Today (7.12.15), I received an email from Dr. C. You will see our correspondence below. Recall that Dr. C and I had a flurry of emails back and forth that I titled The Great Statin Debate (http://112.196.20.91/drbrownstein/the-great-statin-debate-a-cardiologist-debates-my-statin-views/). Below this exchange, I will tell you about an interaction I had with another cardiologist about a patient of mine.
Please let me know your opinions on this.
DrB
Email from Dr. C:
Atorvastatin (Lipitor) 40 mg for 90 is $24 all over town. Cost of one beer. Suggest you stop saying it is expensive.
Dr C
To Dr. C:
When you factor in blood testing, side effects—pain, fatigue, muscle aches and pains, brain decline and the testing/treatment that goes along with these adverse drug reactions, perhaps I am not being loud enough.
And, give it to 30-40% of our population? That is expensive and ridiculous. One dollar per prescription for a junk medication is too much.
Perhaps we need some docs, especially cardiologists, to finally admit that a drug that fails 97-99% should be pulled from the market and use our limited health care resources for a better cause.
$24 for one month. Times 12 months. Times millions of people to fail 97+% is a lot of wasted money.
And, I just called CVS and here’s what I found out: Brand Name Atorvastatin 90 days, 40mg: $1118.00. Generic: $385.00.
That’s more than a few beers!
Dr B
And, this was my conversation with another cardiologist that occurred last Thursday.
My patient, 78 years old, moved to a western state. He had a small heart attack last week. I received a message from a cardiologist in that state to call her back about this.
I called and she tells me about the heart attack. She performed a heart catheterization which found no serious occlusions–about 40-50% plaque throughout my patient’s coronary arteries—which are considered normal for his age and not reflective of coronary disease ready to cause heart attacks. She said that she wants to put him on a statin but he won’t take it unless I agree. I asked her why she wants to put him on a statin. She said, “I want to prevent a future heart attack.” I told her that statins weren’t very effective for either primary—someone who has no cardiac disease history–or secondary—someone who has suffered a previous cardiac event–prevention. And, I stated, “His cholesterol levels are not high–his total was 175mg/dl with low levels of triglycerides and higher HDL levels.” She replied, “They aren’t very effective for primary prevention, I agree, but they are for secondary prevention.” I asked her how effective they are for secondary prevention. She replied, “About 50%.” I said those numbers are just not true as they are relative risk numbers which should not be used when making clinical decisions. I told her they were, at best, around 3% effective, in the most positive studies, for secondary prevention.
I asked her why anyone would prescribe a drug that fails 97% who take it and one that was associated with severe adverse effects. She replied, “Well, I have to do something.” I said, “Why don’t we search for why he had a heart attack in the first place? It could be a nutritional deficiency, infection, heavy metal toxicity, hormone imbalance, etc.” I also reminder the cardiologist that he just moved to a high altitude area and perhaps that was the cause of his small heart attack. She cut me off and said, “Well, I am willing to take the risk that he will be in the 3% group and benefit from the drug.” I told her I can’t support that. I told her that no doctor should prescribe a drug that fails at least 97% who take it.
Here’s what I don’t understand: How can doctors be so concrete in their thinking? Since when did doctors stop thinking? Even when they are presented with contrary data, it has no effect on their thoughts. It’s almost as if their brains are on shut-off mode. Like they are terminators or something like that. (Editor’s note: I love the Terminator movies, but have not seen the latest one yet. For some reason, no one in my all-female family will go with me.) Unfortunately, most doctors act like they know one treatment method for one problem and everyone is prescribed exactly the same drug, in exactly the same dose, for the same problem–even when the cause of the problem can be many different things. It is really pathetic.
What can you do? Don’t blindly follow any doctor’s advice, including mine. Do your research and always search for the underlying problems in order to develop a comprehensive, logical treatment plan. And, if the therapy fails nearly all who take it, perhaps it is wise to search for a different treatment protocol.
One last note. My children are going into medicine and I will use this exchange as a teaching tool.
