Treatment Of Statin Damage
This is further to the earlier post on Management Of Statin Damage. It appears that Statins produce permanent damage and are far more risky. Possibly the only benefit statins provide is some reduction in inflammation but possibly at a irreversible cost. This is particularly sad given that low cost Turmeric may well be a safer if not more effective alternative than statins and aspirin to reduce inflammation. Indeed those who have used Turmeric in lieu of statins in this regard can attest to its striking efficacy....
...."statins contribute to permanent change in the nature or availability of the enzymes and proteins that make us what we are."
Often people are concerned wether aliments from Statins can be reversed. The following article provides important insights along with information to reduce the damage. It is particularly pertinent to those who may not have yet developed the said symptoms as "Statins can reduce Q10 levels some 50% within only a few weeks."
..."statins introduce different battlefield conditions, for they inhibit the synthesis of both CoQ10 and glutathione in their cholesterol-lowering, mevalonate blockade. Free radicals abound and mutations climb.
Glutathione is literarily a elixir of youth as it might be the granddaddy of all antioxidants - right up there with vitamins C and E. It could also turn out to be one of the premier biological markers of the aging process - a virtual fountain of youth. Here is a list of some of its functions:
regulate protein and DNA biosynthesis and cell growth;
maintain the strength and integrity of cell membranes;
enhance the function of the immune system by increasing production of disease-fighting blood cells called lymphocytes;
detoxify external compounds such as environmental pollutants and drugs - along with selenium is a key factor in heavy metal detoxification. Impairment in this substance is bound to cause major ramifications to the prostate and other organs susceptible to heavy metals say from mercury amalgams or fish: and
act as an extremely powerful antioxidant, protecting cells against free radical damage. This all adds up to powerful protection from major chronic diseases - cancer and heart disease to vision problems such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
Is it any wonder that many are seeing so many problems if the very substances needed to maintain health let alone heart health are being depleted especially when they are so critically needed?
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2005/03/28/frequently_asked_questions_about_statins.htmI can't emphasis glutathione's importance enough and will post an incredibly simple method to enhance our bodies own ability to enhance it very cheaply, by nearly 600 to 700 percent... possibly reversing some of Statin damage if not already advanced...
It is striking to see the traction the billion dollar drug marketing can have whence the very magic bullet promoted to protect the heart literally does the opposite yet the masses including the doctors themselves have no idea that it actually does the opposite! And this is not restricted to statins alone there seems to be a stream of endless other toxoids - all way from Carcinogenic chemo drugs to vaccines masquerading to do the opposite...
Dr. Graveline who sadly himself is a victim of Statins has worked tirelessly to load his site with pertinent articles, A must for those interested this subject...
Chris Gupta
See also:
Statins Inhibit Important Biochemical Pathway - Cause Predictable 'Side Effects'
In addition to magnesium discussed below Potassium Deficiency is Widespread and often Neglected. CG
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TREATMENT OF STATIN DAMAGE
Although a number of people take great pride in claiming that years of treatment with statins have caused them no harm, a number of studies have documented how rare this truly is. Not only has Draeger documented that vital changes of muscle structure occur in most statin users, with or without muscle symptoms but Muldoon has shown 100% cognitive loss in statin users if sufficiently sensitive testing is done! We know then that the legacy of statin is both broad and subtle, varying from barely detectable on one hand to death on the other with a full array of symptoms in between.
As to mechanisms of statin damage, we perceive that some are due to reducing tissue cholesterol to unnaturally low values. Draeger postulatesd that lowering of intracellular cholesterol beyond some critical limit causes changes in the myofibrillar structure.of our muscles.
Cognition impairment, on the other hand, appears to reflect the combination of mevalonate blockade of cholesterol synthesis in Pfrieger's hippocampal glial cells as well as by Hope's limiting of Rho availability by altered phosphorylation. Either excessively low cholesterol or Rho will severely affect the synapses that determine our memory.
And we find that some of our damage seems to persist despite having restored cholesterol to normal levels, as if statins contribute to permanent change in the nature or availability of the enzymes and proteins that make us what we are. Could we be talking genetics here? Many researchers now think we might be and are directing their attention to the possibility that even our friendly organelles, our mitochondria, might be involved.
Including our mitochondria as well as somatic cells in their investigations of possible DNA change is validated because our mitochondria already have an excess mutation rate compared with our other cells. Think of them as front-line warriors in a battle to harvest oxygen without being excessively oxidized by legions of free radicals. For this they have a system of anti-oxidants like CoQ10 and glutathione to help. But statins introduce different battlefield conditions, for they inhibit the synthesis of both CoQ10 and glutathione in their cholesterol-lowering, mevalonate blockade. Free radicals abound and mutations climb.
You cannot reverse a mutation, most researchers would say but we do not really "know" this yet. This war has only just begun. The question has been raised, "Are vitamins, minerals and other co-factors helpful?" We know only that certain things have been tried that appear to help.
