A Tribute to my Father - Statin Memory Loss

[NurseJudy]

WHEN I REMEMBER DAD

He used to smile and twinkle.
He used to call me, ”Toot”.
He told me that he loved me,
Something that I knew.

It was the way he looked at me
When I walked in the room.
His cheery smile and laughter
Could transform any gloom.

When I remember Dad,
He could always make you laugh.
You could say about anything
And he’d turn it in a flash.

A man with a very high IQ
Who could read a book and build.
Adding rooms and building homes,
Though he never joined a guild.

Tricky with the slide rule.
Well informed and knew
So much about so many things
His advice rang very true.

Then they gave him statins.
They said to help his heart.
Now Dad cannot remember
Where books and tools, they are.

They said they’d help his heart,
But his memory did not stay.
The Dad that was my Dad
Has somehow slipped away.

Drug companies lower cholesterol.
It’s found within the brain.
It forms things like the memory.
When gone, the memories fade.

They lowered his cholesterol.
A heart protecting drain?
What they forgot to notice
Was the heart is in the brain.


Will the drug companies call me?
Will they send me flowers?
Will they at least apologize?
For all the stolen hours?

A part of him is still there,
But I don’t know how long.
Would they had left him alone
To hear his silly songs!

It makes me really angry,
This statin induced drain.
They lowered his cholesterol,
But still ruined his brain.

He still remembers Tootie.
The love, it is still there.
The silly songs he used to sing
Still float by in the air.

The companies won’t remember
The DAD who was the BEST.
Who he was, and what they’ve done.
I will not forget.

Judy Johnston RN, BSN
10/05/2006

[Michie]

Thank you for your moving tribute to your Dad. You convey much more than just your love for him which is obviously very real. You teach much about the dangers statins pose for all. My family watched as I went through a steady and serious decline due to statins, then rallied around me during my recovery when I finally understood the source of my problems and stopped the meds. I hope that your Dad can have a similar recovery.

[cardiaccure]

I understand what your Father is going through, I am on 80mg of Lipitor and are begining to have trouble remembering what I am doing and what I am trying to learn. As an Analytical Chemical student I am experiencing trouble trying to memorize formula's & equations. Some stuff is just like it was never there.
This only started to happen when I was re-perscribed Lipitor. After about 2 months, I am really starting to notice my memory trouble......so are the people around me.

Best of luck to you and your Father,

Cardiaccure
Heart attack at age 40.

[harley2ride]

I don't have any real proof about how it worked, but I was having regular problems with my memory, shakes, extreme trouble typing and spelling words correctly, until my doctor put me on Lyrica. I am also positive that the Lyrica has helped my muscles and shaking a lot. After being on the Lyrica for about 4 months, and feeling very good, the doctor had me try cutting it down, and stopping it for a short period. Within 1 week, I started to get a lot of muscle pain, and shaking. Went back on it again, and within 3 - 4 days, noticed a big improvement.

My case may be slightly different from others, as I ended up being diagnosed as having the Statin drug cause/contribute to mitochondrial myopathy.

I did not like it when I saw the very large list of possible side effects from the Lyrica, but from what I read, most of those were from taking pretty high doses. I'm taking 50mg twice a day, and it is working very very well. I almost feel human again. I'm even thinking about slowly getting back into exercising.

It would be interesting to see if anyone else here has been on Lyrica and if they noticed any improvement while on it...

[Biologist]

Thanks for your post, harley2ride.

I may keep it in mind myself.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyrica]

Biologist

[catspajamas]

I have been on Lyrica for 3 months...it took about a week to get into my system to notice any difference...for awhile it was like a miracle for me..no more pain...(50 mg..3 times a day)..but graduallly it stopped working as well...I don't like the idea of the way it makes me more unsteady on my feet than I was..I also can't justify the cost with the help its given me... I see my Dr. Friday and will see if I can gradually go off the lyrica(you have to go off gradually) and get back on a stronger dose of neurontin...Lyrica is on the Worst Pills site as a drug not to take for pain..so think I will heed their warning..they said not enough is known about it yet...we sure have a dilemna with these nerve damaged feet...all in the name of statins....

[Cat Mom2]

Such a lovely tribute to your Dad. SHAME on big pharma for the damage they are doing to wonderful people!!

[harley2ride]

catspajamas

I thought that neurontin also had some dangerous side effects? How is it working for you? What benefit do you notice? How long have you been taking it?

I think that part of this statin injury, is that you become allergic to things which you never had problems with before, and that durgs seem to quit working, over a short period of time. I've been on Lyrica for 1year, started out with 100mg, then 150, now at 200, and don't think I want to go higher, due to the dangers....