After I have shared with you about Dr. Graveline's true story of how statin drugs almost destroyed his life, I would want to share with you more about other problems with statins. Yes, the leader of the pack, Lipitor.
And so, gentle reader, our scientific knowledge has now advanced to the point where it can no longer be written off as a 'coincidence' that people of cholesterol-lowering drugs are more likely to die violent deaths of one sort of another. A clear causal chain now exists with every link in place.
How widespread are all these problems? Who knows? If they exist they will be, almost without exception, under reported. A bit of memory loss here, a lapse into depression there, well, almost everyone is depressed nowadays, aren't they? Feelings of anger and aggression, a bit of road rage, some muscle pains. Which patient are is going to report such symptoms to their GP?
And even if they do, how seriously is the GP going to take it? I would say almost NONE! Unless we have a very knowledgeable physician. Now, what are the other problems with statins? Let me share with you a list of all the related problems caused by these cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Polyneuropathy
- It is known as peripheral neuropathy and characterized as below:
- Facial weakness
- Difficulty in walking
- Difficulty using arms, hands and feet
- Sensation changes, such as pain, tingling, numbness or decreased sensation
- Difficulty swallowing
- Speech impairment
- Loss of muscle function of feeling in muscles
- Pain in the joints
- Fatigue
- Changing or hoarseness of voice
Muscle Damage
Although rhabdomyolysis itself is rare, muscle pains and weakness are relatively common with statin use. Statins can cause oxidative damage to the muscles. Apart from athletes, the burden of muscle problems is generally underestimated because such problems tend to creep up slowly.
A high percentage of people on statins will suffer some symptoms of muscle ache, but most of them won't report the symptoms, and the doctor won't ask. Some old folks would think that their old age is the reason why they are suffering from muscle weakness or ache.
Liver Damage
This is reasonably common, and mostly it takes the form of raised liver enzymes levels in the bloodstream. These tend to go away when you stop taking the statin.
Cancer
This is probably the biggest long term worry as far as I'm concerned. The pharmaceutical companies have attempted to stomp on this fear by setting up studies that appear to show that statins, rather then causing cancer, actually prevent it. This is probably the biggest joke of the century! There are tons of living proof out there consuming high loads of cholesterol food all their lives, generations after generations, the Eskimos, and maintain a supreme health and their diet is at least 80% saturated fat! Saturated fat contains high levels of cholesterol.
Bear in mind that cholesterol has been protecting humans for millions of years for diseases such as cancer. It is anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and precursor to our steroidal hormones. Without cholesterol, our body wouldn't be able to produce Vitamin D3. We wouldn't even have sex hormones estrogen and testosterone. With low level of cholesterol, all our trillions of cells will have massive problems repairing and building new cells. The outer membrane of all our body's cells are made of cholesterol! I could go on and on with this, but cholesterol is our guardian, a good thing, and everyone should realize that if you push your cholesterol level lower then it should naturally be, all your cancer rates is off the roof! Period!
The headlines about statins preventing cancer are complete and utter guff as usual. They reflect marketing spin, pure and simple. Goodness me, is there nothing these drugs can't do?
Heart Failure
Now, supposedly patients take statins to prevent heart disease, agree? What if people like us found out that cholesterol lowering drugs could cause congestive heart failure? Here is how this could have happened. Folks, you might want to be more serious about this piece of information.
Anyone heard of Coenzyme Q10? Co Q10 is found in all cells, everywhere in the body. It is found in particularly high concentrations in high energy cells such as muscles, and especially cardiac muscle cells, where it plays a key role in the production of ATP. ATP, if any of you could still remember from biology, is to a cell, what fuel is to a car. Converstion of ATP to ADP releases energy that cells need to work. When ATP runs out, the cell dies. Which means that a reduction of ATP production could be rather serious matter.
Especially in heart muscle, the muscle that can never rest. Indeed, both animal and human studies have shown that reduction in Q10 levels can lead to left and right-sided ventricular dsyfunction. What this means? Heart failure! So, you are paying for a drug which you think could prevent heart disease, but it does the opposite? How on earth does this make any sense at all?
You see, cholesterol and Q10 share the same biosynthetic pathway. They both originate from Acetyl CoA, and if you block cholesterol synthesis, you also reduce Q10 synthesis. if low Q10 can lead to heart failure, and statins block the production of Q10, then statins could cause heart failure. Simple logical explanation ain't it? Now you know, why certain doctors prescribe Co Q10 with statins at the same time for patients.
So, by now you should have educate yourself about statin drugs after reading this post. The effects of statins are life-threatening, and taking a drug which suppose to prevent heart disease, but enables one to have heart failure is simply absurd, bonkers.
Anyone heard of Coenzyme Q10? Co Q10 is found in all cells, everywhere in the body. It is found in particularly high concentrations in high energy cells such as muscles, and especially cardiac muscle cells, where it plays a key role in the production of ATP. ATP, if any of you could still remember from biology, is to a cell, what fuel is to a car. Converstion of ATP to ADP releases energy that cells need to work. When ATP runs out, the cell dies. Which means that a reduction of ATP production could be rather serious matter.
Especially in heart muscle, the muscle that can never rest. Indeed, both animal and human studies have shown that reduction in Q10 levels can lead to left and right-sided ventricular dsyfunction. What this means? Heart failure! So, you are paying for a drug which you think could prevent heart disease, but it does the opposite? How on earth does this make any sense at all?
You see, cholesterol and Q10 share the same biosynthetic pathway. They both originate from Acetyl CoA, and if you block cholesterol synthesis, you also reduce Q10 synthesis. if low Q10 can lead to heart failure, and statins block the production of Q10, then statins could cause heart failure. Simple logical explanation ain't it? Now you know, why certain doctors prescribe Co Q10 with statins at the same time for patients.
So, by now you should have educate yourself about statin drugs after reading this post. The effects of statins are life-threatening, and taking a drug which suppose to prevent heart disease, but enables one to have heart failure is simply absurd, bonkers.
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