Mevacor, Zocor Lipitor, all very similar

[spacedoc]

We now have hundreds of cases of transient global amnesia and tens of thousands of cases of extreme forgetfulness, confusion and disorientation associated with the use of Mevacor and the other stronger statins. Wagstaff et al’s team of doctors from Duke University reported from their 2003 review of some 25,000 adverse drug reports filed away in the FDA’s Medwatch repository that many of the 60 TGA cases buried therein were associated with Mevacor use. They reported this in Pharmacotherapy in Aug, 2003. Our “few aches and pains” have evolved to many deaths from rhabdomyolysis and rising numbers of patients with debilitating muscle pain persisting for years despite cessation of the statin drug involved, a position shared by Mevacor and its counterparts.

We are seeing severe emotional problems with hostility, aggressiveness and suicides being reported associated with use of Mevacor and its sister drugs. Neuropathies, thought at first to be relatively rare, are of particular concern because of their failure to regress. Mevacor contributes to many of the neuropathy cases that have been reported.

[Teuila]

My mother has been on Mevacor for several years - I didn't start keeping track of, and questioning her meds until she was diagnosed with dementia. After reading page after page of the effects of the Mevacor I am certain that this has affected her. Her doctor and I are at odds over this - he's very pro med, med, med (When I mentioned her depression he put her on Prozac immediately without further investigation - I got her off of that when she got more depressed). Her last cholesterol reading was 128 (78 HDL -- 50 LDL) and I want her off of these meds. Can I take her off immediately or should I slowly wean her off? She is currently taking 40 mg every evening.

[sos_group_owner]

Hi Teuila,

Dr Gravelin'e latest newsletter provides a link to an article he wrote about STOPPING STATINS...
http://www.spacedoc.net/stopping_statins.html

OMG, cholesterol levels of 128 (78 HDL -- 50 LDL) are way too low.

Your Mom's doctor is reacting the same as most doctors; "Oh, could not be statins causing her problems...". This is their mantra and it is (in most cases) WRONG! And very typical for them to cover-up depression caused by statins with anti-depressents.

If you have any questions after reading his article, I'll try to help you through the process.

If you have not subscribed to Dr Graveline's newsletter yet, please go to his homepage at this link...
http://www.spacedoc.net/index.html

Page down to: Sign up for the "Spacedoc - Statin Drugs" newsletter!
Enter your email address and click on GO.

Dr Graveline is the only doctor that is helping us with "What do we do now?" question and sound advice.

Fran

[michael stark]

Dr. Graveline asked me to post my story as it might give hope to those who have suffered the ill effects of statins. My story began the morning of June 25, 2004. I had been a long time user of statins. My doctor first prescribed Pravachol in August 1994. When we switched to a HMO, my medication was substituted to Mevacor (2/2004). My first attack found me wandering through the house unable to remember even the fact tht we owned a car. My wife thought I was having a stroke. I remember little of the ambulance ride to the hospital. The diagnosis was TGA. I was assured that the event would not occure again..... This was not the case. About every 2 to 3 weeks these events would repeat themselves. I'd wake up in the morning or the middle of the night with amnesia. I feared that I would be institutionalized. Another hospital stay followed.... Four neurologists could not agree on the cause. There were times when I could not even remember the direction to our local library or even how to find my doctor's office. Despression.

I began to do my own research which lead me to Dr. Graveline. I stopped taking my statin medication 8/2004. The seizures, however, continued. My doctors concluded that the statins could not be the cause. I received a note from Dr. Graveline indicating that "flashbacks" could continue for a year. Almost on schedule, 14 months after I stopped taking statin medication the seizures stopped. My last "event" was September 10, 2005. My memory has improved. I feel normal again! The bottom line is that recovery from statin poisoning is not a snap recovery but may take as noted above a year before you will see improvement. m

[sos_group_owner]

Hi Michael,

Thank you so much for sharing your story.
My husband also had several occurances of TGA
after Lipitor was increased from 10mg to 20mg.
He stopped statins 18 months ago, no more TGA
but some short term memory problems still persist.