DrB
I have had high cholesterol since first tested at 15yrs old when my very fit father died suddenly at 46yrs old of a heart attack. His cholesterol was 4.2 when autopsied. 30yrs later having eaten very low fat diet for the next 20yrs and extreme levels of sport and exercise then turning to good fats, no processed, no gluten, dairy, sugar etc. for the past 10 yrs. I am still struggling with cholesterol at 8.6. My Biomed Dr wants me to go on Statins which really surprised me. I went on statins 5yrs ago and my levels dropped from 8.4 to 5.2 in 3 weeks which is the lowest its been in my life however I had pain and memory issues. With my family history, heading towards my 50’s, Hashimotos and Estrogen dominance I know I need to do something but I can’t believe statins are the answer. My Biomed says I simply need to replace nutrients like Coq10 when on Statins and this will reduce my cardiac health risk. I’ve been following a biomedical plan for 2 yrs yet can’t get on top of my health issues but it seems like the most logical approach to good health. I’m feeling very lost as to what to do next.
Nicole,
Familial hypercholesterolemia affects less than 1% of the population. Yes, for FH, there is a higher death rate from heart disease—but only at a young age. In fact, most people with FH live a normal life span. From age 59 and on, FH patients have no increased mortality risk. Many FH studies have found no correlation with heart disease and cholesterol levels. It is unclear if the risk of early heart disease is solely due to high cholesterol levels. There may be other factors involved. Furthermore, it is not clear it chemically lowering cholesterol levels for these patients improves their outcomes. The slight improvement by statin drugs may be from a pleotropic effect–perhaps improving their ability to clot. I suggest all FH patients have their clotting system analyzed.
DrB
What is cholesterole levels are normal especially good cholesterol is superior.
But because of angina now and the the Dr wants to prescribe a statin ??
I don’t want to take it !
Joyce
When you say that Statins “fail 97% of the time”, what is your definition of failure?
Jen,
Statins have been shown in the best of the studies, for secondary prevention, to reduce cardiovascular mortality by 3%. In primary prevention, there is, in the best of the studies, a 1% reduction in cardiovascular mortality. THat means that 97-99% receive no benefit.
DrB
I’m aware of the book. Here’s a good article that discusses it. ( http://www.youngagain.org/w25.html) Here is one that also talks about gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. ( http://www.youngagain.org/c23.html) They are a little provocative, but I agree with the main points.
Daniel, Please read Dr. William Davis, M.D., book “Lose The Wheat, Lose The Weight”. I found it to be very informative about grains.
In 2003 I moved from the island of Molokaii, Hawaii to Lake Tahoe. I felt like I was in a continuous train wreck. Moving from sea level to High Altitude did not serve me well. Altitude sickness had me in bed. Having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, high altitude was something I had only experienced once or twice.
Making a major move ranks very high on the “stress charts”, even if it’s a move that is expected and prepared for. The double whammy of both high altitude stress & stress due to a major move could be two important factors for your patient. If I were his M.D., I would most likely talk with him so he could share his thoughts & feelings about his health, circumstances, the move & anything else he might need to give voice to in terms of needing support, encouragement and advice. Your patient obviously trusts you still & values your opinion & input. Deep listening, empathy & encouragement from a caring physician such as yourself Dr. Brownstein, is something that is better and sometimes more effective than drugs. I sincerely hope you never underestimate your true gift as a physician–your caring & intelligent heart. I’ll bet he knows exactly what’s up & his confidence, strength & health would improve by leaps & bounds in conversation with you.
As an herbalist and one who values the use of “medicine foods” I would have recommended rest, deep & easy breathing exercises, gentle stretching exercises, herbs that tone & support the nervous system & cardiovascular system. I’d recommend taking prickly pear nectar to improve distribution of cerebral spinal fluids (to assist with circulation & hydration), that would support kidney function, reducing stress to the heart. He would have the support of all the theraputic actions this pure, undiluted, unsweetened nectar provides that is scientifically proven. Nutritionally I’d also recommend easy to digest, mineral rich foods.
Thank you for encouraging all of us to think things through, encouraging us to read your educational materials & to do our own research.
I appreciate how you support the empowerment of your readers, your patients & your lovely, intelligent children–soon to be
doctors & healers in their own right.
