I was on Lipitor for years and my good cholesterol wasn’t great. My doctor said have a higher dose but he changed me to Crestor. I had a ton of bad symptoms my skin was in fire and pain. They said I had fibromyalgia. I did some research and saw that it was more likely the meds. I went off them and in 72 hours I had zero pain. But I am a type 2 diabetic as well. When I went in for my 3 month testing my cholesterol was almost 9. Doctor said nothing I can do for you. I said try another drug. So now I am in a low dose of prevastatin and won’t know for a month if it’s working but what it is doing is the same side effects. I found out that heart attacks run on the male side of my family even massive ones that caused death and all in their fifties. I am 51 and a female. My diet isn’t the worst. I am not over weight and I get in lots of excessive but I do smoke. I know that needs to go. Now I am scared to death I will have a stroke or heart attack. I already suffer with huge anxiety. I just needed to vent. I am very afraid of my future or lack of one and my doctor doesn’t seem that interested. It is very difficult to find a doctor here in Canada accepting new patients and you need a referral for a specialist. Any words of encouragement would be appreciated
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Mechele67
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My thoughts...honestly; find a new GP as his/ her behavior toward you is inexcusable. If a doctor is unwilling to listen to you and tells you " There is nothing else that I can do for you!" then it is time to find someone who will. Remember, this is your health, life and body and you are paying for his services.
I have been through this as have several folks in the kidney community- it is not easy.
I send you all of my support and hugs. Post or PM me at any time.
I am in the US and was
diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroid in 2011 and Membraneous Nephropathy in 2017- both autoimmune disorders. I have had ANA and other autoimmune testing to document this. I would ask if this has been done before a diagnosis of fibromyalgia is deemed the culprit for all of this.
My brother is a Type 2 insulin diabetic so I know that it is important to stay on top of things.
As far as the statin drugs, Crestor is the newest on the market and most powerful, the next is Lipitor as I had reactions to both.
I was put on the Crestor 5mg in Sept. 2016 by my now former endocrinologist to lower slightly elevated cholesterol - present for years due to my thyroid. Although I am not diabetic, protein spilling in the urine was also discovered at the same time. He decided to watch this as I had been through stress due to the loss of my mom.
Within 2 weeks I started with back pain at my right rib. Yes, it did lower the LDL but not to base. I asked to be removed from this drug and he refused.
In March, before my kidney biopsy, I finally got him to remove it as the discomfort did not go away Both my pharmacist and valid site: Drugs.com confirmed the side effect and that Crestor promotes protein spilling.
After my diagnosis, he tried to put me back on the Crestor and I refused. Lipitor was his next choice. I suffered for 8 months with violent pain in that back area and some upset stomach distress before my endocrinologist agreed to take me off this in late November. Like you, it slightly lowered the cholesterol and I had become vegetarian in late January.
Saw my new GP in December ( she took over the practice of retiring GP) and confirmed skeletal muscular due to the Lipitor.
My cholesterol went up after drug removal and in May
showed a 90 point drop without medication. My LDL is
.3 from high normal and my endocrinologist of 14 years wanted me back on the Crestor. He has been politely terminated.
My GP has been monitoring me and feels that the Lipitor caused havoc with my system as my thyroid went out of control as well. It is now listed as one of my allergies.
All of the statins have side effects. What may work for one person, may not for another.
My GP and nephrologist told me pravastatin is the lightest. Zetia is the only cholesterol lowering drug which is non statin. If they eventually feel I need a cholesterol lowering drug Zetia will be considered.
Diet is so key. I don't eat meat but alot of vegetables, salads and beans such as lentils and hummus. My husband and I have both lost weight with no effort I also am not a smoker. So you may want to think about adjusting your diet.
Google: Drugs.com. The site is reputable. It will give you side effects and mild, moderate and severe interactions..great place to check.
Please get back to me and let me know you are doing..I care.
"MY WIFE CHOLESTEROL WAS 11 .I TOLD MY IN THE MORNING HAVE MINERAL WATER .30 MINUTES LATER TAKE ODOURLSS GARLIC WITH ALLICIN.3000MG. WITH WATER. I HAVE ONE APPLE. DO IT FOR ONE MONTH. END OF MONTH. MY WITH WHEN TO 11 TO 4 POINT. U CAN BUY THIS FROM HOLLAND BARRET.TOLD MY WIFE DONT GO TO DOCTOR HE WILL PUT U SATIN TABLETS. TRY MY REMEDY. IT WORKED FOR MY WIFE "
You can give it a try, you can Google and may be order on line, it may help you.
Hello Mechele, I was also skeptical about taking Crestor. But I have been taking Crestor since 2012 when I had the heart attack. The reason I take the Crestor is because my cardiologist doesn't want my cholesterol to go higher than 160. I have an artery that's 50 % clogged and he doesn't want it to get any worse. I take a vey low dosage, 5 mg, and I take it every other day - not daily. I have not had any adverse reactions from the Crestor.
Hi Mechele It's so important to do what is best for you. This is a great forum for support and to find out about a and learn about others experiences. No-one can force you to take medication, just advise and you make up your own mind whether to try or not. Healthy diet exercise, and lifestyle are most important. You might have to do some research around nutrients minerals and vitamins to suit you needs. Medication so has to be right for you. Don't be afrqid and try to remain positive.
I am afraid I live in UK therefore I am unable to comment on doctor in Canada, there are members on this site who live in Canada may be they can comment on Canadian medical system!!
At the moment you need to get your cholesterol down by any means necessary. So give the new meds a try. Then when you are ready, look up plantbased doctors near you and look into a wholefood plantbased diet. Watch Forks Over Knives. I saw results within 3 weeks (total and LDL cholesterol halved) and it took away that huge anxiety that you describe. This IS in your control, maybe not fully yet but you CAN do this.
There are at least two other families of drugs to try: one is newer, PCSK-9 inhibitors, branded as Repatha and Praluent - they work by blocking another part of the cholesterol pathway than statins (which are HMG-CoA reductase inhabitors) and some people in the world naturally don't produce PCSK-9 and seem fine with it so maybe it's safe for others (I think it's too soon to be sure) but they are far more expensive than statins at the moment because they're still on patent. Thousands of dollars a year per patient. It should be at least as effective as statins at lowering cholesterol levels.
The other way to go is older: ezetimibe (which limits the absorption of cholesterol from food) and colestipol or cholestyralmine (which binds bile acids so you poo them out, which forces the body to use cholesterol up to replace them). Ironically, now that most statins are off patent, these are probably as expensive as statins. This won't be as effective as statins but might be better than the pain or leaving levels high if nothing else works.
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