New Lipitor Risks Shown in Clinical Studies.
What is Lipitor and What are the Lipitor risks?
Lipitor (the generic name is atorvastatin calcium) is Pfizer's best selling cholesterol-lowering drug. Annal sales exceed $130 billion, giving Lipitor the status of the world's best-selling prescription drug of all time.
Most physicians prescribe statin drugs to lower levels of cholesterol, and they do a very good job of achieving this.
The theory, which has been debunked by recent research (See Cholesterol Facts) is that ldl cholesterol increases the risk for heart attack and stroke. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first gave approval for Lipitor in the mid 1990's.
FDA is advising consumers and health care professionals that:
- Cognitive (brain-related) impairment, such as memory loss, forgetfulness and confusion, has been reported by some statin users.
- People being treated with statins may have an increased risk of raised blood sugar levels and the development of Type 2 diabetes.
- Some medications interact with lovastatin (brand names include Mevacor) and can increase the risk of muscle damage.
Lipitor Risks are Common in All Statin Drugs,
Including the Generic Statins.
Statin manufacturers tell us in their clever commercials that this side effect is minor or rare, but muscle pain and other side effects from Lipitor, Crestor, and Vytorin occur with much greater frequency than the drug companies want us believe
If you're a person who is plagued with soreness and muscle aches, it's far from minor. And as you'll see, it's certainly not rare.
Lipitor risks include loss of memory, muscle pain, loss of sexual drive and amnesia.
Steve had muscle pains with a statin drug, and now he wants to know, "Does the muscle pain ever go away? I have been off for about 1 week and it is a little better but still hurts."
Jo says she took statins for only one week. Her reaction: "Enough! Apart from the skin rash, the insomnia and twitching in bed, I had brand new muscle pains. It took about 5 or 6 weeks for those pains to fade. And about the same time for the rash to fade, too. Sleep normalized within a few days. Statins? Pure poison."
Natasha, Larry and Cher also say they've experienced muscle pains while taking statins. Jack's wife developed soreness in her muscles, along with liver problems. Dianne had pain in her joints, but most of the pain is gone, now that she stopped taking a statin drug.
Former astronaut, Dr. Graveline ( M.D. retired ) is exceptionally qualified to discuss the magnitude of Lipitor risks. He suffered transient global amnesia as a result of being on Lipitor. Here's what Dr. Graveline reports on his website,The Space Doc:
"The legacy of statin drug use at today's high doses is a trail of chronic Lipitor ricks, including aches, muscle pain, numbness, weakness, confusion, fatigue, shortness of breath and even heart failure in hordes of unsuspecting victims.
"Many physicians have themselves become victims of statin drug use and, like myself, now suspect the message of persuasive drug 'reps' may not be the entire truth."
I'm Gene Millen, the owner of this website with my wife Bernie. It seems like the whole world is taking either Lipitor, Crestor, or one of their new generic counterparts.
So given all these testimonials, if you want to lower cholesterol, where do you turn?
Debbie offers this suggestion: "Look for a natural product called policosanol."
When I first heard about policosanol I was skeptical because it seemed too good to be true. However, after studying the research I not only became convinced I got excited. This is one of the best natural products that I have ever reviewed. Policosanol has my personal recommendation...and nothing is too good for my heart!
I personally have had to inform my physician that I prefer to take the natural approach to improving my cholesterol. I really don't want to subject myself to the risks of Lipitor or other statin drugs.
"After 60 days on policosanol I had my cholesterol checked and my total cholesterol dropped from 255 to 226 but the best news is that the HDLs went up up 43% and LDLs dropped 14% for an improvement in the important Cholesterol to HDL ratio of a whopping 38%. Triglycerides also dropped 100 points, from 167 to 67, a 60% improvement."
If your physician has prescribed a statin drug and you have experienced side effects, or you have noticed that your energy is low, you should, without a doubt, be taking coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).
Muscle Pain from Lipitor Caused by Loss of CoQ10.
CoQ10 is found in most cells, with especially high concentration in the heart.The heart never sleeps and it never takes a vacation. It beats more than 100,000 times each day, so it is very dependent on the energy generating power of CoQ10
I and recommend it to my friends and family every time I get a chance.
If your "get up and go" has "got up and went" it's just possible that a statin drug might be the culprit.
Stephen Sinatra, M.D., a highly regarded heart surgeon and co-author of The Great Cholesterol Myth with Jonny Bowden says about the Lipitor risks of depleting CoQ10, "A CoQ10 deficiency affects your heart as profoundly as a calcium deficiency would affect your bones."
Dr. Sinatra does a masterful job explaining how statin drugs work in our bodies to cause negative side effects.
"Statin drugs (such as Lipitor or a generic counterpart) lower cholesterol and they do a great job of it.
So good, in fact, that they lower cholesterol in the brain, and that is very far from a good thing.
The brain absolutely depends on cholesterol for optimal functioning."
Dr. Sinatra says, "If you are on a statin drug, or short on energy you need CoQ10!"
Naturopathic medical doctor, Mark Stengler says,
"CoQ10 is energy on call," In addition to energizing your heart, CoQ10 has also been shown to support the immune system, blood pressure and healthy cholesterol levels.
Summary of Lipitor Risks and How to Minimize Them
- Lipitor side risks include changes in liver function.
- Muscle symptoms are common risks with Lipitor, but occasionally something called "myopathy" occur
- Some people report changes in memory, attention, or concentration on Lipitor and other statin drugs.
- Many people report depression and changes in mood when using this drug.
- Higher rates of death from suicide and accidents.
- A number of studies have shown that those on statin drugs to lower cholesterol have an increase in accidents
- Low serotonin has been reported as another of the risks of taking Lipitor
- Headaches, Joint and Abdominal Pain.
- Peripheral Neuropathy (tingling and numbness or burning pain) has confirmed by recent studies to be a serious lipitor risk. New Finland study reports possible risk to diabetics from statin drugs such as Lipitor.
We only recommend the best heart supplements that we can find...ones that we and/or our family and friends personally use.
The following story is a powerful testimony of how Vital Life Nutritionals Policosanol Extra Strength Formula worked for Janelle.
"When the results of my lipid panel came back in the spring of 2024, my triglycerides were sky high (1723) and my HDL so low (8) that I was frightened enough to try any solution the doctor suggested.
"A combination of a low-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, exercise and the use of high doses of niacin, brought the triglycerides down to a reasonable level; however, nothing seemed to budge the low HDL level to much above 18.
"When we moved out of state, my new doctor insisted that I try a combination of niacin and simvastatin to address what he thought were "unacceptable" numbers. In 2024 I finally caved and agreed to the statin combo drug.
Within a year I was unable to walk up and down stairs and couldn't lift myself from a sitting position without holding on to something.
"I immediately stopped the statin/niacin (against the doctor's advice), and I began in earnest scouring the internet for alternative solutions to what for me had been harmful pharmaceutical drugs.
"How fortunate for me that I found the Millen's Vital Heart Health for Life site. I ordered policosanol and within six months my HDL began improving. My last test, three months ago showed my HDL at 36, not ideal I realize, but for me the best it has ever been. Triglycerides and LDL were also within normal range, and my total cholesterol was 180.
"I am so very thankful that Gene and Bernie Millen continue to offer what I consider life-saving advice and products for those of us who are desperately searching for alternatives to the "traditional" drugs prescribed by most physicians today.
By: Janelle Carey, Savoy, Illinois
Click here to try Vital Life Nutrionals Policosanol Extra Strength capsules (made with the same formula used in the clinical studies) Save up to 40%.
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