Statins: Benefits and Side Effects

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Paul Tucker, MD. Austin, Texas
Interventional Cardiologist
a CardioVisual video

Critiques the various statins available

Always smart to look at all of the effects of a medication.

Anyone who’s taking a statin should do extensive research on the potential, negative side effects.
I speak from personal experience.

About 35 years ago, when prescribing statins was becoming ‘routinely’ popular, I followed ‘doctor’s orders’ and took the statin Rx since my cholesterol was slightly high. Eventually, I experienced fatigue along with muscle pain and weakness but didn’t realize (then) the connection or cause. After all, the doctor said statins helped one healthy so why would I be suspect? The statin-prescribing physician referred me to a highly-regarded Rheumatologist who began diagnostic procedures, including a thigh-muscle biopsy but that didn’t provide any helpful information. Since I was becoming more weak and limited in my athletic activities, I became a patient of a practitioner of ‘holistic’ medicine MD who was new to our area and Harvard Med School graduate.

Long story short - and based on my history and symptoms - his evaluations included the test for vitamin D 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-VitD) which showed my level was 18, when optimal ranges are at least 60 (even though some lab value goals are lower). Often, higher, is suggested. That was the first time I was ever tested for the 25 OH(D) in all those previous years. Would have been far less expensive and painful than the muscle biopsy. And, I’d have had all the additional benefits of optimizing Vitamin D. Fortunately, with time, eventually that happened.

Be aware that some information found on the Internet is definitely not current regarding appropriate vitamin D levels.

The old adage, “Test, Don’t Guess” remains important, viable medical advice. Longstanding AF readers here will also recall my comments about the effects of iodine deficiency… (common for those born, raised and living in the Goiter Belt)… and my symptoms of thyroid enlargement aka goiteroid tissue. The iodine deficiency also caused fibrocystic breast disease. Fortunately, supplemental iodine effectively managed the goiteroid tissue, but it was far too late to help with the fibrocystic breast tissue …which was another disastrous medical treatment for me due to lack medical knowledge on that etiology/nutritional-deficiency connection. At least I was able to avoid surgery to remove the thyroid which was where I left it with the former endocrinologist.

The good news is that for the past 25 years (at least), certification in Functional Medicine has been available to physicians who want to serve patients more adequately by assessing nutritional status and managing deficiencies. [www.ifm.org]

Additional functional testing indicated ‘adrenal fatigue’ aka adrenal burnout… which can happen when cholesterol levels go too low, so again, with the FM approach to diagnostics and therapeutic supplemental nutrients for adrenal support plus being off the statins has helped me maintain a ‘status quo’ (for the most part), as I learned to cope with the onset of the Afib that newly entered my life not long after the foregoing ‘saga.’

Among the tests my FM MD orders is the annual NutrEval FMV® which is both a blood and urine test that evaluates over 125 biomarkers and assesses the body's functional need for 40 antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, amino acids, digestive support, and other select nutrients. [www.gdx.net] Based on those and other related labs, along with clinical symptoms etc, she then recommends specific nutritional supplements… that is, the effective forms and doses to correct or maintain appropriate levels.

Jackie

PS… The late, former US Air Force and US Army Flight Surgeon, NASA Astronaut and Family Doctor, Duane Graveline, MD, warned about statin side effects in his initial books, The Truth About Statins, Lipitor – Thief of Memory….The Dark Side of Statins plus more recent publications. In the original, he graphically details his personal experience with statins. Worth reading if you think statins don’t cause problems. I have not read The Dark Side of Statins. Here’s a brief summary/review of his findings and experiences. [spacedoc.com]

Also worth noting… this short clip by neurosurgeon, Russell L. Blaylock MD…
The Statin Myth — It's Inflammation, Not Cholesterol
Wednesday, 02 October 2013

The dream of all pharmaceutical company CEOs has been to develop a drug that people will need to take for a lifetime in order to control their condition. The cholesterol-lowering statin drugs have fulfilled that dream.

Stain drugs have been the biggest moneymaker in history for the pharmaceutical industry, promoted by both drug companies and physicians. But all is not as it appears.

Articles touting the advantages of statin drugs have appeared in the most prestigious medical journals in the world. But some of them have actually been written by scientists employed by pharmaceutical companies.
Continue: [www.newsmax.com]

Dr. Blaylock is a nationally-recognized, board-certified neurosurgeon, health practitioner, author and lecturer. He has more than a quarter-century of medical experience.

The very entertaining David Diamond on statins and cholesterol.

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I belive that statins are probably more harmful than good for most people.

Besides the usual mussel issues statins interfere with the production of vitamin k2 which we get very little of in our western diet. Vitamin k2 along with Vitamin D stimulate the production of calcitonin, calcitonin regulates the calcium in our blood. Most afibbers are low in calcitonin.

Vitamin K2 activates the calcium-binding actions of two proteins — matrix GLA protein and osteocalcin, which help to build and maintain bones .

IMHO high cholestrol is not a bad thing, the problem is high triglycerides (too much fat) combine that with too much calcium, produces a build up of plaque which causes heart attacks and strokes.
Now I read that statins can cause gallstones. Also statins depletes CoQ10.

I am not a fan.