Lipitor And Such Posts

Lipitor And Such Facts

Lipitor And Such Facts in Answers

Do cholesterol meds such as Lipitor also lower "good" cholesterol levels? There's LDL and HDL one is good one is bad. Do the meds lower the levels of both of them? Does it work by lowering the bad cholesterol or raising the good? I've never heard they're not appropriate for women.

me87 replied: "it decrease the LDL more and have alittle effect on increasing the good one HDL this one could be increased by modifying ur diet and doing some excersise"

ckm1956 replied: "It depends on the medication. Lipitor, in some patients, does lower HDL too much. That's why I was switched to Zoxor. In general, statins work by lowering the LDL and raising the HDL. They are appropriate for women, if they have significant risk factors for heart disease."

Does supplement CoQ10 really help lessen side effects of statins such as Lipitor? Will CoQ10 gie me more energy lost through statin use?

Tony I replied: "A better question is why use Lipitor to begin with? Have you looked up the side effects? Statin drugs are purely evil and there is no evidence that their use lowers the risk of heart attack or prolongs life spans. I assume you are trying to lowerl cholesterol. If so, much better natural suggestions are: * Cayenne pepper. Often called the king of herbs, cayenne pepper is the premier herb for the heart. It helps lower both bad cholesterol and high blood pressure and two teaspoons of cayenne pepper have never failed to stop a heart attack in less than a couple of minutes (so don't leave home without it!), * Sure gel apple or grapefruit pectin (jam & jelly stiffener). Take one heaping teaspoon in a cup of hot water nightly before bed. Two acids in the Sure gel help dissolve cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels. In about a month or less, the bad cholesterol should be much lower, and as a side affect, any heavy metals (generally, industrial toxins) should be flushed from your system. Sure gel Grapefruit pectin is 100 times stronger, but tastes awful and oxidizes and interferes with many medications. * Vinegar, apple juice and white grape juice. Mix 1 to 2 cup of apple cider vinegar, four cups of apple juice and three cups of white grape juice. Drink six ounces every day before breakfast. Used very effectively by Pennsylvania Amish families. * Garlic. Is cholesterol’s natural enemy. Eat three cloves daily to lower blood pressure, build immune system and guard against cancer. * Pomegranate juice. New studies indicate that pomegranate juice not only appears to prevent hardening of the arteries by reducing blood vessel damage, but the antioxidant-rich juice may also reverse the progression of this disease. * Green Tea. Drink one or more glasses a day. Powerful antioxidant and anti-cancer properties too. * Turmeric. Found in curry seasoning and plain yellow mustard. Lowers cholesterol, helps guard against Alzheimer’s and may help protect smokers from cancer. * Walnuts. Eat a half cup of walnuts every day. Almonds are also good. * Oatmeal. Eat a bowl of oatmeal every day for breakfast. Top with walnuts or almond bits and blueberries. * Cinnamon, water and honey. Take 10 pieces of cinnamon sticks (one inch each). Powder and then boil in five teacups of water. Add a teaspoon of honey and have a hot cup of this mixture every day. From India. * Onion juice reduces cholesterol and works as a tonic for nervous system. It cleans blood, helps digestive system, cures insomnia and regulates the heart action & helps in lowering cholesterol. * Sunflower seeds contain a substantial amount of linoleic acid which is helpful in reducing cholesterol deposits on the walls of the arteries. Substituting oil of sunflower seeds for some of the solid fats like butter & cream will, therefore lead to a great improvement in health & lower cholesterol. * Other good foods to help lower cholesterol: Flaxseeds, soy (due to concerns about unfermented soy products increasing the risk for certain cancers, use only fermented soy products such as miso and tempeh), lentils, beans, salmon, avocado, spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables, margarine with no trans-fats or hydrogenated ingredients, other nuts, dark chocolate, whole wheat and other grains. * Omega 3 oils such as fish, borage and flax oil. Lower bad cholesterol and raise the good cholesterol levels. * Diet and exercise. Essential to help combat high cholesterol. Eat more vegetables and fruit and less meat and fatty foods. Find a way to be physically active each day, if only for a brisk walk, bike ride or 15-30 minute light workout. BTW, CoQ10 is an excellent and vital supplement that is wonderful for the heart. So is magnesium."

are herbs, vitamins better than meds such as lipitor? I have been told too many side effects from liptor, why not herbs and vitamins

[[[ Toxic Cupcakes ]]] replied: "Why not try them both? The side effects only affect few people and vitamins a good for your body"

