Well, just got my yearly checkup. As some of you know, I've been battling the cholesterol/triclycerides for over a year now. Now just consider this....

About a year ago when I first found out that I had this problem, my triclycerides were in the 700-800's! Now they are down to the 200 mark. Much better. BUT..my cholesterol didn't do quite as well. My bad cholesterol is still BAD! (don't remember the numbers, but not good) and the Good cholesterol is not high enough by far. I've been taking Tricor for a year now and my dr says she's considering putting me on a statin. That scares me. This is my question....

Are some statins better/safer than others? Is it possible that a low dosage may do the job? I don't quite understand statins, but, I know from reading about them that they are not good. Anyone here that can answer these questions?

On the good side, you know I'm also diabetic and my numbers are down to within .3 of being normal and most days my sugar tests within the acceptable range. However, you may remember as well that I lost all that weight.....well..quess what? You guessed it....I've gained almost all of it back. I'm just hungry ALL THE TIME! Geez, if it's not one thing it's another! We just got to keep trying! Thanks!

Sorry to hear you're having problems. If you have high cholesterol that you can't lower through diet and exercise, statins may be your best hope for avoiding a heart attack. It's estimated 8 million Americans take these drugs successfully.

The best thing you can do for your cholesterol and your diabetes is diet and exercise. Easier said than done. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif You presently have 4 risk factors for heart disease. I don't know your history so don't know if you've had a coronary event. Since your doctor can see that you're not dieting or exercising his only choice is to try and lower your cholesterol with drugs.

All of the statins can provide powerful protection for your heart, but some may be better choices than others. If your LDL is extremely high, your doctor may want to prescribe either simvastatin or atorvastatin, the two most powerful drugs in the class. Fluvastatin, the least expensive drug, may be a good option if you need to make a minor dent in your cholesterol. Small doses of atorvastatin are another inexpensive option for slightly above-normal cholesterol.

Statins aren't the only medications that can improve your cholesterol levels. If your HDL ("good") cholesterol is too low, your doctor may prescribe niacin instead ofn or in addition to a statin. While statins can slightly increase your HDL, niacin will give it a much bigger boost. Likewise, you may need a fibrate drug such as gemfibrozil if your triglycerides are too high. Both niacin and fibrates tend to cause more side effects than statins.

Another class of cholesterol lowering drugs are bile acid sequestrants. Bile acid sequestrants bind with cholesterol-containing bile acids in the intestines and are then eliminated in the stool. The usual effect of bile acid sequestrants is to lower LDL-cholesterol by about 10 to 20 percent. Small doses of sequestrants can produce useful reductions in LDL-cholesterol. Bile acid sequestrants are sometimes prescribed with a statin to increase cholesterol reduction. When these drugs are combined, their effects are added together to lower LDL-cholesterol by over 40 percent.

Cholestyramine, colestipol, and colesevelam are the three main bile acid sequestrants currently available. These three drugs are available as powders or tablets. They are not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and 30 years of experience with the sequestrants indicate that their long-term use is safe. The bile acid sequestrants are not prescribed as the sole medicine to lower your cholesterol if you have high triglycerides or a history of severe constipation.

Good luck to you http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Of the statins, Pravachol and Lescol appear to have less reported side-effects. It is probably best to try to avoid Lipitor and Zocor.
If your numbers are way high - you probably will need a statin.
Good Luck.

Sounds like you are a perfect candidate for a diet low in carbohydrates,re: high cholesterol, high trigs, diabetes, lost weight/put it back on, hungry all the time. Pick up Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution or Protein Power LifePlan, read them and see if changes your approach to conntrolling your high numbers & diabetes. It's worth a try.

AMEN! to Hunter! Nothing to lose but stains and ill health!

I would definetly avoid taking both a statin and a fibrate , this is what caused all the problems with Baycol and lipitor or zocor are no different , I just think Bayer saw the light and decided to get out before the you know what hit the fan , I think you will see more problems in the coming years with statins . If you read the Tricor packaging it really advises against it unless absolutely neccesary . Take a look at this page for the side effects and warnings against mixing statins and fenofibrate . Go to http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic3/fenofibrate_ad.htm .

[This message has been edited by vipergg22 (edited 07-16-2002).]

[This message has been edited by vipergg22 (edited 07-16-2002).]

There you have it. Cholesterol is a natural function of your body's production system. Perhaps it's time wonder if getting rid of a natural, harmless substance in your body is really better for your heart:
http://www.ravnskov.nu/myth1.htm