 for blood pressure

Changing my life style, like you, has helped me too. You can view the rest of my supplement regime, look at my posts in my statin stories.

Best to you, and keep us posted. we need your help too.

Thanks, Craig

[Kid Eh]

Thanks for the continuing advise. Now the Plavix is bad too. Oh that's just great. But I need that for my stent don't I? How long until it's safe to stop using it? The cardiologist told me one year.

[epfleger]

I have no idea about plavix. Maybe there's another website, like this, dedicated to plavix issues?? I only base my opinion on the stated side effects of plavix, which if it is anything like lipitor, means that far more sinister side effects might be lurking.

I only know what liptor did to me. It took a 40 year old healthy and vibrant man and reduced me to a pile of chronic aches and pains, brain fogginess and chronic bowel disorders. All this from 5 months on 10 mg. Two years later I am hardly any better.

I would voice your concerns loudly to your doctor and guage what to do next.

[David Staup]

Epfleger

nice to see you posting again, hope that means you feeling a bit better!

Re your bowel disorders..I too suffered bowel problems for years after statins, ultimately required a colostomy because of an obstruction...If constipation is your main problem I can tell you that chronic dehydration caused by the muscle breakdown was the root of that particular symptom and that since I started daily electrolyte replacement that problem is completely gone.
David

[Kid Eh]

Ok just a few more questions and I'll be able to be at ease.

1. I have a doctors appointment Tuesday Sept 22. Do I wait until then to start my supplements?

2. I'm going to start with these:

CoQ-10 - will this interfere with my blood pressure pill?
Omega 3 Fish Oil
Ester C
Astaxanthin

3. When should these be taken? I take my other 3 meds first thing in the AM

4. Will these help me in replacing the Lipitor?

Sorry if I repeat a lot of my questions but I just want to be clear. The more I read through all the forum posts the more confused I get. I guess I need my hand held here a bit.

So to recap. I've stopped taking my Lipitor 10mg 4 days ago. I don't have any muscle issues that I know of. A little bit of brain fog maybe. Thanks so much for all your help. It means the world to me.

[ronni]

Hi ked eh,

I would take all of the supplements you mentioned with a meal and you may want to split your doses. The CoQ10 needs fat to absorb properly. I take mine with breakfast and supper. You may find that you may be able to reduce or eliminate your blood pressure medicine because CoQ10 also lowers it. I absolutely would not stop the Plavix, especially if you were given a drug-eluting stent. These tend to have issues issues with late stent thrombosis (clogging up again) and could cause you to have another heart attack I have no side effects from the Plavix except easier bruising and bleeding from cuts or nose bleeds. Here is a link that discusses the issues.

*http://www.ptca.org/articles/patients_late_stent_thrombosis.html

Following is a link from one of my early posts that had some excellent advice from Ray Holder, Brooks and Biologist.

http://www.spacedoc.net/board/viewtopic.php?t=918

Lots of research will help clear your confusion and folks on this site are more than happy to help.

Ronni

[Kid Eh]

Thanks Ronni. I have a bare metal stent and will probably stay on the Plavix for one year as my cardiologist suggested. Although this guys thinks differently:

*http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtNoChrome/WSIHW000/4464/8481/725625.html

I'm going out to buy some supplements tonight and I'll post what I have when I get back. Maybe someone can tell me how many a day I need to take. You guys are the BEST!!!!!

[Kid Eh]

Just got back from the supplement store and here's what I picked up.

Omega-3 Purified Fish Oil (Natural Triglyceride Form) 1000mg
Ester-C 600mg
CoQ-10 100mg soft gels
Astaxanthin 4mg

Now I know I have to take the CoQ-10 and the Omega 3 with a meal so I guess I can take those at lunch. The Ester-C I'm sure I can take whenever. Only the Astaxanthin I'm not sure of. Keep in mind I take my "meds" in the morning. So should one of these supplements a day be good for me? I know that's hard to answer but I'm guessing that's where I start? Also do stop my BP pill now or wait until I see my GP on Tuesday? Sorry for all the questions.

At my cardio rehab class tonight I informed my councillors on my decision to stop the Liptor and they weren't surprised. They've seen many people do the same. They recommend I speak to one of their nutritionists and she'll be able to help me out as well on the supplement front.

[Kid Eh]

Well since nobody is around today I guess I'll start by taking one a day. It can't hurt to not take enough I'm guessing.