Shasha, Celiac disease is not very common and affects less than 1% of the population. For people who do not have celiac disease, I do not think avoiding gluten will have any benefits at all. Wheat, Barley, Rye, and Oats are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. What people should avoid is refined grains and sugars and added oils. I believe that most people who do not have celiac disease ( at least 99.5 % of the population) but think that they have non celiac gluten sensitivity are mistaken. These people are probably reacting to the refined white flour, processed oils, high fuctose corn syrup, refined processed sugar, added iron, added bromine, preservatives, additives and other toxic chemicals that are in all of these foods. Eating real whole grains without these other toxic ingredients will not affect 99.5% of the population and will only improve your health. I personally eat 3 to 4 loaves of organic sprouted grain bread a week and have no health or digestive problems at all and never get sick. However, even for the very small minority of people with celiac disease, the idea that you can’t even have 20ppm is a bit absurd. You cannot possibly avoid such a small microscopic amount. Being this paranoid about such a tiny amount that will not harm anyone will lead to more fear and stress, and that WILL affect your health. Gluten is not the villian, it is all those other things listed that need to be avoided.
As a fellow physician I completely agree with your assessment that many doctors have stopped thinking and are just blindly following the “experts” at the CDC and FDA–without knowing it’s actually the pharmaceutical industry that controls the information. I observed a prime example of this last week during a vaccine lecture to the local medical directors from the state vaccine “guru”, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist. He was upset as the state’s “opt-out” rate for childhood vaccines, especially the MMR vaccine, has increased over the last decade. One of his slides showed that, from 1986-2000, the opt-out rate was very low (1%) but from 2000-2014 it increased to 5%. That same slide depicted measles outbreaks during the low and “high” opt-out rate periods. Interestingly, when the opt-out rate was at its lowest (1%), there were MORE measles outbreaks and when the opt-out rate was at 5%, there were LESS outbreaks! With this massive contradiction now in front of the whole group of docs I thought to myself: “surely someone will comment on this and ask for his comment.” Amazingly, not one doctor spoke up! So, rather than embarrassing the “guru” in front of the group, I followed up with him after the talk. When I pointed out that this slide basically contradicts everything he just said, I couldn’t believe his response: “That’s interesting. This is the first time this has been pointed out to me and I’ve never noticed this.” I was floored. After getting passed my complete disbelief I said: “OK, so how do you explain the discrepancy?” He gave some rambling explanation that basically made no logical sense. And this guy informs our state on vaccine policy for our children!! Amazing. Thanks David and keep up the good work.
Dr. B,
I quit taking statins about two years ago because of the side effects–muscle pain, gut issues, sleep issues and memory problems. After my cholesterol numbers went above 220, the endocrinologist felt it was necessary to restart the statins, but the side effects especially muscle pain came back even on 5 mg. He was willing to compromise and let me take Kyolic Red Yeast Rice which has controlled my cholesterol very well. I know that it works in the same way that statins work, but I have no noticeable side effects. Is the red yeast rice safe? Or am I fooling myself? I do take Ubiquinol.
Thank you for educating us and looking out for us!
Luana,
A statin is a drug that works around 1% of the time. Red Rice Yeast works the same way statins work. I assume it has the same effect as a statin–failing nearly all who take it.
DrB
Thank goodness there are doctors like you out there! Many are just brainwashed in med school and by the Big Pharma. Thanks for doing what you do!!!
I have been a fan of Dr Brownstein for quite a number of years now and I really appreciate his candour and forthright manner of telling us how it is. What amazes me in pharmaceutical based medicine is how it is expected that the inhibiting of enzyme systems just to name 1 methodology used can be expected to be beneficial to the Biochemical processes that are fundamental to good health and using that long term. All of the intrinsic biochemical processes in the body are there for specific purposes. If the biochemical pathways do not function, it is reasonable to expects symptoms to appear which they do. In heart disease, specifically from atherosclerosis, surely the key to the clearing of the disease state is to clear the arteries and restore blood supply. The plaques bind to lysyl residues in attempting to cover arterial wall weakness that resembles vitamin C deficiency symptoms. The key to my way of thinking is to provide the broad range of nutrients required and let the body heal itself. The ratio of copper to zinc has a strong influence on the proportions of HDL to LDL cholesterol. The point I make is that nutrition is the fundamental key to good health rather than a intervention that disrupts the normal biochemical processes the body uses to maintain health.
I appreciate the way that Dr Brownstein exposes the fictitious claims made by companies that seek the dollar rather than our well being.
I’m 74 years old and have learned the hard way not to trust or put much faith in doctors. Dr. B is a blessed exception! There’s hope ahead.
I’m less concerned with what doctors do or do not know since I assume they are useless unless representative of clearly non ideological thinking than I am with why people go to doctors in the first place. And then, when disappointed in the care received and claiming medical incompetence, they choose to return to the source of the incompetence, As long as the cash is flowing to the incompetents they will “have to do something”. They are rewarded over and over by returning patients, complaining or not. Payment is a powerful reward to continue doing what they do.
