Millions of people swallow a little white oblong pill called Lipitor every day. Others take Zocor, Crestor or some other statin-type cholesterol-lowering drug.
These medications work extremely well to lower bad LDL cholesterol. They prevent heart attacks and strokes. For those who do not suffer side effects, such medicines are indeed lifesavers.
For others, though, adverse reactions can make life miserable. When physicians treat numbers instead of people, quality of life can suffer. One reader shared the following story:
“Three years ago my father (now 85) was placed on Lipitor as a treatment for elevated cholesterol. After hearing a report that higher doses could reverse arterial narrowing, his physician doubled his daily dose. Within a month, my father began experiencing progressive weakness in his legs along with bad balance. His condition worsened over the next six months but his physician discounted the problems as due to aging.
“Before taking Lipitor, my father had exceptional strength and stamina for a man of his age. Each day he played 18 holes of golf, walking the entire distance and wheeling his golf clubs behind him. His mind was clear and he had a vibrant sense of humor.
“After six months on Lipitor, my father was diagnosed with Primary Lateral Sclerosis. His doctor stopped the Lipitor but then prescribed a series of other statin drugs. He is currently taking Vytorin. His condition has continued to deteriorate over the past few years and his symptoms now include: severe loss of muscle mass in his legs, weakness, lack of balance with frequent falls, difficulty swallowing, memory loss, dementia, emotional swings, incontinence, depression and erectile dysfunction.
“He has been transformed from a man who embraced life to its fullest into a person who must use a cane to walk and who is now filled with despair and hopelessness. I am convinced that my father’s abrupt change in health can be attributed to his use of statins. He has finally decided to discontinue his statin usage despite his doctor’s denial of their possible link to his condition.”
Many physicians chalk up this kind of story to coincidence. With so many people on statins, they reason, some are bound to experience unrelated health problems. But we have also heard from many people who got better when they discontinued a statin-type medication.
“I started taking Zocor about six months ago. I gradually developed leg, hip and back pain. I also noticed increasing fatigue and loss of stamina. At the gym I had increasing difficulty doing the same exercises I had performed for more than a year. Going to the supermarket with my wife also became more difficult with increasing discomfort in standing and walking on a concrete floor.
“After discussing these symptoms with my doctor I stopped taking Zocor. The symptoms began to dissipate and have almost completely disappeared.”
When drug side effects interfere with a person’s ability to exercise or socialize, the balance of benefit to risk should be re-evaluated. To read more reports of serious side effects from statin cholesterol-lowering drugs or share your own experience, go to: www.peoplespharmacy.com.
