Zetia question? - High Cholesterol Message Board

jacal5 · 08-30-2007, 09:22 PM

My mom is 78 yrs old, has high blood pressure, cholesterol, and atrial fib, all controlled by medication. She takles 40 mg Lipitor daily, the last time I saw her lipid test her LDL-140 HDL-30, and her triglycerides were on the rise but still under the guidelines.

Last month I asked her how her cholesterol levels are, and she said good, so I assumed that the LDL went down from 140, I knew Lipitor wouldn't raise her HDL, because she has been taking it for a few years and the HDL hasn't changed.

Anyway, a few days ago I accompanyed her to the pharmacy, thinking she was picking up her Lipitor prescription. When the pharmacist handed her the prescription she started to question the price, and when she showed me the
medicine, I found out that she was getting a new prescription for Zetia!
I was shocked because she told me the month before that her cholesterol levels were good, so I started raising my voice in the pharmacy, telling her that her doctor is an idiot for giving her two cholesterol drugs if her cholesterol count is good like she told me, and she should watch her diet better, and she was telling me to shut up, etc. etc....

It was very embarrassing to be arguing in front of people, and to top it off the pharmacist turns to me and says "You are acting like your mother is getting heroin!" I just kept quiet after that.

First of all, mom could benefit from a higher HDL, and Zetia isn't an HDL raiser. I don't know if the doc is trying to lower her LDL or tryglecerides
with Zetia. I was wondering if she would be better off with niacin which would boost her HDL and bring down her LDL, instead of Lipitor/Zetia.
She had a nuclear stress test a few yaers ago, and she has very little plaque build up. Someone told me that Lipitor keeps the arteries open in addition to
reducing LDL, I don't know if Niacin does that, so I don't know what the best protocol for Mom would be, and was looking for advice.

In addition, if someone could explain to me where the cholesterol goes after Zetia combines with it in the intestine, I would appreciate it because I can't find any info explaining how Zetia works.

Thanks!

Guy1_USA · 08-30-2007, 09:42 PM

I wouldn't worry about your Mom's diet. Your liver makes most if not all the cholesterol in you body.

And at 78... I wouldn't be loading her up on meds. Have her stick with lipitor and be done with it. You should figure out a way to tell (discuss with) her Doctor this too.

When you hit 78... there is a quality of life vs longevity of life issue. I'd stick with the minimum needed. JMHO.

Best of luck.

jacal5 · 08-31-2007, 05:56 AM

Thanks for your response, Venture Man. I don't like her doctor, he's a gastroenterologist/PCP and he trys to treat all his patients for everything, heart disease, cancer, etc. and doesn't refer them to specialists. His patients are mostly seniors over 70 yrs. old, and they seem afraid to stand up to him. One of his patients told me that her son called the doc and had a big argument with him over her care. I asked her why she still goes to him, and she said because he has my medical records from years ago, my Mom says the same thing! Mom forbids me to call him about her care, so I have to argue with her about what she should tell him, in this instance I hope she listens to me and tells him she doesn't want the Zetia.

Guy1_USA · 08-31-2007, 12:04 PM

I hope your Mom knows that those medical records are her property... and that she can have every one of those records shipped to a new Doctor of her choice. Medical records are not the property of the Doctor.

I would encourage her to find a new Doctor that actually works with her... and is willing to work with you if needed... in medications he wants to prescribe for your Mom.

My Doctor works with me and never gives me grief when I tell them I have stopped or will not take certain medications due to side effects.

Sounds like you will need to hunt down this new Doctor.

What I have done is created a list of Doctors covered by my insurance, and then asked a Doctor which one's he would recommend based on my needs. That is how I got my current Doctor. Doctors have reputations (good and bad) so it's easy for a Doctor to help you out selecting another Doctor.

Don't dog your Mom's current Doctor... just find a good certified Family Practitioner MD... they usually don't have an issue with refering to specialists.

Best of luck.

jacal5 · 08-31-2007, 06:30 PM

You are lucky to have a good doctor, and I liked the method you used to find one. My gastroenterologist/internest is like your doc, he even believes in alternative medicine and will recommend supplements instead of medication when appropriate, but she won't switch. Her medical plan even brags that they have more doctors on the best doctor list than the other insurers, but she won't consider changing.

Yesterday I told her exactly what you posted today, that she should find a doc who will work with her, instead of one who is ruining her system with more drugs. The aggravating part is we live in the NY metro area, and one of the best cardilogists in the state practices 10 minutes away from our house,
her boyfriend goes to him for his bad heart, but she won't! I'm the one who is going to get a heart attack worrying about her.

I always tell her about alternative treatments that she could try to get her
HDL up and LDL down, but she needs a doc who will work with her and regulate her Coumadin in case there is an interaction. About a year ago she told her doc I lowered my cholesterol with natural methods and he told her I don't have atrial fib like she does. I think it's worse that she has atrial fib and is getting more medication that might weaken her heart muscle. I guess if Zetia wasn't available, he would have increased her Lipitor to 80 mgs.

Everyone else appreciates it when I tell them what I've learned on this web-site, but she tells me I'm just trying to control her life. My cousin told me just to help the people who want help and to pray Mom's doctor doesn't ruin her health!