State medical board complaints can also be strong influencers. Use them.
Just because Obamacare exists is not a reason to go to a doctor.
Through the education I have received on statins from you and other sources I have been able to work with the functional medicine doctor my dad recently switched to. Now he is taking 1/4 th the amount of statin he was taking. I got the functional medicine family doctor to make the change and the cardiologist was fine with this. What could the cardiologist say when he saw the good cholesterol numbers. We added magnesium and some other supplements to his routine which helped make the change. Now I will continue working with the doctor and doing my research to get him off the statin all together. I am almost there! Thank you for your help Dr. Brownstein. I am not a doctor, a nurse, just an educated medical advocate for my family.
Dr. B,
I have & read your newest book on Statins. When I confronted my doctor about the metformin and the poor results of the drug he said you were full of ” bull . . .”. I told him to get the trial reports and prove you wrong. Then he said ” he was trying to educate me about my condition and the needs for me to continue the metformin. I responded with ” perhaps if he did his own analysis of the metformin trials that he just might be the one who gets educated about the poor results of the drug and the dangerous side effects. He was not happy being challenged.
I worked as an RN for 44 years and the last ten, I was so ashamed of what doctors were doing I was misrable but had to work . As soon as I retired I started studying alternative medicine. Thank God for doctors like you who are really concerned about their patients, not their pocketbooks. I am now 90 years of age and doing fine, thanks to alternative care.
Margaret Galloway
Cave Creek, AZ
Doc, I live in Idaho but I am a hard core dr. Brownstein fan.. I so admire your push to set the record straight on medical issues. Please never stop. I depend on your approach to weed out the truths and dispel traditional medical theories and the greed that drives this crazy world. Thank you for being so real and for caring.
Agree fully with Dr. B – I am a massage therapist/Bowen Practitioner and I’ve seen so many people in my office with muscle pain… When I see Statin RX on their intake form and they are in for muscle pain my first question is: “how long have you been on Statins and how long have you had muscle pain?” Yes, pretty much always there is a connection. I usually do Bowenwork on them and we work with their doctor to reduce or eliminate the Statin from their ‘diet’. Most recent case with an 85 year old man came in with a walker, totally drugged up. Worked with his Dr./NP and within 6 weeks he was hardly using a cane. I hadn’t seen him for about 2 months and his wife called… he needed more Bowen, he had hurt his back shoveling pea gravel. OK, had to remind him he was still 85; and shoveling pea gravel should be left to an 18 year old. Fixed him up and he’s doing great – only 3 out of 12 RX’s now and still barely using a cane! I’m thinking the Statin was his worst offender.
At age 43, I was told by my ‘then’ family doctor that I should start taking statins ‘just because I’m at that age’. What age is that? I refused the ‘just because’ suggestion and didn’t have a family doctor until last year…that was for 10 years that I didn’t need a family doctor. I really still don’t since my health is fairly good. My husband goes to the same doctor (I left) and takes a handful of various meds and statins for his health problems. He complains of muscle weakness and cramping, fatigue, etc. I am noticing his memory is failing him. It hurts me to watch this happen, but he won’t consider asking the doctor to remove the statins because he’s been taking them for years. He had a quad bypass about 13 years ago and he believes he needs all of this stuff to survive. I have just started him on taking supplements which will help replace vitamins and minerals that are being lost by taking these drugs. I sat him down and told him what each one was and what it should help with. The supplements should also help with his diabetes. I believe his thyroid condition, which is recent, is a result of the drugs he takes and should also be helped with the supplements. It’s hard to get someone to think for themselves when the authority tells them not to believe what they read…especially on the internet. Dr. Brownstein, thank you very much for helping me to make informed choices about my own life. Keep up the good work. We are listening!
