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New US Diet Guidelines: What Not to Eat
Instead of just giving Americans a list of healthy food choices, the federal government takes a stab at showing us what not to eat. Get the facts here.

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Statins n pain

I find myself skipping my statins all the time because of the muscle aches n pain they cause. Does anyone else...

Posted by Cubs01

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Statins n pain I find myself skipping my statins all the time because of the muscle aches n pain they cause. Does anyone else...

Statins n pain

I find myself skipping my statins all the time. I cant stand the side effects of muscle aches n pain. Does...

Posted by Cubs01

19 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Statins n pain I find myself skipping my statins all the time. I cant stand the side effects of muscle aches n pain. Does...

Cholesterol meds

I'm taking Lipitor 20mg & Niaspan 1000 mg q.d. How serious would it be if I went to q.a.d.?

Posted by An_249875

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Cholesterol meds I'm taking Lipitor 20mg & Niaspan 1000 mg q.d. How serious would it be if I went to q.a.d.?

Cholesterol meds

I'm taking Lipitor 20mg & Niaspan 1000 mg q.d. How serious would it be if I went to q.a.d.?

Posted by An_249875

3 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Cholesterol meds I'm taking Lipitor 20mg & Niaspan 1000 mg q.d. How serious would it be if I went to q.a.d.?

could losing weight change your cholesterol?

I am new to this site so if I am posting a dumb question please let me know. When I had my blood panel taken...

Posted by cherylhc50

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:could losing weight change your cholesterol? I am new to this site so if I am posting a dumb question please let me know. When I had my blood panel taken...

Another Cholesterol Drug Fails

"Heart drug Tredaptive ineffective." The story in full: ...

Posted by bobby75703

7 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Another Cholesterol Drug Fails "Heart drug Tredaptive ineffective." The story in full: ...

FDA announces cholesterol-drug label changes

some widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins are being announced today by the U.S. Food and...

Posted by roland75

some widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins are being announced today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
These products, when used with diet and exercise, help to lower a person's "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol). The products include: Ecovention LLC (atorvastatin), Lescol (fluvastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin), Altoprev (lovastatin extended-release), Livalo (pitavastatin), Pravachol (pravastatin), Crestor (rosuvastatin), and Zocor (simvastatin). Combination products include: Advicor (lovastatin/niacin extended-release), Simcor (simvastatin/niacin extended-release), and Vytorin (simvastatin/ezetimibe).

"We want health care professionals and patients to have the most current information on the risks of statins, but also to assure them that these medications continue to provide an important health benefit of lowering cholesterol," said Mary Parks, M.D., director for the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products in the Office of Drug Evaluation II in FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The changes to the statin labels are:

The drug labels have been revised to remove the need for routine periodic monitoring of liver enzymes in patients taking statins. FDA now recommends that liver enzyme tests should be performed before starting statin therapy, and as clinically indicated thereafter. FDA has concluded that serious liver injury with statins is rare and unpredictable in individual patients, and that routine periodic monitoring of liver enzymes does not appear to be effective in detecting or preventing this rare side effect. Patients should notify their health care professional immediately if they have the following symptoms of liver problems: unusual fatigue or weakness; loss of appetite; upper belly pain; dark-colored urine; yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes.

Certain cognitive (brain-related) effects have been reported with statin use. Statin labels will now include information about some patients experiencing memory loss and confusion. These reports generally have not been serious and the patients' symptoms were reversed by stopping the statin. However, patients should still alert their health care professional if these symptoms occur.

Increases in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) have been reported with statin use. The FDA is also aware of studies showing that patients being treated with statins may have a small increased risk of increased blood sugar levels and of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The labels will now warn healthcare professionals and patients of this potential risk.

Health care professionals should take note of the new recommendations in the lovastatin label. Some medicines may interact with lovastatin, increasing the risk for muscle injury (myopathy/rhabdomyolysis). For example, certain medicines should never be taken (are contraindicated) with Mevacor (lovastatin) including drugs used to treat HIV (protease inhibitors) and drugs used to treat certain bacterial and fungal infections.
Reporting side effects to the FDA is important. Health care professionals and patients should report any side effects associated with statin use to FDA MedWatch program.View Thread

Posted by roland75

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:FDA announces cholesterol-drug label changes some widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins are being announced today by the U.S. Food and...