I was diagnosed with 397 cholasterol LDL 300, HDL73 any advice besides medications such as Lipitor, Zucor? I have been battling with high cholasterol for years and I refused to take medications as I am more inclined to do alternative solution, if I could. I watched what I eat, I exercise, I have a good active lifestyle, I drink a lot of tea, avoid fatty foods, but nothing seems to work. Your knowledgeable advice are welcome and thank you for time, I appreciate it.

cjoyce1215 replied: "Do you know that you are a stroke waiting to happen? I take Lipitor, 10 mg, cut out as much salt as possible and I'm doing great. Take the meds or you'll be taking a lot more meds with a stroke or heart attack."

Soul Doctor replied: "Homeopathy For High Cholesterol :- 1.PHYTOLACCA 30C 2.PHOSPHORUS 30C 3.CHOLESTERINUM 30C All three together half hour before or after meals thrice a day will gradually bring down your cholesterol without any side effects or complications. Keep me posted about your progress every week ! You can find Homeopathic Remedies on Most Herbal Shops and they are quite inexpensive. Take Care and God Bless !"

msbsmile2 replied: "It would be wise for you to take the medication to help lower it and get It under control. Because if not it could leave to a heart attack. I take zocor they are great . Please get it under control soon. With the medication and a good diet you will see the change."

dik replied: "eat right, exercise, drink lots of water, LOSE WEIGHT, do as your doctor tells you you have a medical professional taking care of you and diagnosing you.......and you come here looking for advice? whatever............."

Jamie D replied: "Hi there! I shop with a Wellness company that has an amazing heart health supplement for cholesterol reduction. It is a patent-pending formula that combines phytosterols with omega-3 fatty acids to help reduce bad cholesterol and promote healthy triglyceride levels. I have heard many success stories from this product, but here is a personal one that my aunt sent me... "By the way, Uncle Jimmy went to his PCP yesterday and the doctor was very happy with his cholesterol lab tests results. Between our diet and the Phytomega his cholesterol is down a whopping 45% in 6 months. Bye for now and thanks for introducing us to a great product.""

SCOTT replied: "OAT MEAL, OATMEAL BARS, AND WALNUTS HAVE PROPERTIES THAT REMOVE BAD CHOLASTEROL FROM OUR BODIES, EAT DARK GREEN VEGTABLIES, THEY HAVE LOST OF ANTI-OXIDENTS IN THEM, STAY AWAY FROM ANY THING THAT HAS PARTIALY HYGDRANATED VEGTABLE OR OTHER OILS, IT CLOGS YOUR ARTERIES. SOME LOW FAT FOODS HAVE A LOT, OF CHOLASTEROL IN THEM READ ALL YOUR FOOD LABELS. CUT BACK OR STOP USING SALT, STAY AWAY FROM SUGAR IF AT ALL POSSIABLE, TAKE A CHILDRENS ASPERIN 87 MG, ONCE A DAY, RED GRAPE JUCIE AND WINE ALSO HAVE ANTIOXIDENTS AS WELL AS ORANGE JUICE. PEACE AND STRENGTH TO YOU. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FIGHT, I'M FIGHTING THE SAME BATTLE, ALSO IF YOU SMOKE STOP. SCOOTER BLACK."

Amanda replied: "Try a vegan diet. Even watching your weight, eating what you think is low fat, healthy, etc. isn't always healthy. You should see an acupuncturist. They'll probably change your diet, vitamin, excercise plan, and give you good advice. Do it soon or start taking meds."

cheeky chic 379 replied: "Ask you Dr about Vytorin. It works and will get your levels down in 3 months. Once the levels are down , then you can try other things."

Windchaser replied: "I agree with everything that's been said so far: lose weight by exercising, eating more vegetables, cutting salt, drinking 8 glasses of water a day, having a bowl of oatmeal or Cheerios in the morning with fat free or low fat milk and including garlic and olive oil in your diet. This will help your arteries in general. (I have high cholesterol, too!)"

Cara replied: "well if your healthy eating hasn't helped then you may have no choice other then to take the medication. as for alternatives try eating lots of garlic. be careful you could have a stroke and will be forced to take a lot more medications then just one pill a day. you should really listen to your Dr. he is trying to save your life."

