Cholesterol Drugs

[Grace]

I'm a Type 2 Diabetic so I need all the help I can get to keep my cholesterol numbers in the correct range. Like Sandie I tried to do without, but it just didn't work enough to make my Endocrinologist happy. I'm on Lipitor. Come November the patent runs out for Pfizer, and generic Lipitor will become available - so the cost will decrease.

I also take Lisinopril for hypertension - although I have been able to lower the dose of that this past year.

[K9karen]

I take the lowest possible dose of Zocor and have not had any side effects. My cholesterol was 210 and the doc decided that was too high. After 6 months on Zorcor, it's 170. It's odd because I'm slim, short, watch what I eat, due to stomach ulcers. My parents were fine, but I think it ran in my mom's side of the family. My brother, who eats everything and anything has low cholesterol. Go figuer.

[Catherinedana]

My cholesterol was through the roof and I started on meds about 3 years ago. Crestor and Lipotor gave me severe leg pain so I can't take them. I take Niaspan, Trilipix and Wel-Chol and my levels are perfect now. I've changed eating habits and have begun some exercise so I hope to reduce the number of meds I'm taking very soon.

If my cholesterol was only slightly elevated, I would have opted not to take the meds. I hate them.

My humble opinion? DON'T DO IT!! Change lifestyle instead.

[Louie and me]

Getting a new doctor in my area is easier said than done. My husband would like to change his family doctor (same Dr as me) but we haven't been able to find a single family physician who is accepting new patients!
We have some Omega 3 capsules so maybe I'll give them a try before going on any drugs.
I've really appreciate your input everyone - thanks.

[Laura's Babies]

I noticed that he had trouble remembering words and then after he left to check for some samples for me came back into the room and had forgotten why he went out! He had told me earlier he was taking Crestor.

and that is your brain on statin drugs..... that is how mine was on them..

[Louie and me]

That's my fear Laura's Babies - I'm well on the wrong side of 65 and have enough problems remembering things as it is. Don't need any help to be forgetful!

[Laura's Babies]

I personally know a man who had a episode of TGA while on Lipitor that scared him to death. It lasted for about 6 hours. He called his wife at work and she knew immediately something was wrong with him and came home and took him to the ER. They did all kinds of tests on him and could find no reason for his amnesia.. His daughter had heard me talk about statin drug side effects and invited me to meet them in Atlanta for the week end and while I was there she casually asked me to tell him about my experience on Lipitor. He listen and I could see many light bulb moments as he listened to what had happened to me and then he confessed to me about his TGA and asked me if that could have been caused by statin drugs and I took him to Space Doc's web sight and let him read Space Doc's story of his TGA's he had on statins..

He wasn't convinced though and said he was going to continue to take it but if it happened again he would stop... Wasn't long after that, he stopped. That was when his daughter confessed to me that was why she invited me to meet them in Atlanta, to talk to him about what statins had done to me.. I didn't have no TGA episodes on them but I did loose time and often missed my exit on the interstate and had no memory of passing it.