Muscle pain, Statins, moderately intense workouts ...

So my doc wants my LDL dropped by at least 10 points. He wanted me to take Simvastatin and I've read too much...

Posted by salguitar

28 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Muscle pain, Statins, moderately intense workouts almost daily So my doc wants my LDL dropped by at least 10 points. He wanted me to take Simvastatin and I've read too much...

Association between Statin Myopathy and Muscle Dam...

Excellent article from the Canadian Medical Association. Muscle injury was observed in 25 ( of 44) patients...

Posted by bobby75703

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Association between Statin Myopathy and Muscle Damage Excellent article from the Canadian Medical Association. Muscle injury was observed in 25 ( of 44) patients...

Did Red Yeast Rice Affect Your Periods?

Hi all, I was using red yeast rice to lower my triglycerides. I was using it for about 2 months. After the...

Posted by An_249462

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Did Red Yeast Rice Affect Your Periods? Hi all, I was using red yeast rice to lower my triglycerides. I was using it for about 2 months. After the...

How does the fat in foods affect cholesterol?

I closely watch the cholesterol levels in the foods I eat and fat levels but I have never understood how, if...

Posted by lhellis

3 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:How does the fat in foods affect cholesterol? I closely watch the cholesterol levels in the foods I eat and fat levels but I have never understood how, if...

Statin Drug Induced Myopathy Case Study, Dec. 2012

I first experienced this problem in 1999-2000, after being on Zocor and Lipitor for 2 years, but could not find...

Posted by jrkirk

I first experienced this problem in 1999-2000, after being on Zocor and Lipitor for 2 years, but could not find anything in the literature on the subject. I consulted with my family doc, and my son, also a family doc, and neither could give any advice on the condition or the relationship with the statins. I eventually refused to take any more of either drugs, and the problems went away completely and I fully recovered. Spring ahead 11 years to the fall of 2011, when I was given 5 arterial stents, and again put on statins, this time 80mg daily of pravastatin. After 4 months, my shoulder began to act up, and I had to give up physical activities (sports) that I both enjoyed and benefited from. Then at 11 months, while in my usual 3 times weekly cardiac therapy, my left quad muscle cramped to the point that I could no longer do the tread mill, as I had been doing 3 times a week up to that point in time. I consulted with my local cardiologist, and he suggested adding a fibrate, but I had to tell him that had already been tried and rejected due to bad blood test results from an earlier trial 5 years earlier. (Apparently, computer records from that earlier trial were missing, and not available, but I had paper records and the the Rx still in my possession, so knew what had been prescribed.) I then consulted with 2 family docs, my son and my own doc, and they both agreed that I should go off the pravastatin until something improved. My last dose of pravastatin was on 11/3/12, and it is now 12/6/12, and my problems are finally beginning to go away and my overall condition improve, but my left quad, the same one previously affected, is still very weakened and sore. I will be very reluctant to take more of these drugs, as I have now tried 3 different statins, and have bad results with all 3. I find it very upsetting that there is so little information apparently available to the medical community on this problem, and that the Standard of Care continues to blindly be this class of drugs, when there are so many obvious problems with the class overall. It seems to me, a non-medical educated individual, that the research on statins is more toward selling more drugs, than treating patients and providing answers to this obviously overlooked and under reported problem of Statin Drugs Induced Myopathy............IMHO.View Thread

Posted by jrkirk

180 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Statin Drug Induced Myopathy Case Study, Dec. 2012 I first experienced this problem in 1999-2000, after being on Zocor and Lipitor for 2 years, but could not find...

UPDATE: Massive recall of cholesterol-cutting tabl...

Updated 12/3/12: FDA says Ranbaxy Inc. will stop making the drug "until it has thoroughly...

Posted by Haylen_WebMD_Staff

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:UPDATE: Massive recall of cholesterol-cutting tablets atorvastatin Updated 12/3/12: FDA says Ranbaxy Inc. will stop making the drug "until it has thoroughly...

Tuna Fish in Diet

Five years ago, I had a heart attack and had 6 stents installed. I found that my cholesterol numbers were high...

