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Alternative to statins

Posted , 9 users are following.

margaret11268
margaret11268

Having just e read all the discussions regarding the benefits/side effects of statins, I was wondering if anyone has any experience of taking plant sterol tablets and whether these do work or not. Are they worth trying, especially as they are quite expensive. I don't want to go down the statin route after knowing all the side effects.

0 likes, 21 replies

21 Replies

  • martin94833
    martin94833 margaret11268

    Posted

    The most common side effect of statins is muscle pain and muscle weakness. The natural explanation is that statin drugs may impact our natural coQ10 production.

    Instead of statins, you may consider red yeast rice which is "natural statins". The active ingredient is monacolins and has been used in Asian for many years. Unfortunately it can also lower your natural energy level.

    I have taken natural statins for many years with CoQ10 and it works for me. With no side effects.

    You can try to search for "coenzyme Q10 Red yeast rice alpha-linolenic acid"

  • kb87
    kb87 margaret11268

    Posted

    Hi Margaret

    Statins have a lot of great benefits, but you just have to beware that in that the medicine blocks your cholesterol, it unfortunately also blocks your body's natural production of CoQ10. This does create some unwanted complications, however, if you supplement with CoQ10 on the side, you can make sure you avoid the worst of the side effects, namely the depletion of your natural energy source and muscle cramping and aches. Be aware that the heart is the body's hardest working muscle, which requires lost of energy to pump and distribute. Anything you do or take that can limit our natural energy supply, you have to pay attention to. Check out the study on CoQ10 and the heart, it is called Q-Symbio and they havea nice review at the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. 

    Know that there is a natural way to combat the side effects in case you need to resort to statins wink

  • loxie
    loxie margaret11268

    Posted

    Hi Margaret.  I believe it's well documented that plant sterols and stanols do have some success in reducing cholesterol.  They do have reduce all cholesterol - ie both 'good' (HDL) and 'bad' (LDL) and the jury is out so to speak as to whether reducing HDL is really a good idea.  Cholesterol is beneficial to the body - it's essential in fact.  Abnormally low cholesterol can be very dangerous, particularly in respect to dementia, alzheimers and a range of other issues.  Do lots of research on ways to increase HDL and that in itself will help to remove the LDL from the body - that is its actual function.

    A blanket approach to removing cholesterol from the blood is at last being shown to be a quick and cheap fix which isn't necessarily the best route - as is evidenced by the range of debilitating and often life threatening side effects - not just from statin use per se but from abnormally reducing beneficial cholesterol from the body.

    • loxie
      loxie

      Posted

      sorry typo (should learn to watch out for predictive text!) should have read " .......they do 'however'......" not "have". apologies.
  • gilpill
    gilpill margaret11268

    Posted

    hi margaret 

    i never thoght to take them i would be realy interested in how you get on with them?  my son just came out of heartlands hospital after suffering a heart attack he is on statins and he told them how they make him stiff and they reccomended him to take Q10 caps which im trying now suppose to stop the stiffness i let you know 

  • bill80656
    bill80656 margaret11268

    Posted

    No knowledge of it whatsoever. Only to say that we are all totally brainwashed that our cholesteral levels detrmines live and death.

    There is much research now that tells us it is not cholesterol that causes heart attacks. I personal no longer monitor nor care what my levels are.

    Suggest more research, start with Stain Nation on you tube.

     

    • gilpill
      gilpill bill80656

      Posted

      I think you no how you feel I'm trying this q10

      Caps for a while but I've read some side effects are insomnia so soon as that happens I'll stop 😀

    • loxie
      loxie bill80656

      Posted

      Couldnt agree more Bill.  brainwashed is a good way of putting it.  It's a "reds under the bed" attitude - let's blame something and saturate the market with the next wonder pill - the main benefit of which would seem to be ludicrously obscene profits for the pharmaceutical industry - people should realise they arent in the least interest in our health, only their balance sheets.  Shame on doctors for perpetuating the myth.
  • pat11500
    pat11500 margaret11268

    Posted

    Hi, I agree with Bill. I've seen Statin nation and it is an eye opener. Please try and watch it. On the BBC News yesterday was a report regarding the rise globally of Diabetes, Statind raise blood sugar levels a fact which is now stated on the patient leaflet info. Makes me wonder whether there is a connection between the huge rise in diabetes and taking statins. Doctors are dishing them out to millions. I don't want to take them knowing what the awful side effects can be. The pharmaceutical companies have lowered the acceptable cholesterol levels to 5 it used to be 6.2 a couple years ago. It's all about their greed.
    • bill80656
      bill80656 pat11500

      Posted

      Yes, I became pre-diabetic and that's when I researched the whole thing and found that all my other symptoms were probably due to statins as well. They included muscle weakness in both arms, night sweats, and leg cramps. All very bad symptoms. Don't know what harm was being done internally that showed no symptoms. That is a BIG question isn't it!!!!  

