Active Low-Carber Forums - getting off Lipitor

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getting off Lipitor

I've been on lipitor for years -5 or 6- and my dr. and I always discuss-emphasis on cuss-getting off this drug. He is adamently against it. Also, I have hi blood pressure and am on 3 drugs for that and it stll stays 135-150. But i want off lipitor and have read through some of this material. I didn't take my 10mg yesterday or today. Is there a need ed pattern to get off-should I wean myself or is cold turkey ok. I lc most of the time and will fall off for about 6-8 weeks during the year. My chlo numbers are now good-in the normal range except trig are a little high. Dr. apt is in late May or June '09 with blood work-last done in Dec '08. Any info, opine, or help will be appreciated.
Anne

Sounds like what your Doctors have you doing isn't working...

What is happening with you, once happened to me.

I switched to herbal medicine. In particular, I switched to Berberine HCL to control all of the things you are concerned about.... It worked for me.

My recent test results:

Cholesterol: 175
Triglyceride: 110
Blood Pressure: 118/58

I'm also diabetic and my A1C test was: 5.4

All normal numbers....

Diet and exercise is all important of course, but without the herbs, I'd probably still be fighting with all those high numbers I used to have....

Read through the postings in this forum. Lots of good info on the harm statins can do, and the uselessness of statins in women. You're doing the best thing you can be doing by going low carb.

Here's another thread to read through, follow the links!
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=392036

This bomb shell from Businessweek discusses how useless Statins are in most people.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazin...68052092994.htm

Quote:

Yes, Wright saw, the drugs can be life-saving in patients who already have suffered heart attacks, somewhat reducing the chances of a recurrence that could lead to an early death. But Wright had a surprise when he looked at the data for the majority of patients, like Winn, who don't have heart disease. He found no benefit in people over the age of 65, no matter how much their cholesterol declines, and no benefit in women of any age. He did see a small reduction in the number of heart attacks for middle-aged men taking statins in clinical trials. But even for these men, there was no overall reduction in total deaths or illnesses requiring hospitalization—despite big reductions in "bad" cholesterol. "Most people are taking something with no chance of benefit and a risk of harm," says Wright. Based on the evidence, and the fact that Winn didn't actually have angina, Wright changed his mind about treating him with statins—and Winn, too, was persuaded. "Because there's no apparent benefit," he says, "I don't take them anymore."

Do ya'll think coming off cold turkey is a problem. I watched the utube video from Wake Forest and feel convinced. Thanks, Anne

Not that I know of. I think it's anti-depressants that have an issue with quitting quickly.

I would taper off, not go cold turkey

Quote:

Platelet activation is essential to this response to help seal off the disease regardless of its cause. Statins' inhibition of NF-kB reduces the likelihood of thrombosis with blood vessels during this inflammatory assault hence, its undeniable record in reducing the degree of atherosclerosis and CV risk.

Now let us assume you have been on a statin for a few months or years during which time it has provided inhibition of inflammatory activity within your blood vessels. That's good. But then you experience memory loss or severe myopathy and must come off statins. If this is done, there is a return of normal platelet activation (stickiness) in most people but in some, recent studies have shown, there will be an overshoot of platelet stickiness, peaking in the second week after stopping the statin. The result is a small but significant tendency for strokes and infarctions to occur during that time. This suggests the solution should be a gradual tapering off of statins, not abrupt cessation, and is certainly an option that you should discuss with your prescribing physician.

Duane Graveline MD MPH
Former USAF Flight Surgeon
Former NASA Astronaut
Retired Family Doctor

Found http://www.spacedoc.net/stopping_statins.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1annewil

Do ya'll think coming off cold turkey is a problem. I watched the utube video from Wake Forest and feel convinced. Thanks, Anne

Weening yourself off of things that aren't helping... That's the problem?

The longer you pay attention to a proper nutritionally balanced diet and the longer you have developed a routine of regular exercise, the longer you've been off of statin drugs, the better off you'll be....

Life begins NOW. Enjoy your new life, forget the old one...

Have you tried Anenolol for high BP? I took the 25mg dose for two weeks and now mine is normal. Now I am off all BP meds and check it at home with a cuff. Even though I do LC plus fasting the high BP is on both sides of my family so I need to monitor it.

Before this latest drug I was using a common calcium channel blocker and diuretic.

Thanks so much.
I will wean myself off altho I'm only taking 10 mg-I cut a 40 into quarters already. That's the only concession my dr. will make for me for this drug. He's so much a former pharmacist.

I have taken anenolol before. Now I'm on generic norvasc, tropol and avalide. We spend more on my scripts the my whole fam of 7 together. I hate it.
I just knew I'd get good help here. Thanks, Anne