HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Any experience with Crestor?

Support Forums
>
Hepatitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 5/28/2015 2:38 PM (GMT 0)
Mike is now 4 years post transplant for Hep C, Alcholic Cirrhosis and Heptocellular Carcinoma. He is 1 year post treatment with Sovaldi and Olysio.

He is post 2 hernia surgeries, 3 rotator cuff surgeries, and an aortic valve replacement. Plus the occasional hospitalization for Pancretisis of unknown origin. All his labs are good, but for cholesterol and some kidney stuff (high creatinine).

Remember that the Hep C was working its evil deeds on his nice new liver for 3 years before the new meds were available!!! and his Fibroscan in January 2014 was Grade 3.

He wants desperately to get his life back. His recent 6 month checks for cardio, hep, nephrology, oncology, and dermo were good....get on with it, say the docs.

They made two changes in his regimen: They added a statin (Crestor) for mildly elevated cholesterol and add a 2nd antirejection drug (Zortress...everolimus) that his less hard on the kidneys while decreasing the Prograf (tacrolimus).

So...now he is exercising, playing golf, and getting on with thinghs.

BUT. He is not feeling "well." He is tired, grumpy, and more tired. Yesterday morning I heard him in the bathroom retching his guts out (no vomiting) like before transplant. He is walking less as it makes him too tired to golf. He is determined to play golf, but he looks gray and... did I say he was tired?

Does anyone think this is just the Crestor (statin) med? I hope it is and he is going to come off it for a week or two to see if he is feeling better. Any experience with statins and liver disease?

Sigh,

Mama Lama
Posted 5/28/2015 7:51 PM (GMT 0)
Risk, reward??

The problem I can see, the doc's surely know about.

"Patients on Crestor should have liver function tests done routinely to determine if any damage is occurring. Patients with liver damage should not take Crestor. Patients that drink large amounts of alcohol and patients with renal problems may be advised not to take Crestor.


I hope Mike gets stronger. Big Hugs
Posted 5/29/2015 11:55 AM (GMT 0)
I have known people without liver problems have exactly these issues with statins so I think it is certainly possible it is that if that's any use.

Ann
Posted 5/29/2015 12:06 PM (GMT 0)
So I don't have a strong medical logic here but in my own life I have chosen to stay off statin drugs, and I have very high (270ish) cholesterol. Part of my choice is my response to the knee jerk reaction of doctors to add statins if the numbers warrant it and the numbers to me are quite low and possibly arbitrary. I have a good diet, lots of heart healthy foods. I also have had a catheterization during which the radiologist remarked my arteries looked "as good as they get". For whatever reason my body over drives in cholesterol production I firmly believe it is because for some reason it is what my body needs - I try to stay off medications as much as possible. Which is ironic because I am now on several...sigh. Sorry to get on my soapbox but I really do think the tendency of pharmacy is to over medicate with the goal of people falling in to some arbitrary ideal range. My choice is to stay off as much as I can - and I would eliminate something that does not feel good unless the reason to stay on is compelling (ergo, harvoni).

Admittedly I may be a bit extreme - when diagnosed with melanoma I was planning for quality of a shorter life vs. buying time ( likely only months when I was diagnosed) by treating with a harsh med. as the miz notes, risk, reward. I put much in the hands of fate, for all I know there is a bus out there with my name on it just patiently waiting to run me over! Wow, I am rambling...and the answer to your question is I have no knowledge of statins and liver disease. Just venting.
Posted 5/29/2015 8:03 PM (GMT 0)
this you should read../www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1AVNG_enCA637CA637&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=crestor%20statin%20side%20effects and Barb seems to follow the same principles i do,and try to avoid what isn't totally necessary. MamaLama I have stopped taking meds just to see if they are causing trouble then restarted if problems did not resolve. But sometimes things improved greatly...I then went and told Doctor and usually he switched it or lowered the dose..( I had to comment ) I have three last days before work..another site you should read www.drugwatch.com/crestor/side-effects/
Posted 6/3/2015 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
Barry,

Those were great links.

Mike took himself off the crestor, email his cardio, but we have not heard back. He has had labs since going off and will again in 2 weeks.

His cholesterol was FINE, now we will see next time.

He has perked right up. It was the MEDS I'm totally sure of it. If the cholesterol goes up again we will take to the cardio and find another med to try...all these articles say there ARE side effects to the crestor and that it is really strong, only for the worst cases where the cholesterol is uncontrolled by less strong meds. I think we jumped to the big guns quickly. Maybe they did that because he had that valve replaced.

Well, I guess we will see.

Thanks for everyone's feedback.

Mama Lama
Posted 6/20/2015 6:30 PM (GMT 0)
this is very interesting...

statins protect liver disease patients from decompensation.

if you have early cirrhosis; read this article

medscape.com/viewarticle/843734

Barry

Post Edited By Moderator (MamaLama) : 6/20/2015 12:34:41 PM (GMT-6)

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply