I take a co-enzyme Q10 supplement. Is it better to take this at the same time as my statin in the evening or take it separately?

[Seahorse]

[Aliwally]

I also take a Q10 supplement, but am never sure how much I should be taking. My local pharmacy recommends 200mg tablets which are very expensive. Supermarket brands are much cheaper but only come in 30mg. I take between 1 and 3 depending on how I feel...totally unscientific. Can anybody help?

[Seahorse]

I take 200mg daily. I buy mine from healthspan.co.uk. This is the cheapest I could find for this strength. They are very good quality and quick delivery. If you set up a monthly re-order they offer a discount too.

[Aliwally]

Thank you Seahorse. I have a Healthspan leaflet somewhere. I am really anxious to avoid side effects as I am now on my third change of statin, which is actually the best one I have been on. One really peculiar side effect I had were really vivid dreams with brilliant colours and minute details. They might sound pleasant, but they weren't! I would be interested to hear if anybody else has had the same side effects.

[Hidden in reply to Aliwally]

Hi Aliwally,

I noticed vivid dreams when i was first put on statins, Simvastatin at the time. Now I get dreams only if i've forgotten to take a tablet (very rarely). Like you said, vivid dreams sound pleasant but they weren't.

[Sue0000 in reply to Hidden]

Which statin do you use

[Sue0000 in reply to Aliwally]

What satins did you try and which one are you on now ...i have to go on one today

[Aliwally]

Hi Traci, you are not dim at all! According to my "informed patient" reseach Q10 is a substance manufactured in the body which produces energy. Levels fall as you get older, but more importantly if you are on statins they can block the production of it as its production is on the same pathway.

My local pharmacy swears by it, but some medical people are not convinced that taking it does any good, maybe because it is not subject to the same trials as new drugs. I believe in Canada they have to put a message about it on packets of statins, but somebody may correct me on this.

Loads of stuff on the internet, there is even a Q10 Society!

[Aliwally]

I don't think so, as it is a supplement. The 200mg capsules are the most expensive, Healthspan are definitely the cheapest. One of my more controversial research sources says that at one time drug companies were thinking of adding Q10 to statins. My source is "The Great Cholesterol Con" by Dr Malcolm Kendrick. This is a great read but completely outside established medical thinking on cholesterol!

It would be interesting to hear more mainstream medical views on Q10.

[Aliwally]

Just looked on Patient.co.uk about Q10 and there is loads of sensible, unbiased opinion based on research.

[Aliwally]

Let us know how it goes. It is only a personal opinion, but I actually think pharmacists know more about drugs (especiallyside effects and interactiions) than a lot of GP's.

[Iona_Roberts]

Very useful information. Both my daughters have FH and are on statins. They are now 13 and 15 yrs old and have been on statins approx 18 months. Both of them have been feeling very tired as a result of this. I have spoken to our GP and he says it's just their age! Could this Q10 help them and is it safe for children?

[malcolm in reply to Iona_Roberts]

I have used coq10 for a number of years and have just started using an arginine product.Both of these products don't have side effects like pharmaceutical drugs do because they boost the natural production of substances that are already present in your body.If you want to know more about arginine and how it boosts your production of nitric oxide in the body check out this website cardiohealthresearch.com/

[Aliwally]

I can't give you a professional answer, only that my container says for adults and children over 12. Your GP 's answer sounds like the equivalent of "there's a lot of it about !"

[Seahorse]

I don't bother asking the GPs at my surgery any questions about FH or statins now as they don't seem to be very clued up on it. Seem to be keen to dish out prescriptions for statins but in denial about the possible side effects. I will definitiely give my kids Q10 when they start on statins. I am thinking of switching from co-enzyme Q10 to ubiquinol which is supposed to be a more readily bio available form. Anybody have any advice about this?

[Aliwally]

I agree about the denial. Although it was interesting to get the "official" view on Q 10 from HEART UK, I think most of us make our own decisions and don't wait around for the current medical viewpoint, rightly or wrongly.

After all this is medication we have ben told we have to take for the rest of our lives and there is often not enough informed support for us.

[suki65]

Hi Traci i know its a while since you wrote this ,

how are you doing now ? are you still taking q10 and are you on any other medication ?

I have problems with tiredness ,muscle and bone aches and pains from statins

[sandybrown]

It is imperative we understand the different type of statin, please have a look at this link:

healthunlocked.com/choleste...

Different statin react differently with different people therefore we have to try one at a time to work out which is best for us!!!!