Brett N replied: "Just by the by - omega-3 fatty acids (modestly) lower TRIGLYCERIDE levels, not LDL/cholesterol. I agree with the rest of the advice given (oatmeal, walnuts, almonds, flavenoids)... BUT, you have very high cholesterol, quite suggestive of a familial problem. Diet and lifestyle modifications certainly do help, and I would definitely encourage you to engage in them, but a genetically high-set cholesterol can only be lowered so much. Seriously - consider a statin (crestor, etc)."

bahnsidhe replied: "Adding Lecithin, Niacin (B3), Garlic, Apples, Fish, Legumes, etc. to a diet and, at the same time, avoid the usual items like sugar, alcohol, fatty fast foods, etc. Soft boiled eggs will help lower cholesterol the lecithan in a soft boiled egg is very high."

Ayurvedic Doctor replied: "Read my answer at"

Would you take lipitor? just got out of hospital, they did angioplasty and? a ct scan and everything came out normal...my cholesterol is very high, 375 and i have heart disease run in my family, father just had 2 stents put in..anyway, i always have such bad side affects from meds and am so scared to take lipitor, not real sure....anyone have an constructive input?

notyou311 replied: "Try it. It could lower your cholesterol and save your life. Ask the Dr. about Zetia. It works differently and is easily tolerated."

nursekuba replied: "Well, with your cholesterol being that high, I'm afraid the diet and exercise thing won't bring it down enough. I would suggest trying the lipitor and seeing how it works. If you have bad side effects you can always stop taking it."

emperor_chino replied: "I take 10 miligrams a day and have since I was 5, so 8 years. My dad has taken 80 miligrams for 28 years. We have hyperchlorestoralimia and both have our readings in the 300s without Lipitor and in the low 200s taking it. It helps keep the blood vessles clear. Side effects are minimal."

iceemama replied: "I take lipitor and haven't had any side effects. I know everyone is different but I agree you should try it and then stop if necessary. With Zocor, my hair fell out and I stopped it. You also may ask your dr. about taking fish oil pills. I take them with my lipitor and it has helped my cholesterol numbers greatly. Good luck to you."

noxcuses4me replied: "Given your set of circumstances, yes---in a heartbeat (no pun intended). By definition, if you had angioplasty, things *aren't* "normal." You have narrowed, diseased blood vessels.Your #1 aim is to minimize the risk of disease progression. Getting your cholesterol down is critical to this. It may not be a lifetime prescription---you may find that lifestyle changes make it unnecessary at some point. However, with your family history, it might well be something you do require for the long run. Lipitor is not risk-free---but you are in a very, very high-risk category, in terms of your cardiac status---so the risk vs. benefit ratio of the drug leans very heavily toward taking it. Stay healthy!"

stephen k replied: "I do take lipitor. My cholesterol was not as bad as yours (Mine was "only" 283) but with a history of high cholesterol in the family, the doctor felt we should take preventative measures. Just no grapefruit or grapefruit drinks OK?"

Spark replied: "You are at risk of developing heart disease as one of the risk factors is genetic history. It is a good idea to reduce your modifiable risk factors like high cholesterol. You should take the Lipitor prescribed for you but if you get bad side effects from it there are other cholesterol lowering drugs that might not have the same side effects. Ask your family doctor if you can't stand Lipitor."

stevemeister replied: "Uh... WOW!!... that Spark guy really knows what he's talking about!..."

kc2mfh replied: "I take the Lipitor pill 80mg. I just got out of the hospital too. Got the same procedure with 2 stents. Lipitor and a slew of other drugs I have to take now for the rest of my life. Yes Heart Disease runs in my family too. I survived a recent Heart Attack just last Friday 9/7/07. I never knew how vulnerable I am. Plus I am under 49. Your never too young to have a heart attack. Check with your doctor and find the right meds you can tolerate. Honestly pal you don't want to go what I did. Live Long and Prosper... :-)"

self-employed replied: "You need to take something because you're a walking time bomb. Try the Lipitor and if you have bad side effects they can try you on something else. I promise you, the side effects of a heart attack are worse."

davidt replied: "take the lipitor,save on stents,if it does not work,their are other drugs for lowering cholesterol,give it a try"

Tim B replied: "Eat less animal fat such as cheese, eggs and meat."

mistysmum replied: "Take it. It is not renowned for side effects. Your regular dr will monitor any. Would you rather go through a heart attack or open heart bypass surgery, than take a little pill every night? Grow up..."

