Important information about statins that I’m going to ask my doc about

@grandmajan- Good morning. Yes, I have used Zita, and its done nothing for me. I hope that your situation is different and that it dows for you.

Hi: I have a question, my Cardiologist had me start taking a vasodilator to relax the blood vessels and allow better flow. As well as a newer Zitia which is supposed to block the absorption cholesterol by the stomach. My numbers are good 135 but he says that I have too much small particle LDL in my blood. Wondering if anyone else has used either of these med?

I take 5 mg. My LDL level was in the 90s before I started Crestor (rosuvastatin). It was lowered to 60 within a couple of months. I haven't had it checked lately,but it should be about 60, a 30% drop. The important thing for me is that I have improved ALL the lifestyle factors that contribute to heart health. Diet, exercise,stress, etc. Many people who take a statin don't follow up with changes in lifestyle, in which case, according to Mayo cardiologist Dr Stephen Kopecky, the statin isn't helping.

@gator123- Hello. Are you asking @tim1028 about Crestor? Are you taking Crestor?

How much Creator do you take and how long did it take for your number to go down

One of the things that I've realized about heart disease is that it's important to look at the whole picture when treating it. Sometimes surgery is required. Sometimes medications. What I've done since being diagnosed with a high plaque volume (Calcium Artery CT Scan Score of 1400) is to look at lifestyle factors that contribute to heart disease. I changed my diet to follow American Heart Association guidelines. I follow standard guidelines for exercise. I've worked to lower (bad) stress and improve sleep. These changes are in my control. My cardiologist said that only a low percentage of patients follow AHA heart healthy guidelines. Mayo Cardiologist Stephen Kopecky, MD did a podcast on statins in which he stressed the importance of lifestyle in preventing and treating heart disease.

@merepreb- I have taking several of statins after my HA in May of 2014 and both Atorvastatin and Simvastatin I had ben taking at 40 mg and I began having some neuropathy in my feet when I walked or stood still for awhile. I complained to the doctors but they told me that was not coming from the statins. In 2018 I had a 2nd opinion down at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ. for my low EF and the cardiologist put me on Rosuvastatin 20 mg. My Colesterol #'s were very good, but my LDL was at 78 and he felt this would help that. I switched and after 4 months my LDL dropped to 60, but best of all my neuropathy was gone. I've been able to stay on that 20 mg dose and the #'s are even better now. Jim @thankful

I’ve taken Pravachol for 22 years. No side effects, works well.

@tim1028- I loved Lipitor and it worked so well for me, for many years. Then I began to notice memory problems and I had to get off of it. Since then I have struggled to find one that I could tolerate without muscle pain or memory loss.
It's not really known why statins affect people's muscles but they can damage them. I'm doing better this time with Crestor. It is considered the best statin right now and the strongest. My total cholesterol went from the 300's to just over 200 with Crestor so for now, I'm staying with Crestor. This is the 3rd or 4th tie that I have tried.
I don't know if my tolerance right now has anything to do with the power of suggestion but when I first started this again I did with a positive attitude and not one of doom.

This might help with understanding what we are taking.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/statin-side-effects/art-20046013
Is anyone taking statins even though there is mild to moderate muscle pain?

Many people can successfully take Atorvastatin and other statins with no side effects. I had to get off one statin, wait a month or two, then try another. There are other LDL lowering drugs available that are not statins. When I started Atorvastatin, it was at a moderate dose. When I started with rosuvastatin, I took the lowest dose, once a week, then gradually increased to the highest level I could tolerate (4X weekly). This 'low and slow' process took 9 months.