[psalm51]

dr. oz on oprah voiced his frustration with the standard "magic pill" approach to many of our health problems.

he posited diet. niacin (Vit B3), high fiber as being therapeutic in lowering cholesterol levels for most people.

certainly, genetic factors place some of us in the high risk group. and, for us statins may be needed.

i would be interested to know what OTHER countries are doing. and is their system as saturated by policitics as ours?

[multicollinearity]

Originally Posted by herring_RN

Three years ago my doctor looked at her laptop and told me she was writing a Lipitor prescription.
I told her I didn't want to take it. THEN she began working with me.
I've gotten it down nicely with not only low fat, but keeping sugar infrequent too.

And fish oil & flax seed oil.

I've seen much suffering and one death due to rhabdomialysis in active people taking it.
Rare, yes. But why not try all safer measures first?

This reminds me of when my doctor started writing an Rx for Lipitor for me. I said I wouldn't take it. I explained that I' wasn't about to start a maintenance med for life, for cholesterol. She was frustrated with me. She said my concerns were without merit, basically. However, she agreed to let me "do my thing" and then retest in six months. I lowered my cholesterol from 240 to 165 using fish oil, increased fiber, exercise, and a healthy diet. And I've maintained it.

Sometimes I wonder if many physicians underestimate their patients. I really don't think what I did was so extraordinary or unusual. I just wasn't about to begin a life-long relationship with Pfizer.

[herring_RN]

Originally Posted by multicollinearity

This reminds me of when my doctor started writing an Rx for Lipitor for me. I said I wouldn't take it. I explained that I' wasn't about to start a maintenance med for life, for cholesterol. She was frustrated with me. She said my concerns were without merit, basically. However, she agreed to let me "do my thing" and then retest in six months. I lowered my cholesterol from 240 to 165 using fish oil, increased fiber, exercise, and a healthy diet. And I've maintained it.

Sometimes I wonder if many physicians underestimate their patients. I really don't think what I did was so extraordinary or unusual. I just wasn't about to begin a life-long relationship with Pfizer.

Good for you!
I went from 204 to 165.
Same plan except sugar was a big problem for me.
I was using it in tea and on fruit. Way too much.
Even fat free candy.
Eliminating most of that really improved my lipid panel.

[BBFRN]

Originally Posted by multicollinearity

Sometimes I wonder if many physicians underestimate their patients. I really don't think what I did was so extraordinary or unusual. I just wasn't about to begin a life-long relationship with Pfizer.

I agree- some Docs do underestimate their patients.

[CHATSDALE]

the md did put me on diet to reduce cholestral /triglc for a six month period but the change was minimal, started on lipator with a better change but not at desidable level, when i read somewhere that it was better to take it at night when your liver activity was at its highest
a few refills down the road there was a instruction to take it at night
this came from independent reading not from md
to those who could control your level with excerise and diet i take my hat off to you, i too believe in the least meds the better

[StudentNurseBean]

About 3 years ago, I read a medical research study put out by Stanford Medical Center on statins. It showed that statins actually cause cancer in the majority of the patients in the study. I cannot remember the details of the study, sorry. After telling my mother about it, I tried to find that same study online again and it was gone. This was a couple of weeks after the study was public. During nursing school, the pharmacist who taught my pharm class told me he wasn't surprised that I could not find that study again. He said the drug lobbies are huge and with an abundance of power. This combined, gives them the power to suppress and "sweep under the rug", whatever information they do not want the public to know. He used Vioxx as an example.

I went to my mom about this b/c I was freaked out b/c she takes a statin. Actually, both her and my father do. She wanted to read the study herself and asked me for the link. Because I could no longer find the link, it made me look like I was making something up, but I wasn't!

[BBFRN]

Originally Posted by StudentNurseBean

About 3 years ago, I read a medical research study put out by Stanford Medical Center on statins. It showed that statins actually cause cancer in the majority of the patients in the study. I cannot remember the details of the study, sorry. After telling my mother about it, I tried to find that same study online again and it was gone. This was a couple of weeks after the study was public. During nursing school, the pharmacist who taught my pharm class told me he wasn't surprised that I could not find that study again. He said the drug lobbies are huge and with an abundance of power. This combined, gives them the power to suppress and "sweep under the rug", whatever information they do not want the public to know. He used Vioxx as an example.

I went to my mom about this b/c I was freaked out b/c she takes a statin. Actually, both her and my father do. She wanted to read the study herself and asked me for the link. Because I could no longer find the link, it made me look like I was making something up, but I wasn't!

Interesting...I did find an article from the UK that addressed that research here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/lif...cle2127605.ece

So it must exist somewhere. I'd like to see it as well.

[BBFRN]

OK- I found another article r/t the statins -> cancer issue.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/co...ent_Cancer.asp

this article states that smoking hx was unknown in 56% of the subjects, because electronic patient records were used to gather data. I'm guessing the veracity of the study is in question because of this. We'll probably see another study regarding this using another method of data collection in the future.

Definitely something to think about, though.

[herring_RN]

Pfizer Enlists a Labor Union (SEIU) to Promote the “Cholesterol Con”

A couple of weeks ago Dr. Alicia Fernandez, an associate professor of clinical medicine at UC San Francisco, received a very unusual letter from The International Association of EMTS and Paramedics, an affiliate of The National Association of Government Employees (IAEP/SEIU).

The letter began by noting that Fernandez is part of the union’s approved physician network, and then launched into what can only be described as a shameless sales pitch for Lipitor, Pfizer’s blockbuster cholesterol-lowering drug. …
http://www.healthbeatblog.org/2008/03/pfizer-enlists.html

[proud2b1]

My mother was perscribed Lipitor,at the time this was not known much about the drug effects.My mother took it about 6 months and then told her doctor,"I just feel funny,my legs feel like rubber."My mother stopped the medication then,Ironically enough 1 year later,at a doctor visit,my mother passed out.From here my mother was found to have had liver cancer.My mother was 70 and in very good conditon.I knew in my mind that the Lipitor caused this.I mean how often do you just find out "liver cancer?"
She never did drink.She didnt have any other known cancer anywhere.After finding out,without a clue that she had liver cancer,she died within 2 weeks.
I wish there was a way to find out if this was caused by the drug!After all,it was my mother,not the doctor,that took herself off of it.She knew this drug was doing something to her.A few months after she quit,it came out that lipitor was linked to liver problems.Yes most drugs are,but this one was sure a fast invader!!!