Fran

[pgrimm]

Hi Teuila,

Dr Gravelin'e latest newsletter provides a link to an article he wrote about STOPPING STATINS...
http://www.spacedoc.net/stopping_statins.html

If you have any questions after reading his article, I'll try to help you through the process.

If you have not subscribed to Dr Graveline's newsletter yet, please go to his homepage at this link...
http://www.spacedoc.net/index.html

Page down to: Sign up for the "Spacedoc - Statin Drugs" newsletter!
Enter your email address and click on GO.

Dr Graveline is the only doctor that is helping us with "What do we do now?" question and sound advice.

Fran
********************************************
Dear Fran,
HELP!
I read Dr. Graveline's article on stopping statins. I must say it frightens and frustrates me. My boyfriend is having severe rapidly progressing myopathy of the muscles all over his body. He was taking three other drugs that are known to increase the effects of lovastatin and increase the likelihood of all those negative side effects. Two days ago, when I found this website, I told him to stop taking them all!

Here's the tricky part. He has VA medical insurance. I wish you could justw see his PCP, what a joke! I don't believe the VA has any competent doctors! Two of the doctors he's seen look about twelve years old. Three doctors did the prescribing I mentioned above. Who can he go to to direct us and monitor this slow process; I can't get the VA to provide him with a "real" doctor (non-VA), and we're too afraid for him to go back to their guys! I can't imagine him taking one more of those stupid pills, but he did have a stroke in 2002 and has one completely blocked carotid artery. Not a good scenario anyway one looks at it.

This is really scarey.

Pam

[sos_group_owner]

Hello Pam,

Since your BF stopped statins due to severe adverse effects, it's a
good time to start Dr Graveline's "Statin Alternatives".

These items reduce and prevent inflammation and have the same
anti-inflammatory affect as 20 mg's of Lipitor (atorvastatin), without
side effects. (i.e. anti-oxidant, reduce platelet stickiness, controls
homocysteine)

* buffered aspirin - 81 mg (contains beneficial magnesium)
* CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10) - 100 to 150 mg (Gelcaps - NOT powdered) with small amount of Vitamin E)
** Folic Acid - 400 to 800 mcg
** B6 - 80 to 100 mg
** B12 - 200 to 250 mcg
** All 3 of the B Vitamins above control Homocysteine
~ OR ~
Take a B Complex or multi-vitamin that contains these B Vitamin amounts
* Omega 3 (fish oil, cod liver oil or krill oil) [ There is no upper limit]

Source:
*http://www.spacedoc.net/statin_alternatives.htm

Vitamin C is also good to add to the mix. Discussed in this article:
"Lipoprotein (a), Cholesterol and Homocysteine in Atherosclerosis"
*http://www.spacedoc .net/lipoprotein _a_cholesterol. html

My recommendation:
If your BF is aspirin sensitive, grape seed extract is a good
supplement to reduce platelet stickiness.

My next piece of advice... find a naturopathic physician.
*http://www.findnd.com/
ND's are the only doctors today that understand that artificially
lowering cholesterol does not address any underlying condition(s),
such as undiagnosed (under-treated) thyroid condition. That's one
of many reasons for elevated cholesterol. "insulin resistance",
oxidized LDL (and coronary inflammation) are the problem, not
elevated cholesterol.

The only benefit from statins is they are a potent anti-inflammatory.
But omega 3 fish oils are also a potent anti-inflammatory and no side
effects.

