statin drugs and link to cardiomyopathy/congestive heart failure

I was recently told again by my docs to "lower my cholesterol" by taking a statin drug.I refused. Here is why..study after study and several class action lawsuits have linked the use of statin drugs (Crestor,Zocor etc.) to an increase in congestive heart failure,blood sugar spikes, and cardiomyopathy as well as an adverse interaction with amiodarone patients.
It is currently being debated as to whether cholesterol levels have even a direct relationship to most heart disease.
My husband took them and steadily gained weight-which of course was not good for his heart-and now that he has cut his dose in half,he has lost 15 lbs. in a month.
I took them for a short time and my blood sugar went through the roof (by blocking the cholesterol from entering the liver,sugar is then "dumped" into the bloodstream.) Once I discontinued,my blood sugar is now in the normal range. Hmmm??
Ask your doctor about these findings or google in the heading I have on this discussion and read the cautionary tales and studies for yourself. Of course,
as always, discuss your health with your doctor before discontinuing any prescribed medications!

By Sandyzk12 (Inactive)
Reply 3093709
May 26, 2012 at 4:58 pm
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I was on Crestor and Lipitor (not at the same time) and I got sicker and fatter.
So I refused to take them.
I was also on a beta blocker. Atenelol. I was tired all the time.
I told my cardio that this was not doing me any good so he told me to 1/2 the dose. I did, and was still feeling like a slug - a fat one.
So I stopped that with my doctors approval.

My cholesterol is high. That's all. He has me on Levitra (fish oil) and Coq10 and Red Yeast Rice- diet and exercise and lifestyle change big time since Oct 2011.

That's it. I agree with you. The statins can be very dangerous and nasty.

Sandy

By Jifizap
Reply 3093740
May 26, 2012 at 5:16 pm
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Yvonna, I don't think simvastatin is a beta blocker. Simvastatin treats high cholesterol; beta blockers (like atenolol and sotalol) treat high blood pressure and arrhythmias.

By yvonneu
Reply 3093779
May 26, 2012 at 5:39 pm
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Thank you very much for your replies.

strange about simvaststin though as my cholesterol levels have never been higher than normal. Hey ho. We just have to hope the docs know what they are doing.

Ha ha

By doctorphobe
Reply 3094134
May 26, 2012 at 9:22 pm
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do you ever wonder why they prescribe some of the drugs they do? and the ones with all the side effects? to people who are already compromised and / or anxious about their diagnoses, conditions, etc? t there are some pharmacists who double check the prescriptions, and actually catch potentially dangerous mistakes.

By yvonneu
Reply 3094222
May 26, 2012 at 10:04 pm
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might go see the pharmacist and get all my meds checked out. Sometimes think we might just be guinea pigs in a pharmaceutical experiment!

By shamal
Reply 3094274 · In reply to 3094222 by yvonneu
May 26, 2012 at 10:38 pm
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I fear that Big Pharma and the almighty dollar drive the drugs that our doctors prescribe as much as/or in spite of their effectiveness or safety.Sometimes in seems my pharmacist knows as much or more about contraindications and drug interactions than the medical community! Keep educating yourself and ask questions.Statins are NOT a one size fits all drug.

By peppermint55 (Inactive)
Reply 3094756
May 27, 2012 at 7:57 am
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Please read Dr. Stephen Sinatra's book "Reverse Heart Disease Now". It also addresses these issues. He is an integrative cardiologist who believes statins are problematic. He disagrees with conventional doctors. I could hardly put the book down when I read it as it was so enlightening.

Blessings, Peppermint

By DonnaLO
Reply 3095020
May 27, 2012 at 10:38 am
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for your heart, Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. recommends a vegan diet with no added oil. so does Dr. McDougall with lots of free info online.

I took statins for a short time and a beta blocker which made me feel awful. so I told the doctor no more of that. he is concerned and drugs are the only way he knows to treat CHF. I do take lasix and another diuretic to help the shortness of breath.

By doctorphobe
Reply 3095097
May 27, 2012 at 11:21 am
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i had no symptoms at all.... a heart murmur i more or less knesw about from a job physical 30 odd yrs ago. so when i had my horrible respiratory crisis in february, ( vocal cord polyps / 99% occlusion of airway=11ambulance ride to hospital. (911)
besides setting me up for surg on polyps, they made a big deal on murmur, aortic stenossis, and i cannot believe the amount of drugs poured into me in my 5 day term on telemetry floor. so of course, i am totally psyched out re my heart status. 3 different doctors pres rbed. some of which i am afraid of side ecfects. metoprol, for one. i NEVER had arrhythmia before. now i have had some. after a dr. visit and ekg, doc said to up dosage crom 25 to 50 twice a day. also i was panicking in dr office and spiksx bp to 150/90. (typos...i do know how to spell, lol)
i did not get that new scrip. ha e cut 25 s in half. walaa, less palpjtations and thuds and anxiety. (paradoxical effect?) i want to dc the metrop. ( gradually, i know) deall w lisinopril for bp. i am athletic, so hate feeling weird. just neex to rule out if it's the meds. find another doctor who will waork witb me, not my chart .. as for statins...i have read that, too. nutritional rx .... as they say. there are plants and herbs on our planet that work. the trial ck is to know which ones, find a doctor we can trust, and do whatwe can to heal.