Posted by lhellis

5 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Tuna Fish in Diet Five years ago, I had a heart attack and had 6 stents installed. I found that my cholesterol numbers were high...

Increase Odds of Having a Healthy Heart in Old Age

A cholesterol level under 180 is one of the ways to increase your odds of having a healthy heart in...

Posted by Haylen_WebMD_Staff

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Increase Odds of Having a Healthy Heart in Old Age A cholesterol level under 180 is one of the ways to increase your odds of having a healthy heart in...

Have You Tried the DASH Diet?

The DASH Diet can help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which is good for your...

Posted by Haylen_WebMD_Staff

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Have You Tried the DASH Diet? The DASH Diet can help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which is good for your...

NEW WebMD Answers!

Hi wonderful community members! We're happy to announce the launch of a new tool here at WebMD...

Posted by Haylen_WebMD_Staff

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:NEW WebMD Answers! Hi wonderful community members! We're happy to announce the launch of a new tool here at WebMD...

Cholesterol Levels

My recent cholesterol screening has me worried as this is the first time I have had high cholesterol. My total...

Posted by maui2010

7 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Cholesterol Levels My recent cholesterol screening has me worried as this is the first time I have had high cholesterol. My total...

CHOL numbers

I've got Total CHOL of 234, ratio of 2.4, HDL 96, LDL or 126, triglycerides of 58 and VLDL or 12. Do I need...

Posted by An_248346

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:CHOL numbers I've got Total CHOL of 234, ratio of 2.4, HDL 96, LDL or 126, triglycerides of 58 and VLDL or 12. Do I need...

Cholesterol

My cholesterol is 209, HDL 67, and LDL is 118, how concerned should I be?

Posted by An_248345

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Cholesterol My cholesterol is 209, HDL 67, and LDL is 118, how concerned should I be?

Statins

I have permanent muscle damage from Lipitor. If you want more information read NIH Statin Study, just Google...

Posted by rayg874

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Statins I have permanent muscle damage from Lipitor. If you want more information read NIH Statin Study, just Google...

Cholesterol result.

My total cholesterol is 225, LDL = 136 and HDL =80. should I be concerned. I exercise by commuting to work on...

Posted by Reden

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Cholesterol result. My total cholesterol is 225, LDL = 136 and HDL =80. should I be concerned. I exercise by commuting to work on...

Have You Checked Your Cholesterol Lately?

Eight months ago, I had a long overdue cholesterol test and shared my numbers with the community ,...

Posted by Haylen_WebMD_Staff

0 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Have You Checked Your Cholesterol Lately? Eight months ago, I had a long overdue cholesterol test and shared my numbers with the community ,...

Can this really cut my LDL in half?

What do you think? A friend lowered his LDL from 170 to 85 in 30 days. He was not using statins. He claims...

Posted by benjenmn

6 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Can this really cut my LDL in half? What do you think? A friend lowered his LDL from 170 to 85 in 30 days. He was not using statins. He claims...

Does Cholesterol really matter

I have been on satins for at least 20 years. I recently started seeing a new MD who disagrees with the...

Posted by oldjerry38

17 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Does Cholesterol really matter I have been on satins for at least 20 years. I recently started seeing a new MD who disagrees with the...

Fast Food and Heart Disease

Plain and simple: Fast food places have added healthier foods to their menus. Meats and fries are cooked in...

Posted by An_247580

Take the Poll

Fast food and heart disease!

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Fast Food and Heart Disease Plain and simple: Fast food places have added healthier foods to their menus. Meats and fries are cooked in...

Update on statin med

My doctor ended up taking me off the Crestor. We are trying to control my levels through diet and...

Posted by Okiemomma2012

4 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:Update on statin med My doctor ended up taking me off the Crestor. We are trying to control my levels through diet and...

lipid values

sir I HAVE FOLLOWING TEST DONE PLEASE ADVISE.RENAL FUNCTION TEST S.CREATININE 1.0mg/dl Bun 10/mg/dl uric...

Posted by chitpush48

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This Discussion Report This | Share this:lipid values sir I HAVE FOLLOWING TEST DONE PLEASE ADVISE.RENAL FUNCTION TEST S.CREATININE 1.0mg/dl Bun 10/mg/dl uric...

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