Statin discontinued due to neuropathy. What are some alternatives?
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 ?
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Stopping the statin most likely will not reverse the neuropathy. I am taking other meds for my cholesterol. My neurologist is now treating the symptoms quite successfully
Olá!
Pelo que tenho lido de pesquisas, a melhora ocorre de 4 meses a 2 anos, após a estatina ser descontinuada. No seu caso, só se passaram dois meses. Minha cardiologista aqui do Brasil, passou ácido alfalipóico 600mg, duas vezes ao dia. Total= 1200mg para atacar a neuropatia e compensar a descontinuação da estatina.
I write in Portuguese, if you can, translate please. I'm not completely fluent in English. Thanks.
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1 ReactionI briefly stopped taking my 40 mg Atorvastatin (Lipitor) for 10 weeks, but did not see any difference in my polyneuropathy symptoms.
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3 ReactionsOlá! Tenho acompanhado seus relatos, muito ricos e interessantes. Descobri recentemente a polineuropatia periférica comprovada por eletroneuromiografia, provavelmente por tomar estatina por aproximadamente 30 anos. Tomo desde os meus 29 anos. Parei de tomar estatina recentemente, em 14/11/2024. Pergunto: quanto tempo em média as pessoas levam para descontinuar os sintomas de queimação em pés e pernas? Esse remédio que você toma Repatha pode agravar a neuropatia periférica? Agradeço sua ajuda.
I write in Portuguese, if you can help me, translate please. I'm not fluent in English. Thanks.
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2 ReactionsIf you are unhappy with your doctor, you must change doctor.
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1 ReactionDid you quit taking your statin medication?
I’m currently on Ratha and it’s doing a great job. I also have a co-pay card which I pay five dollars per prescription, and it’s good for a couple of years. Just go to their website and they’ll give you instructions to apply for the copay card.
I hate to be a pessimist, but I don't see my Dr. helping much at all. I do the "figuring out possibilities" and then basically ask permission to take particular actions. The Dr. seems to not really care and I even worry that she thinks I'm a bit whack-o.
As to the thigh pain, I'm wondering if a physical therapist might be more useful. But, again, it can be hit or miss.
Overall, I'm with you on the attitude that at least we are ahead of where we were years ago. And I definitely think that progress is being made!
I’m with you there. It gets complicated, too when a 20mg of one statin isn’t necessarily the same strength as 20mg of another. I also read some statins are fat soluble and others are water soluble, so they must have different ways of breaking down in our bodies? My doctor kept my Crestor at 2 times a week and added other drugs.
Your pain is interesting. I have struggled with a variety of pain and wondered the same thing as you. It’s difficult to know what will get better with rest and when I should forge ahead and work through the pain. I’m not sure we can figure that out without our doctors help. We live in a good time now that they have more and more treatment options to consider.
Well, darn! Maybe I'll try my 5 mg twice a week and see what happens. The 5mg daily quickly dropped my levels from almost 300 down to 178. I'll never understand why they start people on 20 and sometimes 40mg.
The leg "pain" I've always developed while on statins is a nerve pain in the front of my thighs. At higher doses it was there all the time and I noticed it even when simply walking. At this lower dose of 5mg I have that same pain, but only with certain movements (mainly where weight is on one leg with knee bent.) I always wonder if I should avoid that movement while exercising/playing, etc. Or should I do the opposite and practice working thru the pain. It is sharp enough to cause my leg to immediately retract or collapse.
Years ago I had some dry needling done, but never really sure if it made a difference.