I have lost 84 lbs in 2 years and am having more trouble with my cholesterol since being banded. Not blaming it on band, I am 50 years old and 169 lbs want to lose another 15 or 20lbs more, but I read everyone is getting OFF their medications and I just keep getting MORE, blood pressure is down so I did get to lower that dose but he will not take me off. My thryroid is low so I must now take meds for that. 2 cholesterol meds one I have been on since about 3 month post op. Now this week he added another cholesterol med called Zetia.

Has or is any one taking this? Did it help you? Did it make you sick? If so did the sickness ago way in a week or so? Oh my gosh today is the first day I took it and I would rather be dead then go through the nausea and headache, extreme stomach pain and back pain no vomiting and I can live with the diarrhea. Also chills and extreme muscle pain, Anyone else go through this? Plus I am selfpay so my new med cost me $144.84/a month. There is no generic unless I order online from Canada, Anyone get their meds online? Is so where? I hope I am still here tomorrow to read any answers so sick. Can' t see or talk to Dr until Monday

Thanks

Cheri

Good gosh, that sounds like poison, Cheri........I wouldn't take it.

I sure hope you feel better fast, it sounds horrible.

Mimi

My Drs have been trying to get me to take statins for years and I stubbornly refuse. I don't buy into the whole cholesterol /heart disease thing. I think the main reason so many people are on statins is due to the power and greed of the drug companies.I am not saying that others should also refuse to take them but people should be aware that there are numerous side effects to statins such as liver problems, joint pain, memory loss etc.There are also studies that show that lowered levels of cholesterol can actually cause an increase in certain types of cancer etc.

Cheri what you are experiencing sounds horrible. I would go back to your Dr ASAP. Also check the package insert - are these things listed as normal side effects or are they listed as the ones that say "if you start experiencing ......... stop taking the meds and contact your Dr immediately". You may be having a rare but serious reaction.

Just read some info and apparently this one is not a statin - not sure if that makes any difference.

http://www.drugs.com/zetia.html

In rare cases, cholesterol-lowering medication can cause a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue. This condition can lead to kidney failure. Call your doctor at once if you have unexplained muscle pain or tenderness, muscle weakness, fever or flu symptoms, and dark colored urine.

Cheri - I think you should stop taking them and call your Dr.

This is the part that really makes me wonder...............

Unlike some statins, ZETIA has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attacks.

If that is so then what is the point of taking it????????

I take Zetia and have for many years I've had no issues that you've mentioned. The only reason I take the drug is to lower my cholesterol, which it has done so perfectly. I take the medicine at night with my other meds for my diabetes. What time of day are you taking this medicine? That can and does make a difference. Needless to say, I would call back your doctor if you feel this medicine is making you feel sick in any way. If that's the side affects you're getting then a change of meds is in your future.

I only took one pill and paid for it all day Saturday through Sunday night, took off of work today. Needless to say I will not be taking another pill.

My Doctor now put me on Crestor, but I will not be picking it up till Friday as I have to work and watch my Grandbabies and can not afford to be sick. I am only going to buy one and God help me I am going to take it and see what happens. The bad thing is I looked at the website and the side effects are the same. But my Dr really wants me to take this he says it works fast.

I will buy the one pill on Friday night when my husband is here and can keep an eye on me. I know I must be stupid but I will try one, but I have already spent $144.00 for the 30 days and know I can not take these. So that is why I am only going to buy one, the thought of that is scary.

Anyone take Crestor? Any side effect for you? If so a couple of days or always?

Thank you to everyone for your input I am really new to all these meds. I know he is a great Doctor and does do blood workout every visit. But noway will I take anything that is gonna make make me so sick.

Cheri

I am glad that you are OK. Good luck with the Crestor.

Something interesting I discovered today that I didn't know before - statins often cause an increase in blood sugar.................. To me some of the disadvantages to these drugs seem to outweigh the so called benefits!

I think the benefit to lowering your cholesterol and triglycerides outweigh the risky side effects. Cholesterol and triglycerides build up in your arteries and cause blockage of the blood vessels taking oxygen enriched blood to the heart muscle. If they become blocked the heart muscle will be without oxygen and can be seriously damaged. This can also happen in your brain.and cause.stroke.My Dr is putting me on lipitor because my triglycerides are up 100 pts and my Cholesterol is up 50 pts in just one year. That coupled with my blood pressure jumping and requiring 2 meds ( HTZ and lisinopril) she felt it is important to get it under control. I feel certain once I am banded and loose the weight these pills will be able to be gone....along with the Nexis for reflux caused by the hiatal hernia we found Friday. Which will be repaired with the banding..My husband had 2 major arteries in his heart that were 95% blocked when he has his heart attack and required 3 stents to maintain blood flow. I am not willing to go through that which brings me back to why I have started this journey. To Get Healthy!!!!

So we must be willing and able to make the sacrafices and do whatever we need to to to reach our goal. Keep your eye on the goal, without waver and take all necessary steps to get there.

Cheri, I don't think you are stupid, I think you are smart to buy just one or a few. Crestor has a good profile and is the leading cardioprotective statin so I am hoping you do well. I take Zocor and have no side effects but I stayed alert for them because I also didn't want to die. You be your best friend and the heck with the naysayers!!!!