Working as a pharmacist in a small rural clinic, I see exactly the sort of narrow thinking that Dr. B is speaking about. Although I have been fortunate enough that the providers have allowed my input when it comes to drug-nutrient depletions, they continue to prescribe statins to folks who are well into their 70’s and beyond, (as well as reaching for the pill bottle first in almost every diagnosis when a nutrient or lifestyle change might help). Even so, they mostly neglect recommending replenishing the nutrients. I find medical practitioners are as subject to prejudicial thinking as any discipline. Coupled with lack of time to spend w patients in a visit, and one-sided “infomercials” presented as gold-standard studies in the most widely read medical literature, (bought and paid for by Big Pharma), “medicine” in the US has unfortunately become primarily an extension of the pharmaceutical companies. We have a long way to go to turn this wayward ship around. Thanks to Dr. B. and all his colleagues who promote critical thinking when evaluating their patients and thanks to the patients who are willing to take more responsibility for their own Wellcare decisions.
My husband was on them for a while and his personality flattened and his driving starting getting bad (his vision seemed worse). I told him he should stop for a few weeks and see what happens. I didn’t know if he took my advice, as he often doesn’t. After a few weeks I noticed he seemed more lively and his driving was better. I asked if he had stopped taking his statin med and he said he did. I told him I could tell. He hasn’t gone back to it. He’s eating healthier instead!
Dear Dr. Brownstein:
I love receiving your blog posts – and especially the back-and-forth ones with the Cardiologists you’ve so kindly shared.
I always look forward to your wisdom and guidance concerning holistic, natural protocols for our optimal wellness.
Thanks to forward thinking MDs like yourself – who are more and more adopting FUNCTIONAL medicine practices, with concentration on the power of (plant-based Whole Food) NUTRITION for strengthening our IMMUNE systems, which helps enable our bodies to do what they always ‘want’ to do (HEAL THEMSELVES) – our populations will (finally!) be much better served!
Treating patients from a “whole person” perspective – and searching for the root CAUSE of chronic illnesses -vs- just treating the SYMPTOMS (as our allopathic MDs are taught to do in medical school, sadly) – you are becoming HEROES in helping people to not only “prevent” serious sickness, but also to (safely!) “treat”, and even “reverse” it! BRAVO to you!
Sincerely / Peter A.
Peter Arnold, CLU, CFC / Atlantic Canada
I have seen so many side effects listed for most prescription drugs that I am reluctant to take any of them.
Most if not all deplete one or more vital nutrients like B12, other B vitamins and minerals.
I do my best to listen to my body when something is going on. I do wish I had someone more knowledgeable than I am at times, though.
The list of side effects from taking a statin drug seems to get longer and longer as they are prescribed to more and more people. Serious side effects like bringing on diabetes, ALS, muscle death, mental decline and amnesia, to list some.
Hi, 40-50% plaque throughout my patient’s coronary arteries…..heart attack. Low oxygen in the heart due to eating gluten/dairy/soy/sugar/GMO and high altitude..maybe low thyroid. He maybe eating low sugar and taking fish oil. Hidden gluten can be a problem. EDTA IV chelation may unclog blood vessels..all of them..even in the eyes/toes as they remove Ca plaques. 2 serrapeptase late at night once a week or less may help remove Ca plaque also. Inflammation in the blood vessels maybe due to gluten etc. Any food in a box or label/restaurant/certified gluten free and more may have hidden gluten. LDN may help block hidden gluten, but drinking more good water may be needed. Gluten may lower nutrients absorbed..then cells are not made right to work right and burn oxygen. Zinc may give energy to his thyroid and heart and make more teststerone. Strong probiotic may help. Too much iron may hurt, but too low may not be good. Celiac people may be low in Vit B12 methylcobalamin and MTHF which may help oxygen/circulation. Hawthorn/coenyzme Q10, rhodiola may help and carnitine. Far Infra red Sauna may help detox heavy metals. Coenyzmated B vitamins far from synthetic kind in a multiple may help. Lyme disease/coinfections may cause heart issues…infects the heart. AL complex/cryptolepis may help and garlic/oil of oregano and later probiotic. Minocycline may poison mitochondria. PQQ may stimulate more mitochondria to be made. Heated oils/coconut and olive oil, flax hurt me. Each person is different. Taurine may help the heart and may help in fat digestion. Statin drugs may hurt and lower coenzyme Q10. Cholesterol may help hormones and the brain/body.
