Don't Assume Your Doctor Is Operating Based On Anything More Than Medical Hearsay
A must-read @DrEades post -- "Statin madness: A close encounter with medical idiocy." An excerpt of what is a detailed post:
But back to the statin prescription.How could any doctor in his/her right mind write such a prescription for an 86 year old, totally paralyzed man who has normal cholesterol? Even one who has elevated cholesterol? After about age 50, the higher the cholesterol, the greater the longevity. So, again, why would anyone write a prescription for a non-benign drug to an elderly patient? Plus, the chance for rhabdomyolysis is greater in the elderly who take statins as well as those who are taking a ton of other drugs, as is my dad. It's a set up for disaster with no potential upside to balance the risk. It is blind stupidity to prescribe a statin under these circumstances.
And not just any old statin. The script was for a large dose of Lipitor, a fat-soluble statin. Fat soluble statins are much more likely to be involved in drug interactions, and they can induce insulin resistance and possibly cause diabetes. If you're going to give an unnecessary drug, why wouldn't you at least give one with the fewest side effects?
There are seven statins available right now. Five of them are fat soluble and two are water soluble.
Fat soluble statins
Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
Cerivastatin (Baycol)**
Fluvastatin (Lescol)
Lovastatin (Mevacor)
Simvastatin (Zocor)Water soluble statins
Pravastatin (Pravachol)
Rosuvastatin (Crestor)I doubt that one doctor in 500 who prescribe statins know there are lipid soluble and water soluble and which are which. Now you're ahead of the game.
If I had to take a statin or prescribe on, I would certainly take or prescribe a water soluble one. These drugs pretty much pass through the kidneys unchanged, and since they don't have to be metabolized in the liver, there is less likelihood of serious liver problems, which are a problem with the lipid soluble statins. And, as I mentioned above, the lipid-soluble statins are more inclined to cause drug interactions, insulin resistance and probably diabetes. Why use them at all?
I hate it when you're right about stuff. Like this.
Mmm? Me? Oh…
Simvastatin™, 40 mg/day. Thanks for asking.
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at December 8, 2013 2:48 AM
Eades is a wonderful resource, especially because he explains in such clear language where the abuses are (in terms of ignoring evidence, etc.)
Amy Alkon at December 8, 2013 8:37 AM
Eades is the "thriving Innuit" guy, right?
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at December 8, 2013 12:11 PM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/12/dont-assume-you.html#comment-4101718">comment from Crid [CridComment at Gmail]Nope, sorry, Crid. You do work hard to be a hater, don't you!
Amy Alkon
at December 8, 2013 12:33 PM
After about age 50, the higher the cholesterol, the greater the longevity.
I'd caution everybody who's quick to adopt a "one size fits all" approach to medicine.
My mother died October 13 at the age of eighty-five. She had stage four peritoneal and lung cancer, but what killed her was cardiac arrest.
After she died we found in her medical records that she had a cholesterol reading of 293. She'd done nothing about it. Mom became anorexic during her cancer treatment, due to her formative experiences at a Catholic boarding school.
Her parents shipped her off at the age of five, and the nuns made her sit at the table alone until she'd cleaned her plate of food she hated. When she was told eighty years later that she had to eat, this time she refused.
Over a period of nine months, she starved herself until she developed cachexia. Her vascular system was long weakened by her high cholesterol numbers, so when she threw up and aspirated it and developed pneumonia, her heart just stopped.
She died in pain and terror. Her oncologist saved her from both cancer and pneumonia, but he couldn't save her from the boarding school.
For every treatment that exists, there's someone out there who will tell you that it's wrong. They usually have books to sell.
Do a lot of research before you believe what anyone says.
Mom did live to be eighty-five, but in her last fifteen years, her quality of life was nearly nonexistent. It was all due to vascular issues.
Longevity in and of itself shouldn't be the goal.
Thomas Wictor at December 8, 2013 2:02 PM
Who was the thriving Innuit guy?
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at December 8, 2013 2:11 PM
Who was the thriving Innuit[sic] guy?
Jordin Tootoo.
Thomas Wictor at December 8, 2013 3:39 PM
So very true.
I heard about a case today where a drug that only worked for specific people was made illegal by the FDA that they can't import it or have it manufactured.
What will happen when the FDA says that hospitals/drug houses can't make drugs based off genome tests?
Jim P. at December 8, 2013 4:37 PM
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