Simvastatin nightmares

I had a chance to talk with the fellow cardioloist in my primary cardiologist's office the other day and told him about how the statins I am on are not treating me well - my memory is highly compromised on them, I reach for last names all the time - even for first names sometimes - and he stopped and thought and said to try Rosuvastatin.  It requires a much much smaller dosage than simvastatin, like a fraction of it, and as such he suspects will be much lighter on the side effects.  I will be discussing this with my primary soon, as I was just fitted with a 48 hour heart monitor the other day for my heart missing a beat several times during my last echocardiogram.  I saw the image of the missing blip on their monitor!  And a new unscheduled consultation will be put on the schedule with him because of that.

I am currently on 20mg of Atorvastatin for the last month, down from the originally prescribed 40mg 2 months ago, because of my complaints about my memory being affected AGAIN.  I went off of a year on Simvistatin/40mg a year ago after THOSE memory problems, and that intervening year without them was much more fulfiilling - and conscious - than the year before it, prescribed on protocol after my heart operation in 2012.  And my cholesterol was not bad even then.  It was protocol for all heart operation patients to follow up with Simvistatin/40mg JIC.  For how long?  The rest of your life, according to my primary.  JIC.

I am finally free of statins.  Took my last one yesterday.  Will be watching like a hawk for memory deficiencies to subside, and having my full mind back.

I read off my lipids panel stats to my cardiologist over the phone, and when finished, he asked how long it had been since I had been on statins up to that point, since the time before.  He said, "You're perfect."  

At which point I told him I would be going off the statins.  He did not say a word.

Unfortunately I was not able to have a discussion with him about not informing me of the side effects, as he had had to jam me in between 2 other tasks he had been doing.   So that will have to wait.

Maybe going off the statins will bring my blood sugar back to normal, tho I have got to do more exercising anyway, JIC.  The lipids panel also showed me 1 tick into the diabetic range for the first time.  Last time it had been 1 tick away.

But with the new guidelines on the front of the FDA's website warning about new dangers of statins, diabetes being one of them, perhaps I have been given a double reward for quitting them!

My eternal thanks to all of you here, esp. Eileen and Alzheimer!  Without this thread and others like it here on this site, I would not have known the true dangers.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Ooops.  Meant to mention that I told him I had been off them for a year when the lipids panel was taken back in February.  That was when he said, You're perfect.

I finally got the results yesterday of the latest lipids panel, so I could compare it to the one taken several months ago.

Original stats after a year off of them are listed: After a year off of them, then Currently as of April 29 2015 (after 2 months ON them), then Targets/Ideal (this is American of course):         

Total                                 146                          99                            125-200

HDL                                    40                          44                                  >40

LDL                                     77                          38                                <130 ratio=""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  3.7=""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  ="" 2.3=""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""><5.0 triglicerides=""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  143=""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  85=""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""  =""><150   

hdl went up 4 points to its target minimum, which is a slight improvement, but ldl was cut roughly in half. way too low imho, when your cholesterol is not out of line to begin with.  imho being put on them "just in case" is a formula for disaster over the long term, which is what he wanted me to do.  his words were, "for the rest of your life".

this is on protocol from my cardiologist after my triple bypass/aortic valve replacement in june 2012, and obviously made my total go way under the target minimum!  starved my brain of essential fats to work with and send signals in.  not sure what it did to my dendrites up there.  

i did not experience the bad things others here have experienced physically, but if your brain does not have the fats it needs to be sending the proper signals to the rest of your body, those organs get starved of the impulses they need to function properly, like a pinched nerve cured by a chiropractor adjusting your bones and getting rid of it so the nerve can resume sending signals freely, like it was designed to do.  "subluxation"!  (only took me 20 seconds to come up with that word, which was escaping me - my brain is definitely getting better!)

correct me if i am wrong but i think this is what happens when a person becomes diabetic - critical parts of his body do not function freely like they are supposed to because of too much unused sugar floating around in one's blood, that has not been delivered to blood cells because they are already "sufficiently satisfied", as my dad woulda called it, and the cells reject that sugar so it stays in the blood, where it's not supposed to be.  this is from all the straight sugar being eaten and not enough exercise to burn it off and make the cells hungry again, and relieve the blood of those sugars.  that sugar stays in the blood, where it should not be, and eventually causes problems elsewhere in the body.  domino effects happen.  (this is roughly how my gp described diabetes to me at last visit, as i am 1 tick over the line on being pre-diabetes, so i needed that counseling.)

