Which Cholesterol drug do you take?

[GoneOffShore]

And the follow up on this:

Do you think cholesterol numbers are artificially manipulated by Big Pharma in order to sell more expensive drugs?

My doctor is 'worried' about my cholesterol - I'm not. I eat well, I drink red wine (and white & pink & beer) and I do moderate exercise.

I'm not winded walking upstairs, or riding 15 miles on my bike, and I don't have chest pain.

But I eat cheese, I eat meat, I cook with olive oil and butter.

Has anyone actually suffered more from the side effects due to taking these drugs than the benefits they are meant to achieve?

[sir_captain]

1. Be careful

Heart disease is by far the #1 killer in this country. And you can feel fine and still be slowly working your way up to it. Cholesterol and potential atherosclerosis are not things that should be taken lightly.

[bridgit]

2. true...

[jobycom]

3. YOu don't have to take a drug, but don't mess around with high cholesterol

You can feel very healthy and still be killing your arteries. Cholesterol itself is a danger, as well as being a symptom of another danger. You can lower it without drugs (I dropped mine from 243 to 159 in a couple of months), and if isn't too high, you might not even have to change much about your lifestyle. Increase vegetables, eat oatmeal, make your workouts harder--those are a few ways. Also, niacin in some people reduces it as much as most drugs on the market. The pharmaceuticals are pulling a number on America, and on its doctors, by pretending their medications are the only way to lower cholesterol, or by claiming it's so hereditary that you can't do anything about it except take their drugs. But they are NOT kidding that it's a fatal condition. If you have high cholesterol (especially over 200, though 180 is becoming the new mark), consider yourself as having a fatal disease, like AIDS or diabetes. It can be managed, and without as much difficulty, but it will kill you eventually if you ignore it.


Check out "THe New 8 Week Cholesterol Cure" by Robert Kowalski. I know, I know, the title sounds gimmicky, but it is full of information on cholesterol, what causes it, and what the latest findings on its cures are, with an emphasis on non-medicinal cures. I used just about everything he recommended, and more (He doesn't suggest becoming a vegetarian, but I already was), and dropped mine dramatically, after my doctor told me I wouldn't be able to. I highly recommend the book, just to give you an idea of what you are dealing with, and how simple it can be to make minor changes so you can fix it.

[blondeatlast]

4. Zetia and Lipitor--and they have helped me tremendously.

I've experienced no side effects and am monitored carefully for liver problems (I've had insulin-dependent diabetes most of my life, so...).

Do not--I repeat, DO NOT take Crestor; it's virtually the same as the others with more side effects and a newer patent, so it's more expensive (and they woo the doctors with more incentives with it).

BTW--another wonder treatment I've found is...

Irish oatmeal (the slow cooked kind). Put the ingredients in a rice cooker every morning for 20 minutes; the rice cooker works perfectly. My bad cholesterol has decreased quite a bit since I gave up my usual breakfast and started on this and it's yoummy, too.

[jobycom]

5. Cool! What amount of water do you use?

Do you use the amount the oatmeal directions call for, or reduce it? And does the rice cooker shut off automatically like it does for rice?

I never cook that stuff because I never have the time. That's a great idea.

[yellowdogintexas]

10. OR Silver Palate Thick and Rough. Five minutes in the micro

wave on 90%. AND I put a teaspoon of extra light tasting olive oil in with it, a bit of brown sugar and some salt.Cinnamon if I am in the mood for it (cinnamon is also good for blood sugar and cholesterol)

I take Fish Oil caps too.

This oatmeal is delicious, and cheaper than McCann's. I think it has higher fiber content too.

I have lost 30 pounds since October on Weight Watcher but I have not given up my big bowl of oatmeal every morning.

[blondeatlast]

11. 1 part oatmeal to 4 parts water.

I eat 2 servings at a time (I like to eat my carbs mostly in the AM) so it's 1/2 c. oatmeal to 2 cups water.