The value of cofactor therapy is difficult to measure. These diseases have a varied clinical course and some patients have acute exacerbations followed by long periods of stability or partial recovery. In addition, there are literally hundreds of different defects that affect different organ systems in each person, making outcome measures almost impossible to determine. Furthermore, the treatment duration of many negative studies may not be long enough to determine.Despite the lack of experimental data, most persons with suspected mitochondrial abnormalities chose to take supplemental vitamins and cofactors. I recommend persons with statin myopathy seriously consider using these cofactors if still symptomatic despite traditional therapy. I also recommend using the smaller starting doses until experience is gained.
Co-factor supplements:1. CoQ10: Most of you know this has three major roles. One is that of a potent anti-oxidizer. Another is critical for electron transport in our energy equation and the third has to do with cell wall integrity. The benefit of CoQ10 in statin damage of all types is now well documented. Dr. Peter Langsjoen has published many articles of its importance in cardiac energy production. Statins can reduce our Q10 levels some 50% within only a few weeks. Coenzyme Q10, 5–10 mg/kg in divided doses will make a good robust trial for a month or so. Variable gastrointestinal absorption dependent on formulation. Maximal benefit may take months. Ubiquinol favored in poor absorption cases.
2. Levocarnitine (L-carnitine, carnitine), is a cofactor required for the metabolism of fatty acids. Carnitine palmitoyl transferase is the enzyme required in this process and also found by Georgirenne Vladitu at the Arnold Guthrie Genetics Lab to be lacking or abnormal in a surprisingly large number of people. Carnitine deficiency can cause clinical myopathy or cardiomyopathy and lead to rhabdomyolysis. L-carnitine 30–100 mg/kg in divided doses daily.
3. Selenium's importance to susceptibility to certain infections and immunodefense and even to statin myopathy has only recently been disclosed. Only within the past five years have Mooseman and Behl taught us that selenoprotein synthesis was impaired by statins and discovered that selenium deficiency can induce a myopathy with pathologic findings identical to that of statins. Selenium 25–50 microgram/day is the usually recommended dose but in case of statin involvement, twice daily might be advisable. Avoid excess.
4. Magnesium: Some nutritionists stress that 80-90% of the U.S. population is magnesium deficient. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the "energy currency" of the cell, is magnesium dependent according to Ann Kapelson. Navy flight surgeon friend of mine. Without enough "biologically available" magnesium, the cellular calcium pump slows down and vigor and muscle strength wanes. Magnesium maleate or maleate with magnesium, 500mg daily should be entirely adequate. Avoid excess.B vitamins 1,2 and 3 are all recommended
Thiamine (vitamin B1) 100–800 mg
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) 400 mg
Niacinamide (vitamin B3) 100–500 mg
Creatine: Although creatine phosphate is critical to the energy equation of the body and creatine phosphate has been shown to be helpful in some patients with weakness due to their myopathy, because the benefits may be transient, it is recommended that this therapy be reserved for acute crises under supervision and discontinued as soon as possible. CYTOPATHY COHEN
How much exercise?For years I have walked daily for exercise and recommended the same for my patients. Now that I have personally encountered statin damage in the form of an ALS-like condition I find I no longer can walk as before and have found that to "push" is to hurt and I have had to give up my life long habit. Let me explain.
Each of our muscles is a bag of fibers, known as myofibrils. Hundreds of these myofibrils work together to meet the needs of our body. Statin myopathy can, of course, be sudden in onset and extreme like rhabdomyolysis. But in many cases, like mine, it is slowly progressive, a myofibril here and a myofibril there. In time some 10% of our myofibrils may be damaged beyond repair. For a while we can continue our daily walking, exhorting our remaining functional fibers to compensate. But soon, some 75% of our myofibrils are gone and to attempt our regular daily walk is to strain the remaining myofibrils well beyond their capacity. That is where I am right now – walking beyond a few yards or standing erect for more than a few minutes no longer is possible. To push is to hasten the destructive process. Enough said.
If you find anything else that you know from personal experience is helpful, PLEASE ADVISE by messaging our forum.