Why don't doctors warn you about serious side effects from Lipitor and Zocor? I have taken Lipitor off and on for a few years. I began hearing about side effects such muscle weakness, joint pain and liver damage and I had been experiencing side effects myself, so I did some research and found some frightening reports. I stopped taking it 10 days ago and still have symptoms. Is there permanent damage?www.medications.com/go/se/Lipitor

DAVID W replied: "Mainly because the drug company gives them a good deal to sell their drugs. A doctor is supposed to tell you but it much depends on what sort of doctor he or she is. There may be long term damage as all drugs affect your liver."

Sunshine replied: "When you are on a statin drug such as Lipitor or zocor, you need to have lab tests at least every 6 months to test your liver. Tests can also be done if you experience muscle weakness and pain, which can be a condition called rhabdomyolysis--a serious side effect that can occur on statin drugs. Did you tell your doctor about the side effects that you were having? Please call the doctor and report that you have stopped the medication too. PS--not all drugs affect your liver like the person above me said, this is not correct information!"

Joseph, II replied: "Because half of THEM- don't know what they are- themselves! That's YOUR job- to ask questions & find out!"

jim l replied: "the reason is that most people dont get the side affect in the dr point of view if they are able to help over 90% of the people with it the people that have side affects are really immaterial statistically speaking you are in a minority unfortunately some of the side affects are not reversible in some people you will have to wait and see"

sharmel replied: "Patients always should take an active role in the course of their own treatments. Towards this purpose, nowadays when you receive a prescription from the pharmacy, it comes with a printed paper that outlines all of the known potential side effects, and telling you to watch for them and report immediately to your doctor if you are experiencing any of them to a significant extent. Every time I get a particular prescription from my doctor, I take the time to say "OK, let's talk about any possible side effects, and how you feel they rate in terms of risk over benefits?" Matter of fact I recently had a discussion with my specialist about a minor heart abnormality, (a mild arrhythmia) for which he suggested giving me a particular drug. Upon further questioning he told me that, indeed this particular drug did have some disturbing side effects which, while not often experienced by the patient, had been known to occur and cause some trouble. We delved into it more, and in the end I told him that, with respect, I felt I needed to make the informed decision not to take this drug. He said "OK" and offered me an alternative, which I am taking and tolerating well. Always consider YOURSELF - the patient - an essential part of the medical team that is treating you, and as a member of the team, you need to do your own homework and have your say in every step of the process. Actually, information about Statins and some certain troubling side effects has been all over the news for two or three years now, and I am surprised that you have not come across it before. Lower doses tend not to be the problem for the majority of people, but on the other side of the coin, there is absolutely NO drug ever devised and put on the market that hasn't had an adverse effect on at least a few people. Look at the incredible and wide-ranging benefits of the humble aspirin. The overwhelming majority of people can take aspirin with absolutely no ill effects, and great benefit. But there are a selective few who develop quite serious problems with internal bleeding, stomach ulcers etc. It is why we all have to be aware, and diligent, whenever we are on any kind of medication, and listen to our body signals that will warn us when something is amiss. Hopefully, as usually happens, the discontinuation of the statin will eventually restore you to normal with no lasting ill effects. It depends how long you were taking it, as it may take your body a while to totally rid itself of the problems that it caused. Meanwhile, remain watchful, and stay in touch with your medical caregiver."

Alternatives to lipitor? looking for anyones personal experiences with reformulated alternative meds to Lipitor. My Insurance wont consider it to be the "preferred" med, which makes it $20 more than every other alternative. Should I stay with the Lipitor or try an alt, such as Vytorin or Zocor Asking my doctor was something I already knew (thank you though) and dont worry I would not be stupid enough to make a potentially dangerous move by making a med change without consulting my doctor. A smart person always takes all information into consideration. Was hoping to get some personal experiences out of this, possibly someone who tried lipitor AND switched to something else. I fully comprehend that each person can respond differently to the very same med.

car_craze_gal replied: "I like Zetia"

big_csf replied: "The best thing to do is take the list of drugs your insurance company will pay for to the Dr's office and he/she can decide which is the best alternative for you."

kids and cats replied: "You need to discuss this with your doctor. Explain the problem and ask them if they could recommend an alternative. Don't take medical advice from here. You never know who is offering the advice, and you really don't want to take prescription advice from the kid working at the 7-11 or washing cars at the local Sunoco do you?"

