Lipitor and elevated ck levels

[heart44]

Originally Posted by janeslk

My husband's doctor is concerned about his CPK level (334).
He developed pain on 10mg over eight years and was almost physically floored when it was increased to 20mg.
His pain has diminished considerably, but his muscles continue to be inflamed.
........please be aware of any abnormal muscle pain.
It was such a gradual thing with my husband that we never suspected Lipitor was the culprit.

Also, thank you, Heart44, for the info on CPK tests. I am going to have my husband tested for damage to his heart as well as muscles.

Hi Janeslk, You are most welcome for the CPK info. It's amazing that the general public does not know this blood test exists.

A muscle biopsy will further define the extent of muscle damage.
Some muscle damage is permanent.

Doctors seem to think that Lipitor 10mg is a low dose. Dr Duane Graveline (former NASA astronaut) experienced TGA (transient global amnesia) on just 5mg of Lipitor. I highly recommend his book: Statin Drug - Side Effects and the Misguided War on Cholesterol.
http://www.********.net/statin_side_effects.html

An even more important risk factor (than cholesterol) is homocysteine.
When you request a CPK test, also request tests for:
* Homocysteine
* Lp(a)
* hs-CRP (high sensitivity - CRP)
These tests disclose "inflammation".
Inflammation is the cause of blood clots and subsequent heart attacks and strokes, not elevated cholesterol.

If your homocysteine is elevated?
Remedy - B6, B12 and folic acid (only side effect is increased energy)
Omega 3 (fish oil or cod liver oil) is excellent for all aspects of heart health.

My husband stopped all statins 1 yr ago. He also took statins for 8 years.
Symptoms that finally made us start our research?
Memory loss..... several episodes of TGA.
I truly thought he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's.
Many that suffer memory loss from statins are mis-diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
He was socially withdrawn, his muscles are atrophied, and his shoulder still bothers him. He could hardly move his neck from side to side. That has improved greatly. His memory is not back to normal yet, but at least we know what the heck is going on. I didn't realize all the things we did to compensate for the memory loss. Instinct just kicks in and you improvise.

Prior to statins, he ran 5 miles a day, exercised on a regular basis and was very energetic and outgoing.

And as you stated, all the side effects took a long time to manifest themselves.

Those that have immediate side effects seem to recover quicker. For long term statin users it can take years to recover or damage may be permanent.

I hate to sound so negative, but statins are serious medicine and most doctors just think it's "business as usual".

Hope you find this info useful, and most of all......
Research......... Research......... Research.........
Ask Questions and Stay Informed,

Frankie

[JJ]

Frankie...I read about that Dr Duane Graveline, and his problems. It makes U wonder if some of our pilots etc. take this stuff and have those side effects. Who knows, maybe half of this road rage stuff is caused by people on these meds., as it can cause some people to get major mood swings, and even get violent or suicidal.

I know my husband got very moody and didn't want to do much of anything besides eat, sleep and work. He was a trucker, and a few times he told me he missed an exit, which is very unusual for him, as he seems to know every back road there is. As I said before, I really wish I knew back then what I know now, he would have been off those things in a N.Y. minute.

A friend of mine emailed me about 8 months ago and asked me for some info. on statins, as her hubby was on them and began to be VERY hard to live with. He was always a fun loving guy, easy to get along with, then out of nowhere got moody, distant and sarcastic for nothing. After she read up on them, she told his dr. about how he was getting and said she would prefer he not be on them. Luckily the dr. said ok, and now he is doing pretty good on his numbers with a big change in diet and exercise. Most drs. just don't want to admit that some folks just can't handle them. Like U said, we have to research like crazy, cause noone tells U the down side of alot of drugs.

Have a good one......

[heart44]

Originally Posted by JJ

Frankie...I read about that Dr Duane Graveline, and his problems. It makes U wonder if some of our pilots etc. take this stuff and have those side effects. Who knows, maybe half of this road rage stuff is caused by people on these meds., as it can cause some people to get major mood swings, and even get violent or suicidal.

Hi JJ, Taking a serious look at statins is a complete mindset change. People in general have total faith in their doctors. Doctors are misled by the drug companies. The Drug companies are very powerful. More and more info is surfacing about statin side effects. More reputable people in the medical field are raising questions that have not been asked in a long time. This whole cholesterol business started with a study by Ansel Keyes. And the rest is history. We need a new chapter, soon.

Frankie

[JJ]

Originally Posted by heart44

Hi JJ, Taking a serious look at statins is a complete mindset change. People in general have total faith in their doctors. Doctors are misled by the drug companies. The Drug companies are very powerful. More and more info is surfacing about statin side effects. More reputable people in the medical field are raising questions that have not been asked in a long time. This whole cholesterol business started with a study by Ansel Keyes. And the rest is history. We need a new chapter, soon.

Frankie

I think alot of people in the medical field are starting to listen to their patients, not all, but some. I know hubby's cardio man doesn't bother him at all about taking anything, as like he said, he believes in the QUALITY of live as well as the quantity. They definitely need to do alot more research on these things, as almost as soon as a new and stronger one comes out, it is pulled. A friend of mine has been taking Lipitor for years, sometimes up to 80 mgs., and had very lil side effects. Her dr. switched her to Crestor a few months back and she couldn't handle that at all. Like they say, what might be ok for you, isn't ok for me.

Not only statins, but I think drs. are prescribing meds. for way too many things that could be taken care of without drugs, and these new guidelines for everything keep getting lower and lower. Obviously most folks can't meet the guidelines without meds., so this causes tons more folks to take meds., and that makes huge $$$ for the drug companies. Medicine is needed for certain things and can be very helpful, but, all avenues should be tried before pumping folks with drugs, especially kids. I was shocked to even hear a dr. would think of putting a 10 yr. old on a statin, that blew my mind.

Oh well, let's see what the future holds for all of us, but in the meantime, I am doing my homework. Have a good one, and CYL...

[janeslk]

[

An even more important risk factor (than cholesterol) is homocysteine.
When you request a CPK test, also request tests for:
* Homocysteine
* Lp(a)
* hs-CRP (high sensitivity - CRP)
These tests disclose "inflammation".
Inflammation is the cause of blood clots and subsequent heart attacks and strokes, not elevated cholesterol.

If your homocysteine is elevated?
Remedy - B6, B12 and folic acid (only side effect is increased energy)
Omega 3 (fish oil or cod liver oil) is excellent for all aspects of heart health.

Prior to statins, he ran 5 miles a day, exercised on a regular basis and was very energetic and outgoing.

And as you stated, all the side effects took a long time to manifest themselves.



Frankie

[/QUOTE]

Frankie:
What are considered high homocysteine levels? His last test he had a level of 9.3, but I read elsewhere it should be under 6.3. Also, I supplemented my husband's B-6, folic acid and B-12 for a few days, but he seemed to go into a depression. He was already getting a total of 800mg of folic acid in two other multi-vitamin supplements as well as B-6 and B-12. I cut those out and as well as poliosanol since those were the only variations I had made to his regimen. I am thinking it may have been the poliosanol (10mg) because he seems ultra-sensitive to anything to do with his cholesterol. When he was on Lipitor he would suffer depression on a regular basis. We even thought he had some sort of sunlight deprivation problem.

His doctor wants him to seen an internist about his CPK levels. What does the hs-CRP reading tell you?

Jane