Advicor Help

[shawk]

I wish to express a huge thanks to the spacedoc for this site and giving us this knowledge. I passed this info to my parents. my Father has been on liptor and it has taken much of his mental ability....and he is also now on the 1200MG of CO Enzyme 10 + VIT E regime as well.

My name is Scott I am new to the board and need some help.

My PCP prescribed Advicor 500/20 along with the "protocol" of a late night low fat snack and the non-ecentric coated aspirin 1/2hr before. Total LDL/HDL was 238. the only other meds I was on prior was Xanax, which I take as needed and it is the 0.5MG dose. I did not take any Xanax during the 5 nights I took the advicor. I was also put on WellbutrinXL 300MG solely for smoking cessation. I started the WBXL 4 days before the first dose of Advicor. I was told using all 3 together was no problem.

Everything was fine the first 3 nights.

On the 4th night I could not sleep, felt severe body aches and felt like all my muscles were on fire, my ears even plugged up. I never saw the flushing of the Niacin or the experienced the tingles, they said I would. I was so fatigued, so I took another dose the next night and my symptoms seemed to double.
After another sleepless and very painful, sweaty night I stopped the Advicor.

I then noticed my memory slipping a little (how could this be after only 5 doses!?)

I immediately found this web-site and starting yesterday I am taking 1200MG of CO Enzyme 10 + VIT E and will continue to do so.

I only took 5 of doses Advicor(500/20) and have been off of it now for 3 days. I am still finding it difficult to sleep due to the pain in my ankles, legs, lower back, and neck. I get numb sensations all over different spots of my body, I find I am still very tired and my muscles even seem weak now. I am breathless at times, and seem to have lost my appetite. I have even had a mild fever (100 to 101.7)

I am worried that I may have kidney damage(waiting on the blood work)


If somebody could help me please here are my questions.
I only took 5 doses, How soon will the Advicor get out of my body?
Will I always have these symptoms?
How long will I need to take the 1200MG(400MG 3x a day) + a VIT E before I see some return to normal?


I went back to the PCP and he absolutely refused to believe it was side effect related, until I started showing clinical studies. I had the good Dr's immediate attention(Spacedoc is right, if you go armed they get serious, but it is my opinon they get serious because they do not wish to get sued)The PCP checked my blood sugar ,which was normal and immediately sent me to the lab for bloodwork to check my TC levels(What are TC levels? I searched everywhere and cannot find it.) Check my liver and I hope checking my kidneys.

Any and all help from this community is very appreciated!

I look forward to meeting some of you and posting in the future

Scott

[bunnylady]

Someone will be along that can answer your questions but I will tell you I was on Lipitor for 14 months and the last 6 months the symtoms began gathering until I ended up in the emergency room for chest pains. I couldn't even sit in a massage chair it hurt my back so much. I quit on my own and told my doctor 2 days later- I was feeling great and then he told me my cholesterol levels had gone higher than they were originally and he gave me samples of 10 mg Crestor- only took them 3 nights to feel the full onslaught of ALL the symtoms that had crept up on me with Lipitor- that was in May and I still have migraines about 5 days a week and chronic knee pain- can't even walk a mall- but I am getting better- the blood bruising on my arms is almost gone- brain fog is gone- muscles still weak- I think it is time to start walking on a treadmill! I doubled my L-Carnitine and have been headache free for 2 days- keep your fingers crossed!

Good luck to you!

[sos_group_owner]

Hi Scott & Welcome to the Forum,

Adverse effects (AE's) from statins and statins getting out of your system
are two different things. Some say that statins are out of our system in
a couple of weeks, but the AE's can take longer to clear, may get worse or
may be permanent. I'm not telling you this to scare you, but only to tell
you what your doctor probably won't.

Your doctor should order a CK (Creatine Kinase) or CPK (Creatine
phosphokinase) test. These tests help to determine if your muscles were
damaged by Advicor (extended-release niacin & lovastatin). These tests
are not foolproof; they can come back negative, but there is still muscle
damage. A muscle biopsy might then be required.

