Statin discontinued due to neuropathy. What are some alternatives?

Posted by Nazir Khan @nukhan, Jan 19, 2020

I have been using Lipitor since 2007 for lowering my cholesterol which is on the list of those medicines that are suspected to cause neuropathy. I am thinking of discontinuing this menace but before doing so want to check with those members who have discontinued using statin and what is their experience. What alternative methods have they since adopted for lowering their cholesterol .. diet, alternative medication, exercise or anything else ?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.

Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Mar 8, 2022

In reply to @sash "Try Indian gooseberrys" + (show)

What are Indian gooseberries? It would be very helpful to have a scientific name, as common names can vary from place to place? Also, what is the evidence medical/scientific evidence for their use in place of a statin or a niacin supplement? I have been recommended a "prophylactic" statin even though my numbers are all withing normal range, and I am trying to figure out what, besides diet & exercise can lower them further to satisfy my cardiologist.
Sue

sash | @sash | Mar 8, 2022

In reply to @sueinmn "What are Indian gooseberries? It would be very helpful to have a scientific name, as common..." + (show)

What Are The Health Benefits of Indian Gooseberry (Amla)?
Written By Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on November 2, 2021

Amla, also known as Indian gooseberry, is one of the most antioxidant-rich foods on Earth. Though unfamiliar to many, particularly in Western countries, it is commonly used in Ayurvedic herbal preparations.

What Is Indian Gooseberry (Amla)?
Indian gooseberries, not to be confused with Barbados gooseberries, Cape gooseberries, Chinese gooseberries (also known as kiwi fruit), Jamaican gooseberries, Tahitian, or star gooseberries. The true Indian gooseberry, also known as amla, is arguably the most important medicinal plant in Ayurvedic medicine, and is also used in traditional Chinese and Thai medicine.

What Are The Indian Gooseberry (Amla) Benefits?

Powerful Source of Antioxidants
The #1 most antioxidant-packed single whole food on the planet, on average, is amla. A teaspoon of that gooseberry powder (that’s about four cents’ worth of amla) provides 1,500 units of antioxidant power! That’s more than the average person gets in an entire week. See how this compares to common breakfast foods in my video A Better Breakfast.

Reducing Cholesterol Levels
As discussed in the video Amla vs. Drugs For Cholesterol, Inflammation, & Blood-Thinning, 500 milligrams (which is like a tenth of a teaspoon) of powdered amla works just as well as Zocor, a leading cholesterol-lowering drug.

writerbroad | @writerbroad | Mar 8, 2022

In reply to @jenatsky "I’ve been on a statin for years with no I’ll effect" + (show)

You are so fortunate. My internist also uses it without ill effect. My mother suffered nearly every listed side effect. My son and a good friend suffered muscle wasting and pain. My daughter-in-law's sister suffered terrible heartburn. My brother has been using it since a series of strokes 12 years ago. Since then, he has had two strokes several years apart. He hasn't complained of any side effects from the statin.

Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Mar 8, 2022

In reply to @sash "What Are The Health Benefits of Indian Gooseberry (Amla)? Written By Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on..." + (show)

Thank you for the reference. It looks like amla has antioxidant properties, and can potentially be used to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, but long-term scientific research is very slim. I found just one small, well-documented study that showed it is generally safe to use, but no specific evaluations of blood pressure or blood lipid effects were recorded. I may just look into this a little further as my cardiologist is pushing statins, even though all my bloodwork is in normal range.

Here is my biggest concern - as an unregulated supplement, I would need to find a reliable source where the dosage of active ingredients, and purity are both independently lab certified.

A word of caution - Type 2 diabetics and anyone on anticoagulant therapy (including aspirin) should not use amla due to adverse interactions with meds.

Thanks for bringing a new option to us.
Sue

writerbroad | @writerbroad | Mar 9, 2022

In reply to @sueinmn "What are Indian gooseberries? It would be very helpful to have a scientific name, as common..." + (show)

Red yeast rice extract was recommended by my gerontologist some years ago as a substitute for statin drugs. It gave me terrible heart burn, so I quit taking it. Even though it is a "natural" substance used in Chinese medicine, it has all the same side effect as statin drugs. It is worth reading the list of things you should not take or eat while on statins.
See https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-red-yeast-rice/art-20363074
My previous primary said she was looking for other treatments for high cholesterol, because so many of her patients (both sexes) were suffering terrible side effects. When I did a search for "women and statins," the only thing that came up was drug-company sponsored research that was investigating ways to get more women to take statins -- and also encouraging prophylactic statins for healthy patients, because they have few and minor side effects! You may be interested in THE GREAT CHOLESTEROL MYTH by Bowden and Sinatra. Sinatra is a cardiologist with multiple degrees and Bowden a Ph.D. nutritionist. They lists hundreds of studies to back up their opinions. It's a terrible name for a really good resource. (A terrible name because it's a turn-off for those of us who depend on our doctors to guide our health decisions.) Dr. Sinatra said that he does prescribe statins in specific cases. I understand there is a new edition of the book that contains studies completed within the last couple of years. I took their advice and only track my triglycerides. I got terrific triglyceride numbers with Bergamot, as well as increased levels of good cholesterol. My triglycerides went way up during chemo, and now that is over and I'm back to working on my triglycerides. Bergamot is high in polyphenols, so I'm trying to up my polyphenols, and I've learned that olive oil has a very high level of polyphenols, which may be why the Mediterranean diet is so heart healthy. I now put olive oil on my toast and put an extra dash of it in my salads, and it's the only oil I use for cooking. I, too, tried niacin and discarded it because my body never adjusted to the flushes.

Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Mar 10, 2022

In reply to @writerbroad "Red yeast rice extract was recommended by my gerontologist some years ago as a substitute for..." + (show)

@writerbroad

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Thanks for the report. According to my primary doc, red yeast rice extract would not be an option for me due to potential to exacerbate my lung and gastric issues. I am using a largely Mediterranean diet with lots of veggies and olive oil, very few grains and limited red meat. Waiting to have lipids retested in June.

Teri | @tsc | Mar 11, 2022

In reply to @sueinmn "Thanks for the report. According to my primary doc, red yeast rice extract would not be..." + (show)

Hello all, I've been taking Maximum Strength Plant Sterols from Swanson Health. The capsule contains phytosterols including beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, brassicasterol, and beta-sitostanol and has lowered cholesterol for both my husband and me. I also use a lot of olive oil, eat avocados and oatmeal as much as possible. Good luck!