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Permalink Reply by Judith on April 16, 2009 at 2:49pm

Don't. First do some more research on diet changes that can help. And if you are open to it, there are many different herbs and supplements that can help. You're doing great, really. Statins can indeed help some folks. But Big Pharma would have us believe statins should be put in the drinking water. I think your endo is on track......

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Permalink Reply by Karen on April 16, 2009 at 3:27pm

I'm not sure how realistic that <70 is anyway. My LDL is a tad elevated but for the rest of my health I'm in excellent shape. I did the statin thing and it was debilitating, after less than two weeks I could barely hold my head up. It took a long time for me to get over the pain when I quit taking it. Much longer than the period I was taking it, so I'm not a fan of statin. I agree with what Judith said, see if you can get your LDL lowered by natural means and don't be in a hurry to take a pill! There are other tests to take to see if you are in need of a statin, I'd do those first also.

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Permalink Reply by angivan on April 16, 2009 at 3:30pm

Does anyone have a good website that shows some of the natural remedies I could try? I'm already active, I'm willing to keep doing the pycnogenol (pine bark extract), and I could probably cut back on beef and eggs if that would help. Any other ideas that have worked for anyone?

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Permalink Reply by Craig on April 16, 2009 at 4:26pm

Overdose on the vitamine Niacine.. try that, by overdose I mean take a higher than recomended daily requirement silly.. Ask your general doctor if it ok first.. Before I tried Zocor Niacine was the final straw for me All others gave me severe muscle pains..
Not a Statin drug and works lower in your intestine there is a drug called Zetia.. Actually I am on the drug called Vytorin which combines the statin Zocor with the drug Zetia.. See if your Dr. might give you Just Zetia, it has no side effects like Statin drugs, and it is a tiny little pill.
Call your general Dr. and ask about Niacine (no flush kind, lol that stuff will turn your face beet red if it is not the NO FLUSH kind) and then ask about Zetia,
With your cholesterol so low the Niacine or Zetia might just take care of it.. Or just eat some quaker oatmeal or Cheerios.. No lie, that will bring your cholesterol down as well
Reply back an tell me how it goes
:o)

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Permalink Reply by Judith on April 16, 2009 at 7:54pm

Kelly, my dear. I can suggest many sites that are excellent and some that are a little "out there" so you can study and make up your own mind and do some trials on yourself. The worst you will get from trying herbs and supplements for a bit is indigestion/diarrhea/a rash---whatever. It will be clear and probably indicate an allergy. Death is almost Never a side effect! Our bodies are all so individual. And this is exactly what doctors do when experimentng with 12 different meds to treat something. My 88-year-old mother is on 4 different blood pressure meds and at a point near death that we couldn't begin to sort out which ones are actually keeping her alive.
I have to get to bed now. But I will check in tomorrow and make some recommendations. I am NOT proselytizing. I believe in the individuality of our physical beings and in Paying Attention to our bodies in that individuality. Good Goddess, whichever Big Pharma drug is keeping my mother alive, I'm glad. But we have to monitor our own bodies and decide for ourselves!

To begin with, to muse on tonight as a very basic level of sustaining things, study fish oil supplements, garlic fresh or supplemented, all alliums. Simply google herbs for cholesterol and supplements for cholesterol and food for cholesterol. Check out all the books of Michael Murray, Nutritionist---herbs, food, supplements. He's very well respected.

For diabetes, to support endangered systems, one should also consider dandelion and milk thistle for liver health, quercitin and cranberry ( if fruit carbs are restricted for BS control) for kidney health, Nopal for flat out lowering BS (be careful for T1---may cause a serious low---but marvelous for T2) as well as fenugreek and chromium.

I get up at 4:30 AM so I have to get to bed. My favorite websites for Ordering that also have encyclopedic entries on herbal properties are: Mountain Rose Herbs right here in my own lush, organic Willamette Valley and Richter's Herbs up in Canada---I keep their catalogues as a sort of dictionary of herbal remedies....More soon...Judith

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Permalink Reply by Craig on April 16, 2009 at 4:17pm

Not with those numbers.. The side effects are horrible. I have been on all of them even some they had taken off the market because they were killing people (baycol) I am currently on Vytorin and I guess my body is doin ok with it I have been on one statin drug or another for over 15 years, because hereditary my liver pumps out the cholesterol and triglicerides.. my numbers are aweful but I cant control genes so not much I can do..
Just say no to statins unless you go over 200

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Permalink Reply by Cheri on April 16, 2009 at 8:29pm

I can only speak to my own experience - I took a statin for 3 months and for awhile, I didn't connect the side effects with how I was feeling - I literally thought I was just "going downhill fast." I couldn't keep up my exercise - which lowers my bs - because I hurt all over and just felt lousy - and had a perpetual "flu." Within 3 days of stopping the statin, I felt like myself again. It was amazing. As far as I'm concerned, these drugs are poison - and as this article talks about, docs often deny its effects - http://docnews.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/full/4/12/1

I'll handle my cholesterol with exercise and LOW CARBS (best thing for it), and as much omega 3 as I can get (both from food and from supplements). I also take Bayer Aspirin with phytosterols.

Also might want to check out http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/

And please be very careful with herbs and vitamins - some have potential harmful effects. Do your research. Know your body - pay attention to it. Listen to that voice inside.

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Permalink Reply by Christie Gutierrez on April 16, 2009 at 8:33pm

ive been on every statin there is for my cholesterol, but my liver reacts, and i get liver pain....so im taking fish oil pills, and have a list on my fridge of all the foods that help lower cholesterol......

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