Excerpt from an article by Dr Malcolm Kendrick: LDL (Oxidized LDL):

" This is a complex pathway. When platelets start to stick together,
they release free radicals. "Free radicals" oxidize LDL. Oxidized LDL
is a powerful blood clotting factor. LDL is also incorporated into the
blood clot as it forms, and provides a `lipid' surface (along with
VLDL) for the construction of fibrin. Fibrin is the hugely strong
protein strand that binds a clot together and makes it `tough.' "

When you get a chance, read the complete article titled,
"Is Heart Disease All Due to Blood Clots?"
*http://www.thincs.org/Malcolm.htm#clots

Things that create "free radicals" and oxidized LDL...
* Smoking
* high blood sugar levels (diabetes)
* stress
Risk factors that damage the "endothelium" include elevated levels of :
* homocysteine
* blood sugar
* insulin (insulin resistance)
* cortisol (stress hormones caused by insulin resistance)
* triglycerides
* smoking
* deficiency in some vitamins, such as C and the B's

Our older son has to deal with the VA Hosp and I understand what
you mean about the level of care. Keep in mind that the FDA and the
VA are both controlled by our Gov't.

Contact me directly (click on email) if you need additional info.

Fran

[pgrimm]

[quote="sos_group_owner"]Hello Pam,

Since your BF stopped statins due to severe adverse effects, it's a
good time to start Dr Graveline's "Statin Alternatives".

*************

Wow! Fran, it's obvious that you have done your homework on statins, and then some! I must confess, it's pretty overwhelming, but a challenge I am ready to take on. You've started me out with a wealth of information, which I will take and run with.

I took Bill to our local (non-VA) hospital ER yesterday. Eight hours later we had the results of a CK level test. Gleefully, it came out negative. The doctor was right on board with MY diagnosis, after looking at his long laundry list of medications prescribed all in the past two months. He said that he was to discontinue taking every drug on the list except for the one for his blood pressure, confirming exactly what I told Bill two days before. He did not recommend weaning him on lovastatin, just stop, which was also a relief. I didn't even discuss the coenzyme Q10 that I had already begun for him, nor any other supplements. I've had too much experience with doctors who poopoo'd health supplements. So we conclued that he doesn't have the big R disease I can't pronounce. His headaches and bodyaches remain the same, a "12" as Bill describes them. But I tell him that I'm confident that his body just needs time to heal itself now. Both our outlooks are very differnt, getting this stamp of approval from a non-CA doctor. Next step, we tie the knot and I put him on my health insurance plan, but that will take at least a month. We believe he is better off seeing no doctor than going back to the VA.

His VA nurse practioner called me back while we were in the ER watiing room. You just know I gave her a big fat piece of my mind. She's the one who was treating the pain in his shoulders with ibuprofen for months, and said the lovastatin was obviously not a problem since his blood had negative tests. She started on that defense again yesterday. Fortunately, I had also done some homework! I flashed back at her, "Yeah? But you haven't done a CK level or a muscle biopsy, have you"? She got very quiet, and admitted no, they haven't would I like to bring him in today to do some tests. I told her we were waiting to be seen at the hospital and no, we didn't care to put Bill back in the incompetent hands of the VA at this time! I also informed her that I had contacted an attorney who specializes in suing the VA, and two congressmen in my district. Again, she got very quiet. She asked what I wanted her to do. Basically I responded if she wants to show she cares, to do SOMETHING to help Bill, and I'd leave that up to HER to figure out. She called back later and said she had reported our complaint to the administrator, who said he would personally look into the pharmaceutical record and get back to us. I'm not holding my breath! Four VA people prescribed four different drugs that are on that list of not to presribe with lovastatin! How are they going to defend that? "Well gee, you can't blame our doctors, they're straight out of medical school, they don't know they're supposed to check drug interactions before prescribing"! I'm so mad I could spit.

Well, I'm on my way to give blood then stop by the health food store and stock up on all these supplements suggested by you and my other new friends here.

Thank You for all your support. I'll check back in on our progress!

Pam

[Ray Holder]

Hi Pam

You will probably find that when your BF takes Q10 that will bring his blood pressure down, the drop depending on how large a dose he takes. We usually warn peoplle on BP tablets to watch their BP when taking Q10, symptoms such as feeling a bit faint at times. A BP medication is often made redundant by Q10 use, as it strengthens the heart muscle action, high BP is often due to a weakened filling phase in the heart beat, so producing back pressure on the outgoing blood, and the med only drags the BP down to too low a figure.

Hoping for improvement in his health

Ray