Funny all y'all should mention it... I began to read about the downsides of statins some year or so ago and kept putting off beating up my GP to get a recommendation or guidance from him

In the past two years, with bariatric surgery, I've changed my diet (less red meat, etc.) and shed 135 pounds or so, and my cholesterol levels have come down into the "excellent" range.

So I finally saw the doc and watched him weasel-word out of actually SAYING "stop taking them".... why not say that? Potential liability, of course.

When I finally phrased it something like (if I stop taking them, do I need to wean myself or can I just stop) he finally said that there should be no bad side-effects from stopping cold-turkey.

Which I did that night. No major side effects visible yet. Time will tell. but it's nice to at least get off ONE potentially hazardous med.

though doing a carb free or paleo style diet can reduce your risk there is a genetic factor as well. CoQ10 is a very helpful additive as mentioned above for the muscle symptoms as it bypasses the block

Here's a short article on CoQ10: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/art...

I've been taking CoQ10 and avoiding statins for 20 years, am in reasonably good health at 72.

You have no idea...

I have voluntarily gone in that direction, though my genetics are OK for gluten (NB. Jan, remember to doublecheck this). There is just a lot of anecdotal data on the increase in Crohn's disease and general gastric problems in our current culture.

I have a great recipe for Paleo-breakfast-bars, if you are interested.

Jan

The only thing I've had done is I had genetic testing done specifically about gluten intolerance. I have 2 genes for gluten sensitivity, so I now avoid gluten. It's a pain, but it helped to have evidence that I should do it.

At least in cyber space you can have a cyber beer in the morning! Have at.

I avoid vaccines like the plague. I don't have kids, so haven't had to deal with that whole thing from that angle. But, I keep hearing that the vaccine/autism link has been thoroughly debunked. Quickly followed by the disparagement of vaccine conspiracy believers as kooks, nuts, and the fringe element.

Sounds an awful lot like the "science is settled" argument.

Yes. Me an acetaminophen do not get along, for example. And while I have the SNP that is supposed to quickly metabolize caffeine, I do not do so.

Have you had genomic analysis done? It is quite interesting.

Jan

Buy me a beer and I'll tell you what I learned about vaccines. The most-administered, least-understood medical product ever.

Reminds me of the guy who called his MD and
when the MD asked how he could help, he
replied: "I just had an autopsy and I wanna
know the results."

and it is sooooooooooooooo simple.

This reminds me of the story of the 7 Nations Study. Anybody familiar with that story?

one of the ways to avoid some of the muscle symptoms is to take COQ10 at least 3x day as the half life is only 6 hrs. Many supplements of this come with vit d added as well .

I agree, Jan. Remember that all therapeutic drug regimens are a "trial". Every human is unique and treatment should be adjusted for the individual.

Yes, Freedom! I have also heard that statins are what are causing the erectile dysfunction in relatively young men.

Put down the cheeseburger. I know so many people who take statins yet eat plenty of beef, cheese and pizza. They eat whatever they want. Given what we've known for a while about statins that just didn't make sense to me.

There's another possible risk with their use - onset of type II diabetes.

However, I suspect that this story will disappear quickly and, yes, statins will be added to municipal drinking water systems.

On target, jimjames. Dr. Robert Adkins has been preaching this since like 1972. Eliminate refined sugar, eat adequate protein for your ideal BMI and eat reasonable amounts of slow carbs. I've seen it work time after time. Fat does not cause high cholesterol and body fat; sugar does.

Fellow Gulchers; I am amazed and pleased at the honest input on this. Now we know much more who are the geezers amongst us. I am reaching geezerness too, but geezerness is a truly relative thing. May the young folk be patient.

It is scary to contemplate the role that bad information has played in the health arena. Genetics, mental outlook are important factors, but flat out bad, wrong information like the federal food pyramid and bogus medical/pharmaceutical "research" is horrendous in these matters. We are of the generation(s) that as kids played out doors for hours, ate eggs (cholesterol, oh no!), lavishly applied butter (saturated fats, oh no!), ate red meat, and were thin as a rail into adulthood.

And then the feds and the AMA stepped in with their federal food pyramid, their cholesterol and blood pressure scares, triglycerides, bad HDL and then oh! good HDL. And we end up with adults on horrendous cocktail mixes of expensive prescriptions with side effects and medications for side effects and then with 12 year old kids that can hardly get off the couch and waddle outdoors!

The feds and their sanctioned medical monopolies! This can't be this screwed up just by accident.

It should. I have a friend that almost died because of this crap. His kidneys went into near shut down. There was an evening when he was over at my house with a gathering. He was there, cracking the greatest jokes and having a blast. The next day, he couldn't remember where he was that night. Not long later the kidney problems nearly took him down. The MD's wanted him in the ER on dialysis NOW!

Fortunately, we have a number of alternative/homeopathic friends that stepped in, took control, got him off the crap. His lucidness and his energy have all returned and he is busy, busy drilling water wells.

Ditto! I walk a lot. That helps me to fall apart at a slower rate.

Actually, I'm enjoying my old age. Luckily, I'm pretty financially secure and enjoying life, except for the fact that my body is falling apart in increments.

Me, too. My cardiologist loves them...wishes that he could put them in the water supply. I think that I will just get on with my life....eat in moderation and enjoy McDonald's fries and hamburgers and then eventually die. Isn't that what Obama wants for us older people to do sooner than later.

Neuropathy, myopathy, and immune system shutdown. Drs. have tried three different statins on me and I've had severe problems. I still have numbness in feet and finger tips and strong joint pain. The scariest part for me was a sudden onset of opportunistic infections.

Pay attention to what those study readers try to do to you. Too many Drs. and PAs. practice medicine by rote directions and pharmaceutical studies. How many studies have we seen in the last 2 or 3 years that turned out to be total BS or had bad results hidden?

That's cause 'Science' doesn't come from a practical point of view nor does it observe in practical applications...all that usually comes after science has formulated it's opinion.

I say to you...try it, apply it and note the blood types your working with and then collect the data.

Oh, and finish reading the book, the one's I mentioned are prime.
You can always ask him questions, then take it to task.
This process is total integration of data, what I call in my book: Wide Scope Accountability.

Thanks. Here's something I've "learned" over the years but never "knew" until I paid attention and started living by it: Refined carbs are like cocaine. You get a quick high in blood sugar, and then comes the crash and your body craves more. Zero carbs, your pancreas can manage your blood sugar without ups and downs, therefore, no cravings. Since I now know that and live by it, eating is no longer a problem.