What I do (short form):
No gluten/dairy/soy/sugar/GMO and vitamins/good oils, LDN and detoxing help me. Vit D3 5000IU, zinc 50mg if detoxing, fish oil 2000mg, 20000mg of evening primrose oil. 2000 mg of lecithin, Phosphatidylserine/DMAE or krill oil, Coenzyme Q10, Rhodiola, Mg citrate 400mg, Vit C, 5000mcg of biotin, Nature’s Plus- Source of life multiple, HCl and enzymes with meals, dairy free probiotic, Vit B12 methylcobalamin shot/spray/under the tongue kind/intrinsic factor kind, MTHF folate, coenyzme Q10, rhodiola, may help brain/body/thyroid/ and more health issues. Gluten is wheat/barley/rye..oats may act like gluten with avenin. GMO corn/soy/canola oil may hurt. Amour thyroid maybe needed since gluten may made antibodies to the thyroid.
Sunlight (helps the immune system and helps to heal the gut lining),exercise, organic food, good water..not tap water, cooking by scratch pure food….. no food in a box/bag/premade/label/restaurant which may help avoid hidden gluten. Certified gluten free food may have 20ppm of gluten…too much. Nuts not sold in the shell/meat basting/some spices may have hidden gluten and lotion/make up etc. One restaurant cooks special for me…rice/veg/tea/extra mushrooms (no meat since the woks may have MSG/gluten in them).
EDTA/DMPS IV chelations from an Alternative doctor, 600mg of cilantro, zeolites, organic sulfur, Now brand- Detox support, Far Infrared Sauna and more may help detox. Hair tests show good minerals and heavy metals. Heavy metals can block thyroid and other chemical reactions in the body/brain.
LDN may help block hidden gluten/heal the gut lining and help the immune system, but the Celiac diet is still needed. 100% no gluten..no hidden or microscopic gluten may help. Cutting back on gluten or cheating by eating gluten hurts the immune system. It may take 1 1/2 months to heal the gut lining after getting hidden gluten.
Zinc/Se/enough iron/probiotic may help convert T4 to T3 for thyroid.
You asked: “How can doctors be so concrete in their thinking? Since when did doctors stop thinking?” My thought is, from what I understand, physicians’ education consists largely of what might more rightfully be labeled indoctrination. When a student is sleep deprived and overworking, then there is not time nor energy to think, and so memorizing to get the “right” answers on tests or focus to be able to reproduce what was done in a clinical experience may be all the energy that is left for learning. In my mind, real learning requires taking time for reflection and having discussion in which differing views are welcomed. As a patient, I have encountered the medical “party line” so often, I stopped receiving medical care for about ten years until finally finding a physician who demonstrated the capacity to think, and indeed displays awareness of and access to a very wide range of treatment resources. Now I pay out of pocket though fully insured because I want health care that is effective, and feel I have a partner in my efforts to maintain health instead of a kind but often overworked robotic dispenser of tests and drugs. Thank you for all you teach on this website and in your books.
Thank you for all you do on this website and in authoring your books.
The issue of our best and brightest schooled into, not being that bright, is something that I think about all of the time. Especially after I quickly treat a simple problem with simple relatively common sense treatments, like a patient with a 9 month painful twisted ankle comes to mind. She had been given meds, and an MRI but no one had recommended an ace bandage.
I am sure that there are several reasons for many doctors total dependence on tests and drugs but the one that hits home the hardest is a topic that James Le Fanu covers in his book the “Rise and Fall of Modern Medicine”. He explains that in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s a debate was brewing in medicine about what should guide a physicians decision making: A-Clinical experience guided by knowledge of physiology, anatomy, chemistry etc., or
B-Following clinical trials on drugs and devices then treating in accordance with these trials.
In the early 1970’s the clinical trial group won. Now clinical trials are treated as being the only up to date source of scientific information. Clinical experience along with thoughtful analysis of the problem is now discouraged as it has not been subjected to ‘rigorous’ clinical trials.
Best advice ever!. Our Dr is not a pill pusher. We told him “no way” when he suggested statins and he said it was up to us.
Dear Dr. Brownstein:
I am thankful that there are Dr.’s out there like you in the medical field. I really believe you care about people and want to help heal them. We are all blessed to read about your blogs! Thank You!
In 2001, I knew very little about statins. Although my HDL was 60, I was given Pravachol. I took it for a month and noticed that my formerly very strong leg muscles had become substantially weaker. Curbs in NYC are about 4-6 inches high and I couldn’t step up onto a curb without help.
It occurred to me that my new muscle weakness must be due to that statin; it also occurred to me that my heart was itself a muscle. I stopped taking the statin and although it didn’t get any worse, it didn’t get any better. Fourteen YEARS later, I still have trouble stepping up onto a curb. (If you should know of any supplement that might help, I would be most grateful!)