Mimi

Thanks for all the GOOD information believe me I am reading it all of it. Talked on the phone to my Doctor's nurse whom i love. He is so kind and always trying to help me in anyway he can the Doctor not the nurse. Well his nurse told me he would really like me to stick it out on the Crestor. What?? Continue to eat stuff that makes me want to die? I just so do not understand but surely he thinks the side effect won't lost but a day or too. I might could do that on a weekend

With some of my antidepressants I had to go through a litte bit of hell the first 2 weeks but I knew it would get better soon so I could do it. If you want to know what real HELL is try to withdraw from anti-depressants. it the worse pain I have every had to go through in my entire life. in 10 years I have had to do it 3 times, it last between 3 - 6 month. My brain does all kinds of crazy things and my body hates me. My husband begged me to go back on them. But once i was off them for 6 months and could not face the world. I cried and cried I could not function. MY husband had to carry me in the ER. My DR. and Counselor and I want to try to ever y couple of years I do not want to be on all these meds. But the DR told me last time that I need to take them no choice and i know what happens when you stop so I told him put me on a low dose of one that will work and he did.

But this stuff is so very different It does dammage to the Liver maybe and Kidneys sometimse. i am pretty scared but will try one and see, but will not take meds that will make me sick. My numbers are not too bad at all. But zetia and creastor is supponse to make dramtic change. I would think about changing my diet first. He know I have the band but would be willing to try and stick to any diet he wanted me to follow but no . . . . . I will update you. At least this one is only $75/month

Cheri

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

I know how you feel because it is hard to go against a Dr's orders if you decide that something is not right for you. I sometimes think maybe I should take the statins and then I read a bit more and decide no way. I was reading into this a bit more yesterday as I found the script for Crestor that my Dr gave me and thought well maybe I am just being stupid. In fact it was on Crestor's official website that I found the info that statins can raise blood sugar and that wasn't something I knew previously.

Some of the info that made me happy to stick with my decision included things such as the fact that statins do not increase your life span they just change what you die from! I think everyone has to decide what are acceptable and non acceptable risks for themselves.And this decision should be based on as much info as possible. Info that gives both sides of the argument.

Yes Dr's do know more than us but we have to remember that a lot of their knowledge and education comes from drug companies, companies that have a huge vested interest in getting as many people as possible to buy their product. Scarily these companies have huge power and are able to influence the decisions made by the FDA and other bodies. Their power is so great that they even manage to get the recommended levels change so that larger and larger numbers of the population suddenly become people that need their drugs.

Makes you think...........

Today I started taking the Crestor. I does make me feel bad but kinda like a mild touch of the flu, much better than the deathbed I was on last weekend on the Zeta. I only bought 5 pills at $21.50 so I can see if I can take it without going to the ER.

I am trying to decide if I want to even take this. Elcee really made me think about how I need to do what I think is best for my body not just what my Doctor says I should do. I like my Doctor and respect him and his opinions but this seems like a really strong drug when my numbers are not off by much. I have been overweight most of my life and I am 50 so after I had surgery and lost weight isn't it normal for it to take some time for your numbers to come down? Mine have come down a lot but they are not perfect and I think that is what he is looking for. Plus I think he should have said you really need to watch what you eat and step up your exercise. He knows I have the Band and pretty much have a diet style way of eating and I already work out but I think he should have given me a choice to step it up and change my diet even more or take the super statins=Crestor. My Doctor requires complete blood tests every 6 months as he goes by your numbers more than what you say.

Also I do not know if I only have to take this for a while to get my numbers down or have to keep taking it to keep the numbers down. Any one know this? I started this drug today as when Monday comes it is back to work and grandma duties so I wanted to see what it would do to while my husband would be home and I did not have the grandbabies to watch. I am spending a lot of time researching this drug and the effects on my body taking it vs not taking it. I will keep you updated. But if anyone is taking Crestor could you enlighten me on how this all works.

Also thank you Elcee for your input it has opened my eyes and got me researching.

Cheri

I applaud you for checking into the benefit/risk for these medications. In my earlier post was not trying to make it sound like you should blindly take what ever the Dr tells you to take. I am a firm believer in research and education for all patients. I started Lipitor this week after my Dr made sure my liver function was ok. My reason for taking is is that my numbers have jumped drastically in just 1 year. I have added fish oil ( my Dr said to take 4000 mg per day ) and also am really working on changing my diet. Fortunately my husband is very much on board as his numbers are up as well ( he already has has a heart attack and stents placed ). Do you eat oatmeal? I know that this is a foot that binds with cholesterol. I did pop onto the Crestor web site and see that they have a savings plan you can join to lower your costs. Lpitor has one as well and they will cover the cost so lower my copay to $4.00! Good luck and a huge congratulations on your weight loss!!! I am hoping for my banding party to be in December as I have to finish the 3 month sup diet. Again Good Luck and congratulations you have done an amazing job!!!

Will it has been 6 days on the Crestor and now I am only having a headache and some muscle pains about 2 hours after taking it. Everything else seems to be okay. Still not sure that I want to be taking this, just do not like all the problems and possible side effects. Trust me when I go back for bloodwork in 3 months my Dr and I are going to talk about this and make some decisions. I want him to believe me when I say I will make the changes in diet and exercise. But when I go back this time the Creastor will get all the credit if there is any.

I trust him but come on give me a chance. A couple of nurse friends I know said they know people don't really do the diet and exercise so thats why they (Dr) put people on these drugs. But I want a chance!

Cheri

Glad you are not feeling too bad.

The problem with doing it via a diet is that no one can seem to agree on what kind of diet works the best. Most Dr's advocate the low fat, high fibre, mainly carb type of diet but some people now believe that that exacerbates the problem

Others say that low carb/high Protein is the way to go.

Some people will tell you to avoid eggs, others say that they are fine that eating cholesterol rich foods does not cause high levels of cholesterol.

Confused, yep me too.

And this is without looking at the other side of the argument that says high cholesterol does not cause heart disease and that lowered levels of cholesterol actually cause an increase in diseases such as cancer.