Statin drugs

my doc put me generic Lipitor few months ago. Now I have major anxiety over whether taking it is too much of a risk.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Cholesterol-Myth-Disease/dp/1592335217

One possible consideration is,....have you tried things like diet modification, eating to help reduce cholesterol, added fiber, and of course, exercise?



M.

Deb,
It is not my place to tell anyone to take or not to take any particular drug. I am not a doctor or a pharmacist. However, after doing a lot of reading on the subject, I have chosen to stay away from cholesterol drugs period! My Mom's NP is not crazy about them and I even asked my pharmacist about these drugs and he was very cautious as to what he would say, but he was not very positive about taking them!
Read up on some of these articles and decide for yourself.
As for me, I take fish oil supplements, niacin, and Vitamin E.

Every time I try to post some links to some good articles about the dangers of statin drugs, I am blocked. So all I can tell you is do your own research. Look up "dangers of cholesterol drugs" on a search engine. I prefer google.
There are LOADS of articles on the subject!!!!

Here's one page that is a good one for natural remedies.

http://www.earthclinic.com/cures/cholesterol.html

As for me, my doctor wants me to take a cholesterol drug SO BAD!! My family has a history of heart disease as well. BUt I always research everything and then decide for or against. That's me though. I do not believe everything the doctor tells me as the gospel. My doctor believes everything the FDA says. The FDA has made mistakes too. It was my doctor that told me that menopause does not cause depression and anxiety.

But PLEASE! WHATEVER YOU DO, LET IT BE YOUR OWN PERSONAL DECISION B/C IT IS ULTIMATELY YOUR LIFE!
I have an elderly friend that has taken a cholesterol drug for years. More power to her. I'd never try to tell her to stop it!
Research. Weigh the pros and cons. Decide.

Janet

As you all know no one is a doctor here and we don't presume to give medical advice, so I'm writing what I have done and this is not advice to anyone. I think people should talk to their doctors about what to do.

Many years ago my doctor prescribed a statin even though my cholesterol was within the normal range but doctors want diabetic's cholesterol even lower. So, I started it but then I was reading about side effects and that concerned me (especially on women), and I cut the pills in half and took them every other day. Now, this is not what a person should do but I did it. My next lab results were very good, lower than the previous ones, and my doctor was very happy. However, along with this I also cut out all food with sugar and flour (because of my blood sugar) and I got into walking a lot. This may have also influenced the lab results. I don't know.

I did tell my doctor and she was fine with that because of the results of the lab tests. Now, I am also taking Krill Oil because I've read this is helpful, more helpful than vitamin e or fish oil. I buy Nature's Bounty at the supermarket. It's easy to find.

Also in my reading, I've learned that the body's liver produces cholesterol from the carbs we eat. Again, I eat low carb because of my blood sugar so this probably helps with my lab tests, too.

Your decision should be made with the approval of your doctor. I did it backwards (but that's me ). I also believe that no amount of medication is going to make up for a poor diet or lifestyle, so being regularly active and not eating a lot of processed food is very helpful.

Good luck!

http://chriskresser.com/cholesterol-doesnt-cause-heart-disease

Something to take into consideration at least!
jl