after quite a few years on statins (lipitor, lately crestor) I decided to drop crestor because of side effects, muscle pain, yellow spots on my arm. I just started polycosanol. how soon should I see results? and does polycosanol have an effect on blood sugar?

You will never see effects.
It is thoroughly worthless.
The so called "studies" on Policosinal were
manufactured by the major manufacturer of
Policosinal in Cuba.This scam was exposed by
JAMA several months ago.
I tried policosinal a couple of years ago.
It had no effect so I dropped it.

Here's a link about the "studies" of
policosanol:
http://metablogism.wordpress.com/20...20/policosanol/

Hi Colette,

Do you mean Policosanol?

I know plenty of people who have great success with Policosanol. The most effective form of Policosanol is a sugar cane wax form. The dosage should be NO more then 20mg per day (before bedtime) and you'll see a result in 3-6 months, within a year you will see a full result- if it does work for you.

I have permanent muscle damage in one leg from Lipitor and I didn't had any luck with Policosanol but as I am a diabetic I took a form of Policosanol withOUT sugar cane wax for fear it may effect my sugar readings. Now that my sugar readings are totally under control I am thinking of giving the sugar cane wax type a try - keeping a very close eye on my sugar levels.

A great brand is Pure Encapsulations from The Organic Pharmacy:
http://organicpharmacy.org/manufact...ame=Policosanol

* There will always be controversy talk about supplements such as Policosanol, Red Yeast Rice and others. So, if you have the patience, money and keep an eye out for any negative effects...it's worth the try as YOU are your own best study!

Nikki

My bias against policosanol:
1. It didn't work for me. I gave up after maybe 6
weeks.I don't stay on any supplement longer than
that if I don't see results
2. The glowing results of the Cuban studies couldn't
be reproduced.All further tests produced negative
results
I did a bit of further research after Nikki's post and
actually found several references to policosanol from
people who have tried it.Most said it didn't work
but there were some that said it worked for them.
The pills are small and inexpensive so why not give it
a try?
2 supplements that work for me:
1. 600 mg of bete sitosterol per day(reduces dietary
cholesterol)
2. 1200 mg of red yeast rice per day(reduces your
body's production of cholesterol much like a statin).
This one is effictively a weak statin so,if you were
harmed by statins,it might be wise to stay away
from red yeast rice.
Good luck
Eddie

until I see a totally unbiased study (and I have looked!) that proves that high cholesterol is bad, I personally wouldnt use any statins of any sort. i think the whole thing is just a money spinner for the drugs company. Is high cholesterol a "red herring",a cause or a symptom of heart disease??

Just my opinion

eddiemcm -

At 6 months a supplement is just beginning to take effect. There are supplements that don't show any sign of working until months later. Think of it this way - if you have a deficiency you need to correct, the supplement needs time to first correct it and then begin to work as it should.

ojoj,

I totally absolutely agree 100% - it’s always about money in the Pharma world.
As for study-based information - we only hear what they want to be told. As I said in my post to Collet - "YOU are your own best study.


Perhaps not and some are not looking to have exact mark point numbers but are looking to have more in line numbers then out of whack numbers. That's not always an easy task and if someone can achieve that on their own without statins then it’s all worth the peace-of-mind comfort.

Nikki

The thing that scares me about people taking a supplement is that they're not having their liver functioning tested like they would if they were on a statin. And if this is basically a statin, then the potential is there for liver damage.

"At 6 months a supplement is just beginning to take effect. There are supplements that don't show any sign of working until months later. Think of it this way - if you have a deficiency you need to correct, the supplement needs time to first correct it and then begin to work as it should."
I think that depends upon the nature of the supplemenT.
Red yeast rice showed results for me in 2 weeks.
Bitter melon showed results in about 4 weeks.
Cinnamon(the second time around) showed results in 2 weeks.
I'm a pretty impatient person by nature and I think that my supplements
sense it(Joke!).
About whether cholesterol makes a difference:
Only logical to take the safe route if you can lower cholesterol without
subjecting yourself to bad side effects.Waiting for someone to come up
with the ultimate proof doesn't do you any good if you're dead!
Bye for now
Eddie

Depending on the person and their health some supplements show effect sooner then others. The 6 months is a general rule of thumb to know if something is working or not.