      I have been off them for over a year and all symptoms are gone except the prediabetes. That may never go and may go to the next level at some point.

       

    • loxie
      loxie bill80656

      Posted

      So sorry to hear of your pre-diabetes issues Bill, I thankfully stopped taking statins before they had affected my blood sugar.  Many studies have now shown that they increase the incidence of irreversible type 2 diabetes, in both men and women.  The scary part is the IRREVERSIBLE element.  It's also fact they cause liver enzyme changes will can result in - again irreversible - liver damage.  Such poison should never be prescribed in such a blanketed 'one size fits all' manner - they should be a last resort or only for a very small proportion of those at highest risk.  It's bordering on criminal but of course money talks.
    • bill80656
      bill80656 loxie

      Posted

      Thanks,  Seems like we should all write articles and get them printed where ever we can because it is a crime. You hit the nail on the head, "treating people like one size fits all."

      I have an article ready to send to two local newspapers.

      Bill

    • pat11500
      pat11500 bill80656

      Posted

      Please post your articles here if possible Bill. Maybe between us all we can start to really call these poisons into question.
    • bill80656
      bill80656 pat11500

      Posted

      STATIN MEDICATION FOR HIGH CHOLESTEROL

      For all of you out there taking statin medications, take it from someone who learned the hard and frustrating way, do your homework and become your own informed advocate now, on the side effects of statins.

      Doctors prescribed statins for me on and off for dozens of years.  During the last year of taking this medication, I was experiencing numerous and serious health issues.  These included leg cramps, night sweats, and muscle weakness and soreness in both arms.  It never occurred to me that any of these issues could be caused by statins, and my doctor never mentioned the possibility. It wasn't until I couldn't lift the end of a kayak off the ground - the equivalent of 20 pounds - that I knew I had to find out what was going on with me.  I'm a thin, non-smoker, and a physically active man.  This was far from normal.  I quickly did an internet search on "arm weakness" and it didn't take long to find the connection to statins.  Reading further I found out that statins were also responsible for muscle cramps, night sweats and all the rest of the symptoms I was experiencing for so long.  It didn't stop there. Other documented side effects include kidney and liver disease, ocular issues, dementia, even cancer and heart disease!  I was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic. Given the fact there is no family history of the disease, and I've eaten a healthy diet for years, I am highly suspicious that statins play a role in diabetes as well.   I had to learn more.

      During the past year, I have done extensive research through scientific journals,  blogs, YouTube, newspaper articles,  radio, television,  and Ted Talks.  I discovered that there are many thousands of people like myself suffering from similar debilitating side effects while on statins.  Yet, sadly patients are left to their own devices to discover the correlation between troubling health issues and statins, all while doctors continue to push them on everyone with high cholesterol.  Ironically, data is suggesting it may not even be cholesterol that is the major cause of heart disease.  Sugar, and refined and highly processed foods, plus lack of exercise are more likely clogging our arteries. 

      There is an interesting mathematical number that is used when the scientists look at the efficacy of a medication.  It's called the NNT, or the "Needed Number to Treat."  Look it up for statins.  The numbers in the different studies go from about 300 to 1,000. That means that one person in say 300 will benefit from taking statins - i.e. not have a heart attack.  Furthermore, about 15 of those 300 may have one or more of the above mentioned side effects.  You honestly have to ask yourself is it really worth it?  Statins were a poison for me, and they may be for you as well.  Please, do your research.

    • margaret11268
      margaret11268 bill80656

      Posted

      Will certainly keep off statins after reading all these posts. I do know many folk who suffer from muscle pain through taking them, but wasn't aware of all the other side effects!  Thanks for helpful comments. Think I might give plant sterols a try even though doctors are sceptical of them.
    • bill80656
      bill80656 margaret11268

      Posted

      We must unbrainwash ourselves. Cholesterol is not the culprit.

      Do your research, become informed.

       

    • kb87
      kb87 margaret11268

      Posted

      Margaret. The problem with statins is that they impair more than just cholesterol levels. Research has documented that CoQ10 levels are severely impacted, which is why people can experience unbearable muscle pain. CoQ10 is responsible for 95% of the cellular energy production - with a limisted energy source/CoQ10 levels of course our muscles will be in trouble. Do some google searches on statins and CoQ10 and you will see the great research out there. Many people have to stop taking statins because of the severe side effects - e.g. the muscle pain. 

      Consider the fact that the heart is the hardest working muscle in the body and you will realize how serious the problem can become.....

    • bill80656
      bill80656 kb87

      Posted

      Having taken statins for over 40 years off and on until the side effects became to painful to bear which was last year I wonder how much damage was done on my entire body. My cardiologist never prescribed CoQ10 for me.He didn't even know about it until just last year. I became pre-diabetic as well. He is still pushing statins, I sent him an email with research showing how bad statins were and he totally blew me off.

      Such closed mindedness and ignorance is hard to believe in a doctor.

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