i figure that fully explains my memory losses, with critical fats my brain needs to function being cut in half.  who knows what long term effects coulda happened to my body and my mind had i stayed on them?  from what i have been reading here, i am totally glad to be off them!  eating whatever it takes to maintain good, non-starvation levels of cholesterol will be where it's at for this boy in this body, if changing from today's norm ever becomes necessary.  (no pills - anybody want the eight 40mg ator's that i still have left?  i'll send them to you free!)  

as of now i am what my cardiologist calls "perfect".  when i read my stats off to him (from having been off of them for a year, which is way more than enough time for them to leave your body) over the phone he said, "you're perfect."  i told him that i would be going off of the statins now.  he didn't say a word.

i am staying that way.  normal.   ="" hdl="" went="" up="" 4="" points="" to="" its="" target="" minimum,="" which="" is="" a="" slight="" improvement,="" but="" ldl="" was="" cut="" roughly="" in="" half.="" way="" too="" low="" imho,="" when="" your="" cholesterol="" is="" not="" out="" of="" line="" to="" begin="" with.=""  imho="" being="" put="" on="" them="" "just="" in="" case"="" is="" a="" formula="" for="" disaster="" over="" the="" long="" term,="" which="" is="" what="" he="" wanted="" me="" to="" do.=""  his="" words="" were,="" "for="" the="" rest="" of="" your="" life".="" this="" is="" on="" protocol="" from="" my="" cardiologist="" after="" my="" triple="" bypass/aortic="" valve="" replacement="" in="" june="" 2012,="" and="" obviously="" made="" my="" total="" go="" way="" under="" the="" target="" minimum!=""  starved="" my="" brain="" of="" essential="" fats="" to="" work="" with="" and="" send="" signals="" in.=""  not="" sure="" what="" it="" did="" to="" my="" dendrites="" up="" there.=""  ="" i="" did="" not="" experience="" the="" bad="" things="" others="" here="" have="" experienced="" physically,="" but="" if="" your="" brain="" does="" not="" have="" the="" fats="" it="" needs="" to="" be="" sending="" the="" proper="" signals="" to="" the="" rest="" of="" your="" body,="" those="" organs="" get="" starved="" of="" the="" impulses="" they="" need="" to="" function="" properly,="" like="" a="" pinched="" nerve="" cured="" by="" a="" chiropractor="" adjusting="" your="" bones="" and="" getting="" rid="" of="" it="" so="" the="" nerve="" can="" resume="" sending="" signals="" freely,="" like="" it="" was="" designed="" to="" do.=""  "subluxation"!=""  (only="" took="" me="" 20="" seconds="" to="" come="" up="" with="" that="" word,="" which="" was="" escaping="" me="" -="" my="" brain="" is="" definitely="" getting="" better!)="" correct="" me="" if="" i="" am="" wrong="" but="" i="" think="" this="" is="" what="" happens="" when="" a="" person="" becomes="" diabetic="" -="" critical="" parts="" of="" his="" body="" do="" not="" function="" freely="" like="" they="" are="" supposed="" to="" because="" of="" too="" much="" unused="" sugar="" floating="" around="" in="" one's="" blood,="" that="" has="" not="" been="" delivered="" to="" blood="" cells="" because="" they="" are="" already="" "sufficiently="" satisfied",="" as="" my="" dad="" woulda="" called="" it,="" and="" the="" cells="" reject="" that="" sugar="" so="" it="" stays="" in="" the="" blood,="" where="" it's="" not="" supposed="" to="" be.=""  this="" is="" from="" all="" the="" straight="" sugar="" being="" eaten="" and="" not="" enough="" exercise="" to="" burn="" it="" off="" and="" make="" the="" cells="" hungry="" again,="" and="" relieve="" the="" blood="" of="" those="" sugars.=""  that="" sugar="" stays="" in="" the="" blood,="" where="" it="" should="" not="" be,="" and="" eventually="" causes="" problems="" elsewhere="" in="" the="" body.=""  domino="" effects="" happen. ="" (this="" is="" roughly="" how="" my="" gp="" described="" diabetes="" to="" me="" at="" last="" visit,="" as="" i="" am="" 1="" tick="" over="" the="" line="" on="" being="" pre-diabetes,="" so="" i="" needed="" that="" counseling.)="" i="" figure="" that="" fully="" explains="" my="" memory="" losses,="" with="" critical="" fats="" my="" brain="" needs="" to="" function="" being="" cut="" in="" half.=""  who="" knows="" what="" long="" term="" effects="" coulda="" happened="" to="" my="" body="" and="" my="" mind="" had="" i="" stayed="" on="" them?=""  from="" what="" i="" have="" been="" reading="" here,="" i="" am="" totally="" glad="" to="" be="" off="" them!=""  eating="" whatever="" it="" takes="" to="" maintain="" good,="" non-starvation="" levels="" of="" cholesterol="" will="" be="" where="" it's="" at="" for="" this="" boy="" in="" this="" body,="" if="" changing="" from="" today's="" norm="" ever="" becomes="" necessary.=""  (no="" pills="" -="" anybody="" want="" the="" eight="" 40mg="" ator's="" that="" i="" still="" have="" left?=""  i'll="" send="" them="" to="" you="" free!)=""  ="" as="" of="" now="" i="" am="" what="" my="" cardiologist="" calls="" "perfect".=""  when="" i="" read="" my="" stats="" off="" to="" him (from="" having="" been="" off="" of="" them="" for="" a="" year,="" which="" is="" way="" more="" than="" enough="" time="" for="" them="" to="" leave="" your="" body) over="" the="" phone="" he="" said,="" "you're="" perfect."=""  i="" told="" him="" that="" i="" would="" be="" going="" off="" of="" the="" statins="" now.=""  he="" didn't="" say="" a="" word.="" i="" am="" staying="" that="" way.="">