*I drink a mix of bulk herb teas at night for digestion aid and it helps me tremendously in absorbing my supplements, food nutrients and getting the most out of them. I started drinking the tea because I had a queasy stomach and threw up (mucus phelm) constently for no reason (leaky gut issue). I started the teas and within 2 months all began to subside.

As you know - I take a huge boatload of supplements and now when I wake up - I can take 1/3 of my supplements on an empty stomach . I was never able to do that when I had such a sluggish digestion system. So, I am one to feel the effects (good or bad) of a new supplement quicker.

It has made a big difference in the amount of time and the effects I feel from supplements.

Nikki

Anything that happens to me seems to happen fast but i understand that we're all different in
the way our bodies react to things.We just have to
do a certain amount of research,make our best guess what is best for us and give it a try.
For those who want to let a doctor/trained robot
decide what is best for them...well,i guess it's a
matter of choice.
Regarding supplements versus prescription drugs:
I probably test my liver via normal blood tests 3
times a year.www.consumerlabs.com gives very
detailed reports on supplements regarding whether advertised ingredients are correct on the
container.That's a hell of a lot more than the
FDa or FTC does.
And so it goes...
Good night to all
Eddie

Doctors go to medical school, get a plaque that says they graduated from a prestige medical school, hang it on the wall and some never again update their skills to meet today’s newer and better-found standards. We the public have more knowledge then some doctors - really - think about it - we are the one's taking the time to research and find out all we can for better health. They just continue on for many years teaching what they learned years ago in medical school.

Yep, Eddie it sure is a matter of choice. We all have the skill to research what is a better choice. It's always there!

Good Night, Nikki

Thanks to all for the informative comments, website to consult. You have given me a few more things to try like cinnamon, bitter melon. Don't know much about red yeast rice?
I will go back to consult my naturopath because I too, don't have much trust in regular doctors.
I had spectacular results with the low carb diet when 2 years ago, I had a warning by my doctor that my blood sugar was high, not very high by what I now know, but it was a warning. Aging is also a factor in the blood elements because we put into a lot of "garbage" along the years and the body no longer works the way it should.
Thanks again

Hi Colette,

I'm glad you found some insight from our replies. Sorry we veered off subject but the advantage to that is you can always learn something new from our ongoing ramblings.

You are already on a good track with dealing with a naturopath rather then a conventional medical doctor. Naturopathy’s are more concerned with the balance of mind, body and soul and that has a lot to do with getting healthy. I read an article that more and more insurance companies are now covering the cost for Naturopath care so the world is opening up to having that choice!

So in tune with your original post was it policosanol or polycosanol you are taking and how long have you been taking it? Do you check your blood sugar regularly during the day to see if it offsets your blood sugar?

I don't have serious concerns with my cholesterol numbers other then they are all off balanced slightly. I just received my order of Policosanol (Pure Encapsulations) and will start taking it tonight. As a diabetic I test myself often - even now that my sugar is controlled so, I will know if the sugar cane wax based Policosanol shows any negative sign.


Come join us on the Dr.Bernstein & Diabetes forum http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=45. You can find other's there - all with Diabetic concerns. Also, there is the Low-Carb Related USENET Newsgroups - Diabetes http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=132

Nikki

I just started policosanol, 1 pill of 5 mg at night or 2 it depends of your cholesterol numbers. For blood sugar, I do not test but at the last blood test, the doc told me it was "border line" so I know I have to do some work on that. Two years ago I got advice from my naturopath: a food regimen basically low-carb and also some pills gluco..... something which available only in the States. It worked like magic, the doc said that the results were spectacular. I lost 50 lbs and my blood sugar was good. Now, I gained a little weight and have to be more strict again.
Thanks for all your encouragements. It feels good to know that we are not alone...