about statin drugs?

Question

My husband has been using statin drugs for 13 years. He had a 6 section bypass. He has been experiencing muscle pain since taking Zetia. With all the controversy surrounding statins, is it safe to discontinue taking them altogether?

Answer 1

One of the risks of the statin drugs is muscle pain and weakness. Myosistis, or myopathy (the level of dysfunction varies between researchers) left untreated may lead to rhamdomyolosis which is total muscle cell breakdown which may be irriversable and lead to kidney failure. Your husband certainly has a medical reason as to why he should maintain healthy cholesterol medication, but it is up to your doctor to decide if the risks out weigh the benefits. This symptom should be reported immediately.

I have seen patients with rhabdomyolosis and it is not a wonderful situation, but neither is a repeat of his bypass. Please talk to your physician.

Answer 2

I wouldn't advise it. He takes statins for a reason. Cholesterol? If its for cholesterol, his levels may shoot up. Maybe his doctor could recommend a lower dosage or a different statin. I take lovastatin (generic Mevacor) and have been for 2 years. I take 20 mgs but my doctor wants me on 40 mgs and even wrote my current prescription for that amount. My cholesterol is in the safe range at 192, so I am cutting them in half to get 20 mgs but upping my niacin from 300 mgs to 500 mgs. I take niacin too.
Muscle pain can be a symptom of a potentially deadly condition called ... It can cause liver or kidney failure. I forget, it begins with an Rh.
I have some advice. Don't just read this but have your husband do it. Statin drugs block the production of coenzyme Q-10. This depletion is what can cause this potentially deadly muscle weakness side effect as well as cause a heart attack. Take a supplement. Its a little expensive but not that expensive at Walmart. I take 50 mgs of coenzyme Q-10. I think a 30 pill bottle is abvout $8 at Walmart.
Doctors never tell patients about the coenzyme Q-10 connection.
Its like they only believe in drugs, not nutritional supplements.

Answer 3

Zetia is not a statin drug. It prevents the cholesterol that you eat from getting into your body and has a safer profile than a statin. He is probably on a drug like Vytorin which contain a statin. Never stop taking a drug, it could cause more harm. Go to a doctor and he will prescribe a different statin.

Answer 4

NO, 15 years on statins abosolutely perfect readings, perfect stress tests, and had 2 by passes after 15 yrs.. 21 months before that at Yale had a hearth cath with no blockages. Hearth caths are only good for that minute. statin drugs will not stop a blockage.

Answer 5

It is CRITICAL that your husband contact the prescribing MD immediately to report this symptom. there is a serious condition:

"Definition: Rhabdomyolysis: A condition in which skeletal muscle cells break down, releasing myoglobin (the oxygen-carrying pigment in muscle) together with enzymes and electrolytes from inside the muscle cells. The risks with rhabdomyolysis include muscle breakdown and kidney failure since myoglobin is toxic to the kidneys.

Rhabdomyolysis can occur from extensive muscle damage as, for example, from a crushing injury or an electrical shock. Drugs or toxins, particularly some of the cholesterol-lowering medications such as cerivastatin (Baycol), may cause this disorder. Underlying diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus can also lead to rhabdomyolysis. It is a common complication of major burns.

The key signs and symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include dark, red, or cola-colored urine, muscle tenderness, stiffness, aching (myalgia), or weakness. Laboratory confirmation can come from the demonstration of myoglobin in the blood or urine.

Ideal treatment involves early and aggressive hydration with very large amounts of IV fluids to flush the myoglobin out of the kidneys. Diuretics may help. So may bicarbonate, which makes the urine alkaline to prevent the breakdown of myoglobin into more toxic compounds. "

Answer 6

It is never safe to discontinue a med as serious as statin drugs all together. the word STROKE comes to mind. talk to your MD about the side effects

Answer 7

Please see the webpages for more details on Ezetimibe (generic name) Zetia (brand name). It is stated in the druginfo that side effects include muscle cramps and spasms; muscular tenderness, wasting or weakness (MedlinePlus) occurence of Myalgia or Myopathy (Wikipedia). If you stop the drug, cholesterol level in the blood may sometimes shoot up and it will adversely affect the health of your husband. Please take a decision after consulting the doctor.
Eat a low-cholesterol, low-fat diet. This kind of diet includes cottage cheese, fat-free milk, fish (not canned in oil), vegetables, poultry, egg whites, and polyunsaturated oils and margarines (corn, safflower, canola, and soybean oils). Avoid foods with excess fat in them such as meat (especially liver and fatty meat), egg yolks, whole milk, cream, butter, shortening, lard, pastries, cakes, cookies, gravy, peanut butter, chocolate, olives, potato chips, coconut, cheese (other than cottage cheese), coconut oil, palm oil, and fried foods.