TC levels usually mean - Total Cholesterol levels - Your doctor has
already done that. His main concern should be your severe reaction to
a statin drug and niacin.

Excellent that you started CoQ10... CoQ10 can lower BP, so if you take
BP meds or have naturally low BP you will want to monitor your BP.

And as bunnylady mentioned, L-Carnitine or Acetyl L-Carnitine. Ray
Holder's post "Post subject: Carnitine availability and type" explains the
difference between the two:
http://www.spacedoc.net/board/viewtopic ... 6004695c00

Fran

[shawk]

Hi Bunny & Fran.

Thanks so much for the feedback. Well the DR. called last night and no suprise my CK (Creatine Kinase) levels are very high. Up until this point the DR. would not "admit" it was adverse efects. I asked him if we are now treating this as adverse effects to the advicor. He said yes.

So he tells me to drink all the fluids I can for the next 2 weeks and they do another round of blood work then. He then asks if the pain is getting better or worse. I told him slight change due to the CoQ10 +VIT E I was taking...he said if the pain is not better come see him in a couple of days...I plan going in Friday.

I really appreciate both of your responses.

I noticed something different last night. I had just taken my last dose of the CoQ10 +VIT E and from my knees to my toes starting heating up. It was like I had a fever on the lower half of my legs. My upper legs(thighs) begin resembling the same rashy type thing you get with prickly heat.

My upper body got suddenly very chilled.

The pain in my legs was gone though!

Is this the CoQ10 +VIT E working or something of greater concern?

I also seem to have the same pain in the kidney regions, it is not the kidneys themselves, just the muscles on the side and the direct middle of my lower back. I noticed this morning those areas along with the top of my thighs still look like I have prickly heat

From what I have read this could be another AE correct?

I also seem to have unquenchable thirst, I am drinking at least 12 glasses of purified water and a lot of gatorade....I am monitoring my urine for dark red or cola color and hoping my mucles have not suffered real major stress.



I did not realize CoQ10 could lower your BP, my BP is very good.

WOuld this account for the mild lightheadness and out of breath I get shortly after taking a dose?

It seems I should maybe scale abck on the doseage, since my BP is stable and in a very good range.

Many thanks to you both again!

Scott

[Ray Holder]

Hi Scott
I think you will need some Carnitine. If your CK is high, that is because the statin has affected your carnitine production and the muscle pains are due to them not being able to dispose of their waste products, it is called lactic acidosis. This will help prevent kidney problems by keeping the CK low. Mention Secondary carnitine deficiency to your Dr.

Numbness is probably due toe the effect of the statin on your nervous system, it seems to be quite common, but you have a large dose of side effects.

Q10 only lowers your blood pressure if it was high in the first place due to heart muscle weakness, when the filling phase is weak. Q10 gives it extra strength to work normally, but anyone on BP lowering meds needs to be carefuRay

[shawk]

Thanks for the info Ray! From what I have read I believe you are 100% correct.

I did somethng this morning I should have done before going to the PCP.

We are blessed with an outstanding Holistic Chiropractor & nutrionist, and instead of taking the Advicor I should have just seen him.

I spoke with him this morning and he is ordering more complete blood work, and taking UA, Stool, and hair samples.

Once the results of all those tests are complete he will put together the diet & supplement profile that I will follow. I believe Carnitine will be on the list.

He strongly suspects it is AE from the Advicor and told me never to take any form of statin again.

I have been doing some other research and I believe the vast array of side effects I am having is probably from the WellbutrinXL & Advicor.

And probably like most un-educated statin users I believe I overmedicated myself the 4th night on Pepto(cramps)tylenol-6 500M tabs in about a 10 hour period and I took a sleeping pill(could not sleep).

We will not be doing that again.

Today I have marked improvement except for the bruised ego I received from my Chiro :wink:

[shawk]

All,
Happy, happy update....


As I explained I took 5 pills of Advicor 200M/50M and my Chiropractor believes I am one of the very few that not only was hit with full range of side effects(except yellow eyes, cola/red colored urine), adverse affects but I also had a severe alergic reaction...I got a rash over all my body, I also had minor ED...