By shamal
Reply 3095203 · In reply to 3095097 by doctorphobe
May 27, 2012 at 12:16 pm
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I hear you about the Metroprolol-I was on it for a brief time during which my muscles ached too much to walk and when I stood up the entire room spun like I was on a merry-go-round. I listened to my body and cut the dose in half, then a week later,in half again,then discontinued. Immediately felt better and was able to get out for my 30 minute walk nightly again.
I told my doc I was doing this.
I did go to Dr. Sinatra's site and his online Heartmed Institute.I found it to be an excellent source of useful and easy to understand information about nutrition and cardiovascular health. He even has some cooking videos!
I come from a long line of long lived people. We have traced our family tree back to the 1100's and even in the 1300's,my great great etc. grandfather died at the age of 87.Many of my grandparents lived into their 90's.Quite an accomplishment in the days when 40 was considered a long life.
What was their secret? Good genes for sure.I am also sure that they ate little meat and had a diet rich in nuts,grains,vegetables,fruits,olive oils and exercise.My father died at the age of 93 and jumped rope and swam laps up to the day of his death. I only saw him slow down when docs started to pump him full of statins because they were worried about his "cholesterol". Hmm???
Don't get me wrong-many drugs are life saving and totally necessary.
Meanwhile, take a Tai Chi or Yoga class, get out in the sun (with sunscreen) and bury your feet in the deep grass,take deep breaths and smile when exhaling.For anyone: Kock off the sugar,diet pop,liquor,cigarettes,and fried foods / heavy fats,fast foods.
They wanted to put me on insulin and I said I can reduce my blood sugar naturally-and I did! They just did my A1c blood glucose test and it was 5.7...very good!Needless to say,I am highly disciplined when it comes to my health!
Good luck and best wishes to all of you.

By yvonneu
Reply 3095311
May 27, 2012 at 12:59 pm
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I have a very well-controlled type 2 diabetes and agree with everything you said. We have to face each day anew with a smile and a positive attitude. No-one controls how we treat our bodies but ourselves x

By Keesha63
Reply 3095471
May 27, 2012 at 2:23 pm
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I think it's important to note that high cholesterol does lead to plaque buildup in the arteries. Plaque buildup leads to heart attacks. I for one did not put too much weight on the "high cholesterol" I had in my 30's. I did watch what I ate, did exercise and generally took pretty good care of my self. I was told 4 1/2 years ago that I needed to be on a statin. I waited another year doing everything possible to lower it naturally. Regardless of what I did my cholesterol never was less than 10% above an idea number. So 3 1/2 yrs ago I agreed and started taking Crestor. Low and behold 2 yrs later at 47 yrs old I have a massive heart attack caused by a 99% blockage in my LAD. I have 3 others all between 30% and 60%. These blockages do not occur overnight, they had been busy growing for many years. By the time I started taking a statin the damage was done. What I am saying is no drug comes without side effects, but sometimes it's important to weigh what side effects are worth it.

By yvonneu
Reply 3095755
May 27, 2012 at 5:07 pm
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so if i still take simvastatin (aka Zocor) which can be a contributor to congestive heart failure, blood sugar spikes and cardiomyopathy (as discussed by Shamal in an earlier post) why the hell am i taking it when i have diabetes and LBBB ?

Yikes x

By heartaches101
Reply 3095967
May 27, 2012 at 7:14 pm
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I was just precripted Pravastatin 20 mg. which is a satin drug because my "high cholesterol" was 209 this time....test every 3 months and it has always been good. Both the regular and heart doctor asked me if I remembered to fast?.....duh...yes.......you sure it was my blood. I filled it but haven't taken it. I believe I can watch my diet more closely and do as much good as the medication. And after hearing some of the side effects......like weight gain.....I may not start it. I do have constant afib, fast heart rate without the life draining Metetroplol and now digoxin......asthma, really bad acid reflex, colon ulcers and have only begun to be able to lose weight after they doubled my digoxin. In June I will have an ablation to stop the afib......if I am in the lucky 75%.

By shamal
Reply 3096100 · In reply to 3095755 by yvonneu
May 27, 2012 at 8:36 pm
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It is a good question to ask your doctor, after you have done a little research on the topic so they realize that you are thoughtfully considering all your options and dosage. I am sure that statins are appropriate for some patients. My point is-is it good to have a "one size fits all" approach to medicine?
For example, my family doc wanted me to take a certain antibiotic(Z-Pak). I refused, telling him that I had read that it could be dangerous with Amiodarone patients-even deadly.This was a year ago. His answer at that time was that studies were "inconclusive".Now,a year later-they ARE conclusive that zythomycin can be harmful to certain cardio patients taking certain drugs..By the way, I asked him for a different anti-biotic and it worked fine with no complications.
When they pushed statins on me the first time(three years ago) I asked if I could have a special heart test which showed a very clear picture inside the hearts valves and arteries. This was done and it proved to be free of plaque and clean as a whistle.
Of course, I am very fortunate to have medical insurance which recognizes that medicine needs to be pro-active not just re-active. I do understand that doctors are overworked and would find it difficult to take such time and care at all times for everyone.

By CarolJean65
Reply 3096417 · In reply to 3095755 by yvonneu
May 27, 2012 at 11:45 pm
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The statins also help raise your HDL .. the good lipid.. and that may be the issue rather than the total cholesterol. If you have no cholesterol issues at all, I'd certainly question your doctor! I'm newly diagnosed with DCM/CHF with a LBBB as well. I'm still on Zocor. Appreciate this conversation.

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