Are you on Statins to lower your cholesterol? How much did your doctor talk to you about the side effects of Statins or cholesterol meds in general? A while back a couple women in a forum I belong to were comparing their Statins stories. They gave me permission to share them here, and I thought it would be interesting if anyone else out there has also experienced side effects from these meds. If so, please comment below. Thank you!
photo by colros
- Lisa: “My Dad had heart surgery (unnecessary, I believe) and now takes a host of anti-cholesterol, anti-depressant (because no cholesterol leads to no serotonin), blood-pressure lowering medications and on and on. He was relatively healthy before all this and took no medications. He looked vital and healthy. Today, 2 years after surgery it breaks my heart to say that he probably won’t live another year, and he looks about 20 years older than his 70 years. Recently, when his leg was shaking so fiercely that he could barely walk and his hand developed a tremor, my mother finally listened to me and took him to the doctor to question whether he could be having a side effect from the cholesterol medication. The doctor took him off the medication, but “will monitor him very closely” and is looking into another med to replace it. Mind you, he never had high cholesterol. He has the “best” doctors in New York. I get furious when I consider all the physical damage that has happened to him in the name of heart health. He is also terrified of any fat, because of what the doctors tell him. I just heard yesterday that doctors will be recommending children as young as eight to start taking cholesterol-lowering medications as well as low fat milk for babies over one year. This is in response to the obesity epidemic. No mention of sugar or processed foods, as that would be messing with the almighty food industry. It’s very difficult to watch family members you love listen to dietary advice that you know is hurting them. All you can do is give them information with love and hope that it makes sense to them.“
- Patty: “When my husband was on Lipitor, his hip started going out on him with no warning. He had muscle aches and then he developed trigger finger, where one of his fingers would get “stuck” down and he would have to pull it upright (especially bad for a guitarist). He also seemed to be depressed and not quite as sharp-witted as usual.”
Do you have more stories to share? Please comment below!
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- Does fat make you fat? Part 2: Specific principles related to fats & dieting
- Healthy Milk – Find out why you should NEVER buy anything but WHOLE milk!
- The Oiling of America – Sally Fallon talks about Saturated Fats
- Reasons why many still believe the saturated fat myth
- Many more topics along the right in the sidebar!
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Spinnitter 12.08.08 at 4:47 am
My dad (78) was on Zocor. He does not have high cholesterol, but is diabetic. After then suddenly suffered severe short term memory loss and confusion. After just over three years, he began suffering from severe short term memory loss and confusion. Having read that this was a possibility with cholesterol meds, I took him off the Zocor and the memory problems cleared up within a week. About 6 months later, the doctor noticed that he was not taking the Zocor and put him back on it. Within 3 weeks the memory problems returned. I took him off it again and told the doctor that he should NOT be taking it. The doctor agreed given the side effects my dad was experiencing, but really wanted to put him on another class of cholesterol drug. I quoted a couple of studies I found online that question the efficacy of the med–especially in diabetics and he agreed not to put him on any cholesterol med. (My dad is the type that believes every word uttered by an MD or DO.)
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Kelly the Kitchen Kop 12.08.08 at 10:31 am
Thank God your Dad had you to watch out for him! I feel bad for all those people with no one to advocate for them – scary to think of what ends up happening.
Kelly
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Anonymous 12.08.08 at 6:07 pm
Thank you Kelly, for this exceptional information. It boggles my mind that we think nature doesn’t have a solution for us and we have to down chemical solutions from the pharma companies that are interested in 2 things: profits and NOT getting sued.
Just like the HRT debacle, Statins are dangerous. The one message I took away from Dr. Campbell-McBride, at the Price conference, was to *try* real hard not to be afraid of cholesterol and even trigycerides.
I’ve lost 40 pounds and gotten happier over the last 7 months and I guarantee you, I have faith that my memory will improve full force after too many years of starving it on the low/no fat diets. My hat is off to all of those following this path: there are those who have gone before us. Lucky us!
Hugs. Karen @ karenferguson@compuserve.ocm
[Reply]
Kelly the Kitchen Kop 12.08.08 at 7:33 pm
Youza, you’ve lost 40# now, Karen, that is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!! And look how well you’re eating, all dieters should read your comments!!!!
BTW, Did I send you my guest interview questions? People would love to hear more from you!
Kelly
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