The PCP that gave them to me very reluctantly sort of agreed....he wouuld not do anything, but kept saying no worries, we will do a lesser dose advicor re-challenge in 60 days...Oh the hell you say.....not even! He was not real concerned until after the liver blood work came back and said I had elevated CK in my blood...

His orders: drink as many fluids as you can and we will retest in 2 weeks...

Hmmm, Ok DOC, but I have new symptoms like tingling in the toes, bottom of the feet, swelling in the ankles and swelling and tingling in the hands!!!....And where did this rash come from??? and also the pain has subsided drastically, but I am still stiff if I sit down to long mainly arms and legs, and oh yeah the wife would really like to know whay I cannot get a full erection, which was not an issue at all before you put me on the advicor and I would like to know why I have a tingling in that area and the feeling comes and goes!?!?!?

Well as long as your improving just drink all the fluids you can and see you in 2 weeks!

But DOC!!...."I have other patients you know.... :twisted: "

My Chiro...

Absolutely thrilled I have now stayed smoke free for 7 days, 3 w/o wellbutrin


Day 1(8/17) UA revealed trace amounts of white blood cells and blodd in urine...not to worry this is a sign you are fighting off something in your body, most likely the advicor and the wellbutrin(for smoking cessation) and Xanax( I stopped all 3 meds I week ago to this day)

His orders for that: 3 daily of Probiotic tabs(15G) + 4000MG of VITC

We are waiting on the blood work to come back he did a 52 point check to see what we are really dealing with and what the body needs( my PCP did 1 point for...CK levels)

But until that comes next Wed, he has me doing the following 3x a day in addtion to the UA meds of Probiotics & VITC he said I will probably keep this up as part of the other I may need.
500MG of CO-E10 w/vit E
500MG of L-Carintine for the muscle aches and removing the lactic acid out of my system, which is causing the muscle aches and fluid build up and tingles---------"THANKS RAY...YOU NAILED IT!"
An additional 16000MG daily of VITC- I am former smoker, I also use powdered VITC (1) TBLS=2000MG
900MG of B12-for lowering LDL
300MG of Folic Acid-for lowering LDL
1500MG of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fish oil-for lowering LDL
1500MG of cold pressed garlic tabs- for slight ED.
30MG melatonin for sleep-he said it was critical I maintain my new diet and finally get some really good sleep.

I may not have anything considered phramocon other than mag coated aspirin for pain relief...I was not taking anything to try to get everything out of my system...


So I started on day1 with half the doses on everything but the Probiotics...

I actually slept through the whole night on Thursday...I mean I have not slept that way in years...no pain noothing just sleep...I woke up on day 2 and noticed I could walk and not as tight....

Great nights sleep on day 2.

Day 3 I woke up and the rash was 90% faded and the swelling in the hands & fingers subsided after my morning shower, the swelling in the ankles is down dramatically but still there...Felt great no observable muscle pain...walked around the office 3x times during the day and kept massaging the calfs, ankles and thighs to stimulate circulation...got home and sat down and could feel muscle pain & weakness in the arms & thighs...Chirp sdaid this would happen and take another few weeks to work its way out, I am unable to exercise hard core until the pain is gone and the blood test/biopsy confrims no LT damage...

Well today is day 4 and under the Chirps plan I am now 100% better than yesterday....I am certainly not 100% better than a week ago, but my fear, anxiety and depression over the experience is dwindling, and I am able to say I feel much better than I did 1 week ago...it has been 1 weeks since I stopped the Advicor, after taking 5 pills, and all the rest of those meds...

The Chirp believes it will take some time to get the entire statin drgs out of my system....he does not believe there is LT adverse effects, because of the small does I took...We believe it was not only the statin drugs but everything combined that caused a major effects I suffered....

The motivation of returning to normaL is all I need to keep those dang cigarettes out of my life forever as well! :D

Thanks to everyone on this board!