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Statins

BarbaraGale
0 Recommendations

I have CAD and four stents and still get angina. I have spent the winter getting tested for muscles soreness in my legs and thighs that has left me almost unable to walk slopes and hills. They found nothing. Researching my drugs, I saw that the statins can practically cripple you-as well as cause angina!-so I asked to be taken off Lipitor and put on Crestor. A friend also suggested Red Yeast Rice and CoQ10 ameliorates statin muscle pain so I plan to add that to the cokctail. Last inight I read that Crestor isn't much better, that they all stink. I would like the site's opinion on going off statins and trying to lower my cholestoral in other ways. I used to run, for heaven's sake, but those days are long gone.

Explore topics in this discussion:

Exercise Heart disease Heart failure Surgery Lipitor Zetia Niacin Angina Pain Crestor Stent Congestive heart failure Pravachol Stress

15 replies

rstep

My cardio put me on 10mg of crestor. One day my achilles tendon started hurting, thought that I had strained it wearing my heels. The next day, as I was standing, it just gave out on me. Over the next several days the occurred frequently. Did some research on line and found out that for some reason, this is where Crestor is known to have effects. Some people have had ruptures in their achilles tendon that have led to long recoveries or disabilities. I did add the CoQ10, but decided to try an alternative route. Recently started taking an herbal med called Cho Less. Won't know for a while if it works. My cholesterol levels are not extremely high, but I do have some build-up, so I will keep trying to lower it, but as safely as possible.
Robin

SandyW

I had the same problem, tried I think every statin on the market and finally said enough! Once I got off the statin the mucsle problem whent away.

In my case it turned out my cholesterol was very hight becasue I had undiagnosed thyroid diease. Once that was dealt with, my cholesterol went down to normal.

If my cholesterol does go up I'm going to try Niacin, it's supposed to wroke pretty good.

Hope this helps some.
Cheers Sandy W

AnnieB

My cardiologist had me on a few different statins. I know for me the body and joint pain was horrible. It took me a while to figure out it was the statins. I am thankful that my numbers are good so I refuse to take them, There were days I hurt so bad right before I quit them I didn't want to get off the couch.

I am sure if you search google long enough you will find alternative medicine to help. Are you numbers high or is this just a precautionary thing?

Best of luck to you.
Annie B.

arizona1

If you are still having angina you might want to try the following according to cardiologist Dr. Stephen Sinatra

mutivitamin/mineral with 1 gram of fish oil
l-carnitine 1-2,000 mgs
D-ribose 10-15 grams ( but I take less because it makes me a bit hyper)
magnesium 4-800mgs
vitamin k2 150mcgs
CoQ10 180-360 mgs

He also reccommends drinking green tea.

Kathi

BarbaraGale

Thank you, everyone. Ordering the stuff now. Late replying because I'm dealing with nursing homes. Ain't life grand?!

CJA

Kathi,

Thanks so much for sharing the list with us. I take everything but the vitamin K2 because I'm on 3 anticoagulants. Also I don't know about D-ribose?
Would you be so kind as to explain to me what this is.

I have been a big supporter of alterntive methods for 10 yrs. now , so any info on good things is very much appreciated. Have you heard of Chelation Therapy?
For 10 yrs now I have been using this method to help with angina. So far, very good results.
Sending you all of the very best heart hugs,

CJ

BarbaraGale

I have never heard of chelated therapy but will investigate. Thanks for the heads up.

arizona1

CJ,

D-ribose is a 5 carbon sugar that is found in every cell in the body. Because it is a 5 carbon sugar( not 6 ), ribose is not used by the body in glycolysis, the normal pathway of carbohydrate metabolism contributing to energy turnover. Ribose is conserved by the cell for its primary role, that of rebuilding the energy pool.

When oxygen or blood flow deficits are chronic, as in heart disease, tissues can never make enough ribose and therefore cellular energy levels are constantly depleted. Ribose is found in tissue, but it cannot be stored in cells. Instead cells must make ribose every time it is needed. When ribose is ingested or infused into the blood, it is readily absorbed by the tissue so it can carry out its metabolic duties.

In the mid 1980's, Dr. John Foker conducted a series of experiments showing the temporal relationship between energy level and diastolic cardiac function. He determined the role of ribose in increasing cardiac energy and restoring diastolic function.

The first clinical investigation on the role of ribose in cardiovascular disease was published in 1991. In this report, the doctors at the Uiversity ofOregom showed that ribose administration could be used to enhance the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease using thallium -201 imaging. It was theorized that segments of the heart that were alive but not functional could be"unmasked" by increasing their energy level, turning them on so they could be identified. Segments of the heart that are alive but not functioing are called hibernating areas. They lie dormant until they have enough blood flow and oxygen to turn up their energy metabolism, giving them the power they need to function properly. If the blood flow is not restored to these cardiac segments they will die. This 1991 study clearly showed that treating these heart segments with ribose gave the surgeons a road map to follow during surgery
.
A clinical study was published in 1992 in the "Lancet" medical journal. It showed that ribose administration to patients with severe, stable coronary artery disease increased exercise tolerance and delayed the onset of moderate angina.