I read to use the rice cooker in a cookbook once and gave it a try. Perfect every time and it does shut off automatically.

The GOOD oatmeal and nearly as easy to make as the supermarket quick oats!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. I take Zocor.........

And now my cholesterol is normal.......

My husband, on the other hand, takes niacin........and that works for him!

The drug companies are not manipulating the data on elevated cholesterol...

It can and will kill you if you don't take care of it.......

BTW........I did lower mine by changing the type of fat I use at the table and in cooking......

But it wasn't lowered enough....so I went over to the drug as well.

And that did it.........

Take care of yourself!

:hi:

[Critters2]

7. I don't take anything, and so far so good

My liver numbers are always slightly elevated (a genetic thing) so I need to try to control it with diet as much as possible. Can't take statins.

Yet another reason I'm vegetarian.

[5thGenDemocrat]

8. Lipitor (just switched over from Zocor)

Also: Altace, Lopressor, Plavix and a daily aspirin. I'm not sure what side effects I should or shouldn't be noticing.
John
I've had three heart attacks and have gotten two stents in my right coronary artery (a hereditary genetic problem). Next one (which I figure should happen in the next year or two), and the surgeons crack my chest open. Mom died three days short of her 64th birthday and I'll be 50 on October 4. I figure I'm good for three or four more presidential elections.

[hyphenate]

9. I've had two heart attacks

Both when I was 43. I DO think there are other things you can do, like take Niacin for high cholesterol instead of the expensive stuff. BUT for me, recently my cholesterol went from 281 to 143 on Lipitor, so it does work. Back in '98, just before the heart attacks, it was 300, and on niacin alone, it went to 256.

[flvegan]

12. Veganism works for me.

My last screening, they wanted to test me again, as they thought the test to be faulty.

I feel for folks that have high cholesterol, and medicating is better than dying.

[wain]

13. I have a thing or two to say about this....

but first, what I will say applies only to me, not to anyone else.

At a far too young age I had cardiac arrest. That was over 11 years ago. I was very fortunate to be in ambulance for the event and was brought back to start the bonus round of my life. I had minimal to no damage to my heart. Two months later I had a triple bypass.

I stopped smoking. I became a vegan. I run 25 mile a week. I am on no medication.

My cholesterol is regularly tested at 150 to 170. In the beginning 170 was the goal. Then my doc says the rules have changed and 150 is the target. I resisted. Finally, I gave in and for two months took a anti-cholesterol product. Then, out of the blue my left eye goes permanently blurry at the edges. Then, I suffer a stress fracture on my left shin. At that point i say "screw the drugs".

Here's my take: My cardiologist says I am his poster patient. I exercise strenuously and regularly. I eat right. My cholesterol reading are superior. What marginal benefit is gained taking an anti-cholesterol drug?

Yes, I think the pharmaceuticals are pushing the lower readings (150 and below) to protect themselves against law suits. I tell my doc "why do you want to push this on a patient who is already doing all the right things? Why don't you just leave it alone?" I think the doctoring community is in a prevent defense mode against law suits.

We, the patient community are the ones who bear the ultimate burden of lawyers and pharmaceutical marketing campaigns.

Then, there is the other issue of constantly changing finding and studies of drugs and treatment methodologies.

x(

[Katina]

14. I have a family history of

heart disease & stroke. I have hypertension (take meds) and I am slightly overweight, but my cholesterol ranges between 145 - 155...so I don't worry. I do moderate exercise and I don't smoke. My mother's cholesterol level was at 480...so I figure I'm doing ok.

[Iniquitous Bunny]

15. None (yet).

I have a family history of high cholesterol, but neither of my parents (age 60 and almost 60) have any cardiac problems (though my mom's on Lipitor now). I also have low blood pressure (98/60 as of last Tuesday) and am in decent cardiovascular shape, so let's hope it counteracts it a bit. In the last few years, my cholesterol has ranged from 190-240, but the good cholesterol outweighed the bad and my triglycerides were low.

I'd prefer to avoid them if at all possible.