Duane Graveline MD MPH
Statins
Here is a subset of some of the links on Dr. Graveline's information dense site that should be visited often for updates:
Statin Side Effects
- Statin Drugs
- Advicor
- Baycol
- Crestor and Rhabdomyolysis
- Crestor Side Effects
- Lipitor "Thief of Memory"
- Lipitor - Cognitive Side Effects
- Lipitor - Transient Global Amnesia
- Lipitor Amnesia - Medwatch
- Lipitor Side Effects
- Mevacor Side Effects
- Pravachol Side Effects
- Vytorin Concerns
- Vytorin Side Effects
- Zocor and Mouse Stem Cells
- Zocor Side Effects
- Statin Articles
- Alcohol and Statins
- Alzheimer's and Statins
- Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Statins
- Dolichols, Glycoproteins, Statins
- Genetic Susceptibility Statins
- Glyconutrients and Statin Damage
- High Dose Statins
- Inflammation and Heart Disease
- Interview with Duane Graveline MD
- Low Dose Statins
- Low Dose Statins
- Medwatch and Statin Reports
- Pharmageddon
- Selenium Inhibition and Statins
- Statin Alternatives
- Statin Dialogues
- Statins and the Elderly
- Statins and the Flyer
- Stopping Statins
- The Five Faces of Statins
- Women and Statins
- Zetia with Statins
Health
- Memory - Cognitivie
- Amnesia and Statins
- Memory, Cognition, Confusion
- Short Term Memory Loss
- Statin-Associated Memory Loss
- Transient Global Amnesia
- Myopathy - Muscles
- Benefits CoQ10 in Myopathy
- Genetic Basis of Statin Myopathy
- Genetic Predisposition to Myopathy
- Muscle Damage Without Pain
- Muscle Pain and Statins
- Myopathy - Lipitor / Zetia Combo.
- Rhabdomyolysis
- Rhabdomyolysis and Statins
- Statins and Muscle Damage
- Other Side Effects
- Aggression and Statins
- ALS and Statins
- Brain Cell Damage and Statins
- Cancer Risk and Statins
- Chronic Fatigue and Statins
- Chronic Neuromyopathy
- Chronic Rhabdomyolysis
- Depression and Statins
- Depression, Statins and Cardiologists
- Gout and Statin Drugs
- Hair Loss and Statin Drugs
- Heart Rhythm and Statins
- Immune System and Statins
- Insomnia and Statins
- Lack of Energy and Statins
- Libido and Statins
- Mitochondrial Mutations and Statins
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Neuromyopathies
- Neuropathy and Statins
- Pancreatitis and Statins
- Polymyalgia Rheumatica
- Pulmonary Hypersensitivity
- Sexual Side Effects of Statins
- Skin Rashes and Statins
- Vitamin D Deficiency and Statins
- Side Effect Articles
- Doctors and Statins
- Lipid Lowering - Statin Side Effects
- Management of Statin Side Effects
- My Life After Statins
- My Statin Story
- Permanent Side Effects - Statins
- Pneumonitis and Statin Therapy
- Post Polio Syndrome and Statins
- Statin Adverse Effects
- Statins and Doctors
- The Dark Side of Statins
- The Netherlands Radar Survey
Books
- General Health
- Altitude Sickness Research
- Asleep at the Wheel - TGA
- Breast Cancer Myths
- Cancer Survival and Treatment
- Dental Health and CV Disease
- Folic Acid Levels Subnormal
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- Laparoscopic Prostatectomy
- Prostatitis
- Radiation Exposure and Health
- Heart Health
- A Cardiologist Looks at CoQ10
- Alcohol and Heart Disease
- Aspirin and Heart Attacks
- Atherosclerosis and Heart Attacks
- Biomarkers of Heart Attack Risk
- Blood Pressure and Heart Disease
- Chelation and Heart Disease
- Fetal Atherosclerosis
- Heart Disease and Low Carb Diets
- Homocysteine and Heart Disease
- Kilmer McCully Heart Diet
- More on Coenzyme Q10
- Progress in Omega 3 Availability
- The Homocysteine Debate
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol - Early Dementia
- Cholesterol - Fetal Alcohol Defects
- Cholesterol - Friend or Foe?
- Cholesterol - Making the Synapse
- Cholesterol - Older Adults
- Cholesterol and Lipoprotein (a)
- Cholesterol Levels - Cardiovascular
- Cholesterol Levels - Science?
- Cholesterol Lowering
- Cholesterol Lowering Supplements
- Cholesterol: The Good and the Bad
- Endogenous Hormones
- Low Cholesterol - Cognitive Effects
- Low Cholesterol and Behavior
- Non Statin Cholesterol Drugs
- The Great Cholesterol Scam
- The Misguided War on Cholesterol
- Tools
Space
- Space Medicine
- ADH Astronaut Rehydration
- Astronaut Post-Flight Syncope
- Body Fluid Changes in Space
- Bone Demineralization
- Cabin Atmosphere
- G-Suit - Not Just for Fighter Pilots
- LBNP Device
- Musculoskeletal Deconditioning
- Organ of Balance in Space
- Poor Pilot Recall of G-LOC
- Radiation in Space
- Retinal Flashes and the Moon
- Stress Exercise Dangers
- The Soyuz 11 Tragedy
- Tilt Table Testing
- Vostok Cosmonauts
- Weightlessness
- Yearly Astronaut Physicals
- Space - General
posted by Chris Gupta on Wednesday April 23 2008
URL of this article:
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2008/04/23/treatment_of_statin_damage.htm