Since 1992, the benefits fo ribose administration have ben reported for cardiac surgical recovery, treating congestive heart failure and neuromuscular disease. restoring energy to stressed skeletal muscle controlling free radical formation in hypoxia, and enhancing the storage of blood platelets harvested for transfusion.

To date the number of clinical studies and scientific investigations on the beneficial role of ribose in energy distressed tissue approached 100. Yet, very few American physicians have even heard of ribose outside of their first year medical school biochemistry class. Few have any idea how it works, or that it works, and fewer still recomment it to patients. Many have been taught to rely of drugs.

*********Louis was suffering with severe coronary artery disease. While hepreviously was treated by having a stent placed in this main coronary artery, Louis still have severe blockages in a small diagonal arterial branch that probed difficult to dilate with a stent.

Loius suffered with refractory angina, experiencing chest pain with normal acitivity like walking across a room or with only milc emotional stress. Cardiologists placed him on a humber of heart drugs, but the problem still persisted. Louis was given d-ribose along with an increase in coq10 and lcarnitine. In just a few days Louis showed remarkable improvement.


Kathi

BarbaraGale

Kathi (and everyone): Yesterday, I ordered:

NSI CoQ10 Red Yeast Rice with BioCosanol Policosanol -- 200 mg of CoQ10 - 120 capsules

It is twice the cost of regular CoQ10 Red Yeast Rice with Niacin -- 200 mg of CoQ10 - 120 capsules
I am excited to see if it works. If not, I am giving very serious thought to going off statins for a month to see if that is the problem.

CJA

Kathi,

Thanks you so much for sharing this important information with me. I certainly will look futher into the use of D-Ribose and hopefully can impliment it's usefulness into my everyday routine.

Anytime I can find something that will continue to help me improve my health, I'm all for it.

With much appreciation,

CJ

girlscoutpam

I took Crestor for only 1 month since my cardio wanted my LDL below 70...which is really difficult to achieve. The Crestor made me have twitching on the left side of my face. It was horrible. As soon as I stopped it, within 48 hours the twitching was gone! I then went back on my Pravachol along with Zetia, and although my numbers went down, they were never where the cardio wanted them. He has now prescribed what he calls the "big guns"...Lipitor 80 mg. Lo and behold, my numbers are fantastic! This has been for about 4 months now and so far, no muscle aches. He asks me all the time since it is definitely a side effect and could be a dangerous one. I do think all statins can produce the same side effects. I do have a cousin who was successful on the red yeast, but I never tried it myself. Good Luck.

amy5233

I did not tolerate statins. I tried two different ones. Then I read about red yeast rice. I took it for about 5 days and then started to develop legs cramps and major pain in my arms. I stopped it and the pain was gone within about a day and a half. I have read that it is so good that it is very much like the statins. I believe it now! I have switched to Coq10 every day and red yeast rice every other day. That seems to be tolerable. I will try to add more in until I take it daily. I hope to find a balance.
Just one concern...I don't think anyone should add red yeast rice while on a prescription statin. All that I read says that it works just like the drug in Lipitor and that the red yeast rice is a powerful "medication" on it's own.
I love that we are able to talk about alternative treatmenta here, and that we have people who are so informed. Thank everyone!

Dee81

Thank you thank you thank you! I knew I was having aches and pains bc of the Lipitor. I didn't even think that caused the ankle pain! I couldn't figure out what I did! My ankle was hurting so bad I had to wear runners to work!! At least I know it isn't a weird sprain that somehow happened without me realizing! I just starting taking the Coenzyme Q10 and have my fingers crossed...my Doctor recommended it, so it's worth it, also they are decreasing my Lipitor to 40 mg bc my cholestorol is TOO low (kinda happy about that), soooo maybe it will stop.

bluesea

I had reactions to all statins,it flared up my gallbladder, as far as I could tell, I would have alot of pain in my right shoulder blade and couldn't sleep. My heart doctor finally suggested I take crestor, 5 mg, three times a week. My LDL went from 100 to 65. I also try, and I mean try to keep my fat grams at less than 20 mg a day, but sometimes when it's holiday time, I let it go for a day or two. No side effects on less crestor, and it did the trick. Now I just hope I don't have side effects.
I also put myself on CoQ10-only 90 mg. but I heard it might help keep away side effects. My heart doc says there's no long term results that show this. My primary care doc thinks it's a good idea to stay on Q10. Lauren

BarbaraGale

Bluesea, I too have pain in my right shoulder!!!! And climbing stairs is still an issue, big time. You know what, I think I'm going off the red yeast rice and see what happens.

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