Is it safe to take 2 statins drugs? - High Cholesterol Message Board

swanyman · 01-15-2005, 01:00 PM

Hi,
I am worried because my father's doctor has put him on 2 statin drugs. The 2 drugs are Crestor 20 mg. and Tricor 145mg. He had him on Crestor and then without any fasting he put him on Tricor because his triglycerides were high. My father (81) had a heart attack 2 years ago.
Any response would sure help. May god bless.

patricia22 · 01-15-2005, 02:02 PM

Swanyman,

I developed serious arm-muscle problems about 6-7 weeks after my doctor added Tricor to the Lipitor 10mg I had been on for 7 years. I am a 50 year old male in otherwise good health. It's been 11 months since I stopped both drugs, and I'm still not completely over the muscle pain and weakness...

There is plenty of info on the web about the steep increase in myopathy when statins and fibrates are used in combo - do some research - look for (+statin +fibrate +risk) on the internet!!!

A quote from one article is listed below: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=16431
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For example, when lovastatin (Me****r) is used alone to lower cholesterol, muscle damage occurs on the average in one person out of about every 500. However, if lovastatin (Me****r) is used in combination with other drugs such as niacin, gemfibrozil (Lopid) or fenofibrate (Tricor) to further reduce cholesterol levels, the risk of muscle injury skyrockets to one person out of every 20 to 100 who receive the combination. The risk of muscle damage is thus multiplied 5 to 25-fold by using a combination of a statin and another cholesterol-lowering drug rather than by just using statin alone.
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Tricor is prescribed for high triglyceride levels that don't respond to statins or lifestyle changes. Unless your dad's triglycerides are extremely high (like over 200), and he has other CHD risk factors, I'd be very worried about a relative being on combination statin+fibrate therapy.

You can lower triglycerides somewhat with fish-oil supplements(500mg Omega-3), vitamin-e (400mg) and vitamin-c (500mg), and in my opinion it's a lot safer than the combination therapy you mention above. In addition, completely eliminate trans-fats from the diet - they are very efficient at cause triglycerides to go up and HDL to go down...

Best of luck,

MrBob

swanyman · 01-15-2005, 03:47 PM

Thanks MrBob
The info helps to arm me with some information when I go My Father's doctor next week. I called the other day and a nurse and another doctor got back with me. They told me that there should not be a problem with the low dose of Crestor and with the use of Tricor my father would have to come in every 3 months and have blood test done. Sounds very funny to me. I believe since my father is 81 they feel he is going to die of something so the drugs are helping him not to have another heart attack. Who knows but I am going to find out. I wonder if Zetia and Tricor would be a better combination.

patricia22 · 01-15-2005, 08:59 PM

Swanyman,

I sympothize with your situation...What to recommend is a tough call to make, given your dad's age and prior heart attack...

If he does stay with the combo therapy, do have him consider taking CoQ10 supplements - since Crestor (all statins) will deplete this vital nutrient from the body... Some think CoQ10 depletion is related to muscle pain/weakness that some people experience while on statins. CoQ10 supplements should also help your dad's heart muscle recover from his recent heart attack...

Also, if he does the combo Crestor/Tricor therapy, make sure he is very careful about any sudden, chronic muscle pain... and notify the doctor immediately if he experiences this....

I don't have any experience with Zetia, sorry....

MrBob

heart44 · 01-16-2005, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swanyman

Hi, I am worried because my father's doctor has put him on 2 statin drugs. The 2 drugs are Crestor 20 mg. and Tricor 145mg.

Hi Swanyman, High triclycerides are usually a result of a high carbohydrate diet [especially refined sugar, processed grains and starches].

Incidentially, this quote is from "Crestor's" homepage, "CRESTOR has not been shown to prevent heart attacks, heart disease, or strokes." Crestor is the statin [lowers LDL & trig's] and Tricor is a fenofibrate [lowers trig's].

In addition to MrBob's recommendations, common cinnamon [Cinnamomum cassia] can lower LDL cholesterol & triglycerides, can improve glucose levels in diabetics and does not have any side effects.

Reasearch study:
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/full/26/12/3215?

Cinnamon is available in 500mg capsules at most drug stores.
Take 2 capsules once or twice daily, preferably with meals.

Keep a daily diary of your father's progress. Take the diary to all his doctor's visits, so you won't forget to mention any concerns. I addition to tracking his prescription meds and dosages, keep track of all OTC's [over-the-counter].

Your father is lucky to have you looking after him. Many seniors are at the mercy of their doctors and do as they are told.

Frankie