Surprising side effects of cholesterol-lowering medications
First things first - what are statins?
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What are Statin Drugs?
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The first line of defense against high cholesterol is a healthy diet and regular exercise regiment. If those two actions fail to lower your cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe a statin-based medication to help regulate your blood cholesterol level...
Which medications are classified as statins?
- Atorvastatin - branded as Lipitor and Torvast
- Cerivastatin - branded as Lipobay and Baycol. No longer on the market.
- Fluvastatin - branded as Lescol and Lescol XL
- Lovastatin - branded as Mevacor and Altocor
- Mevastatin
- Pitavastatin - branded as Livalo and Pitava
- Pravastatin - branded as Pravachol, Selektine, and Lipostat
- Rosuvastatin - branded as Crestor
- Simvastatin - branded as Zocor and Lipex
- Simvastatin+Ezetimibe - a combination drug branded as Vytorin
- Lovastatin+Niacin extended-release - a combination drug branded as Advicor
- Atorvastatin+Amlodipine Besylate - a combination drug branded as Caduet
Danger: Gastrointestinal disturbances
Danger: Headache, dizziness, and sleep problems
Danger: Weakness
Researchers are starting to question whether an increase in driving accidents in the elderly may be related to the use of statins, as many older statin users have reported driving mishaps related to misuse of the gas and brake pedals.
Danger: Rhabdomyolysis
Danger: Acute pancreatitis
Danger: Depression
Danger: Heart failure
Statins create a block in the Co-Q10 development process at the same point where they inhibit the liver's ability to produce cholesterol. Without Co-Q10, heart muscle cells aren't able to produce energy, and a weak heart pumps blood less effectively.
Danger: Food and medication interactions
What can you do?
Additional resources about the dangers of statins
- The Dangers of Statins
- My original article on Helium.com.
- Dangers of Statin Drugs
- A through look at studies done on statin drugs, by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD.
- Statin on Wikipedia
- Includes scientific and chemical details of statins and related medical uses.
Learn more about cholesterol
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What Cholesterol Is and How it Works
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Are you one of the millions of people who knows about this nasty little thing called cholesterol, but really have no idea what it is, what it does, and how it affects you? You're not alone. Read on to find out just what cholesterol is, wh...
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- eccles1 eccles1 Dec 6, 2009 @ 8:15 pm
- I think my mother is taking these I'll check and see .. glad you made this lens !
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- Cynthia H Cynthia H Jan 4, 2009 @ 8:51 pm
- I restarted taking Zocor after telling my Doctor that Generic brand Simstatin caused a rash on my neck, made me bloat like crazy, and itching all the time. I started taking brand name Zocor again in August or September 2008, and after almost completing 30 pills (maybe 4 left in the bottle), I'm weak all the time now. I didn't know what was happening (thought I had a virus) but decided to reseach the side effects just today, and discovered this (I'd just taken a pill a few minutes ago, Ughh!).
Anyway, I'm not taking anymore. I was trying to do the right thing for my cholesterol but don't like this feeling of weakness, I get in the car and just feel sickly, and that I must eat immediately. I suspect the medication should be out of my system by March.
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- paulbarton paulbarton Nov 4, 2008 @ 4:20 am
- Hi - i love the lens - I was on Zocor for well over 10 years because i trusted my doctor. My knees are now shot to pieces and I'm unable to walk some days - I'm only 52 years old. If symptoms occur when you take statins then provided you can get off them inside 3 or 4 years then the effects are often reversible - sadly mine are not and I'm stuck with it. The ignorance surrounding what cholesterol is and does is painful and it sadly starts with the pharmaceutical companies, carries on with the government and the medics sadly either don't know any better or can't see beyond the flawed studies. The best site I've found to date is http://www.spacedoc.net. I'm going to finish this post and set up a group so that we can all share with respect to Statins and the alternatives.
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- judy s judy s May 12, 2008 @ 10:07 pm
- was on Crestor for 3 weeks, had headaches in am for last 10 days. gained 8 lbs and bloated so bad couldn't get rings on. went off it and 8 days later was back to normal. no liver problems with blood tests
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