Louie replied: "I could not take lipitor, so zocor is pretty much the same thing... took it for years...it lowers your chlolestrol... but vytorin is a pill that is half zocor and half something else.... I take that now... it lowers chlol with the zocor part and the other half of the pill either raises your HDL ( the good stuff) or it lowers the LDL ( the bad stuff)...I forget which... but never had any side effects with either of these"

My brother has a 1,900 triglycerides level. Has anyone know someone like this? Both of his doctors say they have never seen such leves in anyone. He is loosing weight, has changed his eating habits, he's taking, Lipitor 80 mg, Tricor 145 mg, Omega 3 and Niacin 1g and exercises everyday now, yet he cannot low down the level. Anyone has any ideas?

red_tear replied: "I have an idea. Get him off the cholesterol lowering drugs, lipitor and tricor, and get him onto a triglyceride lowering drug. I would recomend a combination of a fibrate a statin and niacin."

dcrc93 replied: "very high no ive never heard of it eating low cal food and heart healthy ones that have the heart on the label like Quakers oats,Cheerios ETC ect fish oil tablets from walamrt if over wt lose it and exercise"

Sally replied: "Don't know anyone with triglycerides that high, but my husbands were 400 and he tried everything with no lowering results till he started to watch his sugar intake, sugar has a big influence on these levels. He eats very little sugar, watch food labels, some foods you think are healthy are full of sugar. Also eat legumes, such as kidney, pinto and black beans. He eats at least 1/2 cup daily mixed with onions, green peppers and a little light Miracle Whip. Continue with the exercise. Within one month his triglycerides came down to 102 and his total cholesterol came down to 120. His cardiologist was amazed at what he achieved in a short period of time with diet and exercise. Wish him well."

I take 80 mg of Lipitor after 3 heart caths. My LDL is 19 and HDL is 54. Should I worry about side effects? I have had 3 stents implanted in my RCA with 3 different PTCA's in 18 mos and 2 heart attacks..Is 19 in LDL too low? Are other parts of my body going to be negatively impacted by cholesterol values this low?Why would my doc keep me on such a high dosage with such a low cholesterol reading?

K8 replied: "When was your last heart attack? When you have a heart attack, your cholesterol levels will be falsely lowered on a blood test for about a month. Also, unless you are experiencing side effects, no; you don't need to worry about them."

billyvnilly replied: "No, you really can't have too low of a LDL, and YES your doctor will keep you on a high dose of the cholesterol drug, because you are at great risk for restenosing those stents. You should continue whatever blood thinner, antihypertensive, and cholesterol drug your cardiologist has you on. The negative impact of the cholesterol drug can be monitored with liver function tests (blood work) and/or the presence of muscle aches."

christina c replied: "If you are not currently experiencing any side effects such as chest pain, back pain or muscle pains etc.. then it should be fine. The high dose is just a preventative measure as a precaution."

abetterway2earn.com replied: "First review what Dr. Louis Ignarro, currently at UCLA and one of three who were awarded the NOBEL PRIZE by hearing what he has to say about cardiovascular disease including resolutions even for cholesterol at: Now watch this movie DRAMATIZATION with Dr.Ignarro's discovery, by Dr. Harry Elwardt: MOVIE & INFORMATION ONLY Please let me know if you would like to learn more at Hope this helps, Ernie Clinical Research with emphasis in health care prevention"

Dr Frank replied: "Broadly the lower your total cholesterol the better. I am on 80mgs of atorvastatin and have been for many years. Provided you get no overt side effects such as muscle,hepatic or renal problems, all of which your GP should be regularly monitoring you for, there ar no long term problems. You are also looking for as low a cholesterol HDL ratio as possible. There was a little bit of work done in the states looking at bringing total cholesterol down to less than 1 mmole. This did appear to marginally reduce pre-existing plaque deposits. With generalised disease you need all the help you can get. Interestingly are you on one anti-platelet drug,aspirin would be a minimum requirement or 2, clopidogrel as well? To be honest the biggest issue for the NHS with both high dose atorvastatin and long term clopidogrel is probably cost rather than efficacy or risk. I have a strong suspicion that when both these drugs come off patent and their cost punnets we will suddenly see more patients on clopidogrel and more on high dose atorvastatin. The same happened when the price od simvastatin plummeted to pennies. The standard dose went up to 40mgs, when before 20mgs or even 10mgs were used. Atorvastatin is both a more potent drug and is tolerated in much higher doses."

Rhianna Returns replied: "Because the lower the cholesterol, the lower the risk to health and it needs to be kept low to prevent cardiovascular events. Providing you can tolerate the dosage, there is no issue. As Dr Frank has said, you will regularly have liver and kidney function tests and of course if you do develop muscle aches, report it to your GP."