Exercise alone doesn’t do it. I live on the fifth floor of a walk-up. Climbing up and down four flights of stairs all these years hasn’t helped!
Thanks, Dianne
Dianne,
Unfortunately, your symptoms may be related to statin use, even years later. Perhaps you can talk with your doctor about taking CoQ10, L-carnitine, magnesium, Vitamin C, and selenium. Sometimes, I see this help in my patients.
DrB
Lipitor does not cost $24 and neither does a beer. At least not where I live. I checked my local pharmacy and Lipitor is $290.00 per month for 40mg. Unbelievably expensive. Asked the neighbor how much a beer is at a restaurant. (because I really do no know) He said no more than $10.00. Dr C is not trustworthy.
Perhaps he is not a beer drinker!!
She “has” to do something, really. What to feel good? And another good one, she is willing to take the “risk”. I think the patient is the one with the risk of ill advice. My doctor pushes the suggestion on both my wife and myself with the only factor of slightly high LDL. No other risk factors and we are both very active in our early 60s. I just don’t get it unless all the teaching of doctors is via the drug companies, which I really believe to be the case.
I completely agree with Dr. B. I personally have been on a smorgasbord of meds to deal with my hperlipidemia. The last round was with high does of statins. I found that I started to have memory problems such that I would struggle to remember names of people I had known for years. I also found that my emotional state was changing. I would find myself blowing up at the slightest irritation (nuking knats). After reading a couple of books written by MDs who I am sure would endorse what Dr. B is indicating. I decided to discontinue the statins. Within two weeks I found that the emotions were coming under control and that my memory was starting to clear its blank spaces. My wife indicated that I was returning to the man she had married.
It is also noteworthy that over 50% of the people having heart attacks do not have elevated cholesterol. The closed mindedness exhibited by doctors like the one mentioned is reflective of the major marketing blitz of Big Pharma. Paradoxically, the same MDs will demand of other approaches that there be double blind studies to confirm the efficacy of alternative approaches. It is a catch 22 for the patient.
Thanks to Dr.B and other like him who are willing to buck what is assumed by proposing that we all take a step back and see if the assumptions are correct. That is the true scientific method, rather than what is currently practiced by those who are straight-jacketed by those who promote poor science in order to turn massive profits. Stay the course of looking for true answers as we all strive to find better ways of achieving better health and wellness.
Thanks for sharing, Pat.
DrB
I continue to try to get loved ones off Statins, so appreciate having more and more info for that ongoing discussion! And I do like that you said to not blindly follow any drs. advice. My doctor is very anti Iodine. After a lot of research and reading your book and getting a loading test, I supplemented and completely cleared up fibrocystic breast tissue as evidence from thermograms. Found a new functional medicine dr. who appreciates my input and wants to be a partner in my health. Thanks, Dr. B, for continuing to educate us and very happy your kids are getting into Medicine! Could you please encourage one of them to practice in Chicago:)
Terminator Genisys is so much better than I was expecting … Great writing … Great plot. Go see it!
And, we recently turned down our family doctor for my husband to take a statin and a blood pressure medication just because, as the doctor explained to us, it is Medicare protocol to prescribe them. Patients are being attacked and their health threatened from all sides with only the rare voice, such as yours Dr. B., informing us of another important and vital side to know about. Look what California just did to their children with mandatory vaccines. America is being turned on its head and not being given all the facts that its citizens need to know and, instead, its organizations such as the FDA and CDC, among others, is aligning itself with big business for profit.
Make no mistake, most doctors who prescribe these are practicing law not medicine. It’s called “the standard of care” in the geographic area and specialty if applicable. If, as a doctor, I do whatever all the other doctors in my state are doing no matter how damaging or just unnecessary, I have met that standard of care and liability does not attach. Think for myself? I can and most likely will get sued by a patient who claims they would have been in the 3%. Drug companies with their magic math have taken advantage of this herd mentality. The logic exists if one just ignores the oath.
I wish my mom, 85 years old, with many health issues could be a patient of yours.
Best advice ever. I do not listen to everything all my Doctors tell me. However, I do pay attention when you say something.
Lipitor is free at Meijer’s; free poison that was giving my husband early senility! No thanks.
I would not blindly follow any Dr. and I am perfectly aligned with you on so many levels.