hdl went up 4 points to its target minimum, which is a slight improvement, but ldl was cut roughly in half. way too low imho, when your cholesterol is not out of line to begin with.  imho being put on them "just in case" is a formula for disaster over the long term, which is what he wanted me to do.  his words were, "for the rest of your life".

this is on protocol from my cardiologist after my triple bypass/aortic valve replacement in june 2012, and obviously made my total go way under the target minimum!  starved my brain of essential fats to work with and send signals in.  not sure what it did to my dendrites up there.  

i did not experience the bad things others here have experienced physically, but if your brain does not have the fats it needs to be sending the proper signals to the rest of your body, those organs get starved of the impulses they need to function properly, like a pinched nerve cured by a chiropractor adjusting your bones and getting rid of it so the nerve can resume sending signals freely, like it was designed to do.  "subluxation"!  (only took me 20 seconds to come up with that word, which was escaping me - my brain is definitely getting better!)

correct me if i am wrong but i think this is what happens when a person becomes diabetic - critical parts of his body do not function freely like they are supposed to because of too much unused sugar floating around in one's blood, that has not been delivered to blood cells because they are already "sufficiently satisfied", as my dad woulda called it, and the cells reject that sugar so it stays in the blood, where it's not supposed to be.  this is from all the straight sugar being eaten and not enough exercise to burn it off and make the cells hungry again, and relieve the blood of those sugars.  that sugar stays in the blood, where it should not be, and eventually causes problems elsewhere in the body.  domino effects happen.  (this is roughly how my gp described diabetes to me at last visit, as i am 1 tick over the line on being pre-diabetes, so i needed that counseling.)

i figure that fully explains my memory losses, with critical fats my brain needs to function being cut in half.  who knows what long term effects coulda happened to my body and my mind had i stayed on them?  from what i have been reading here, i am totally glad to be off them!  eating whatever it takes to maintain good, non-starvation levels of cholesterol will be where it's at for this boy in this body, if changing from today's norm ever becomes necessary.  (no pills - anybody want the eight 40mg ator's that i still have left?  i'll send them to you free!)  

as of now i am what my cardiologist calls "perfect".  when i read my stats off to him (from having been off of them for a year, which is way more than enough time for them to leave your body) over the phone he said, "you're perfect."  i told him that i would be going off of the statins now.  he didn't say a word.

i am staying that way.  normal.>