Dr. John Briffa wrote a post worth reading on his blog today about the significant side effects of statin drugs, and the considerable effort pharmaceutical companies and the medical establishment spend trying to convince people that these drugs are safe.
Sadly, they’ve been largely successful. Some time ago a physician in the UK by the name of Dr. John Reckless (you can’t make this stuff up) suggested that statins are so safe that they should be put in the water supply!
That’s ridiculous, of course. Statins are dangerous drugs. What’s more, they don’t reduce the risk of total mortality (death from any cause) for 95% of the population. See my articles The Truth About Statin Drugs and More Statin Shenanigans for more on this.
If you’re wondering why you haven’t heard more about the danger of statin drugs, check out another great post Dr. Briffa wrote a couple of weeks ago called Adverse effects of drugs are “neglected, restricted, distorted or silenced”.
There’s big money in the drug business, folks. The total pharmaceutical industry is worth hundreds of billions, and drug companies make $25 billion on statin sales alone. Do you think they’re going to go out of their way to tell everyone about the side effects and risks of these drugs? They’re legally obligated to maximize profits for their shareholders, as are all corporations, and maximizing profits means selling as many pills as they can.
That’s just the way it works. Unfortunately, people like you and I and our families are the victims of this profit-driven health care system.
Related posts:
- The truth about statin drugs Statins are almost universally hailed as wonder drugs. But are statins really as safe and...
- More statin shenanigans Find out what the mainstream media isn't telling you about the new JUPITER study, which...
- The dark side of antidepressants This week's article in my continuing series on antidepressants will examine the physiological, psychological and...
- Statins for pregnant women and kids? Researcher Chris Masterjohn reveals the negligence and recklessness of recent recommendations that pregnant women and...
- Problem with your pill? Take another pill! A look at a recent study on the side effects of antidepressants reveals the nefarious...
Tags: cholesterol, side effects, statins
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I am back on statins again. Not my choice. The doctor recommended it after I had bad experiences in the past. My main huge problem is major constipation. What causes this when I use these drugs and how can I prevent it without taking stool softeners or laxatives. I don’t want to take one pill to help another pill and continue doing this. It gets so bad that I raise my blood pressure very much when just trying to eliminate. Help please…. Thank you very much.
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Nancy,
Gastrointestinal symptoms like constipation or diarrhea are relatively common side effects of statins. You might try adding magnesium supplements and fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kombucha to your diet. That should help.
I will point out, however, that it is always our choice whether we take a drug or not. A doctor can’t force you to do anything. All he/she can do is make recommendations. If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to read my articles on statins. Then make up your own mind about whether you should take one or not. Statins have not been proven to be effective for women, so in my opinion they should not be prescribed at all for women.
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I HAD A IQ OF 125 TO 130. The VA started me on
statins when the were new. When my cholesterol did not go down enough I was given more. I hurt so much I could not walk normally. And I lost my short turm memory and could not think as well. I stopped and got better fast. But not as good as I was. still have joint pain and I am just plain dumber. And its been years. My mother stopped hers and her mind worked better and she did not hurt as much.But her doc madec her startr back. Five of here friends stopped and they all say the same thing. Anybody know how to get the missing parts of my mind back. The VA says I am wrong and gives me pills to feel better, them not me.
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Dan,
For a start I’d recommend eating plenty of foods with CoQ10 (red meat, for instance) and supplementing with it as well. Many of the side effects of statin use can be traced to CoQ10 depletion. Cholesterol plays a vital role in the brain. 20% of myelin (the sheath surrounding the nerve) is cholesterol, and synapse formation is almost entirely dependent upon cholesterol. Cholesterol also helps regulate mood by ensuring proper formation of serotonin receptors. Likewise, saturated fats are important to brain health. I suspect that some of your brain symptoms are due to the significant reduction of cholesterol you experienced from the statins. If you eliminated or greatly reduced saturated fat as your doctor likely suggested, that may be playing a role as well. My suggestion would be to eat healthy, traditional saturated fats and cholesterol in your diet and supplement with CoQ10. I would also suggest a high-vitamin cod liver oil from Green Pasture. Cod liver oil is high in natural vitamin A & D, as well as omega 3 fats, all of which play a role in brain health.
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My cholesterol has stayed around 246 for about 20 years and my blood pressure is around 135 over 80 when in any doctor’s office, but lower at home. I consider myself healthy. My family genes are such that I should live well into my 90s — even with the “high” cholesterol.
Every time a doctor writes me a prescription for a statin, I go home and shred it. My current doctor has given up on trying to make me take a statin or anything for blood pressure. She knows that I refuse to take pills unless absolutely necessary (like for strep throat). Side effects from drugs can mess you up for life — such as ruin your liver or mess up your memory or mess with your hormones or cause ulcers or just plain plug you up, etc.
You do not have to pop every pill that a doctor gives you. Research the drug first before you decide whether to fill the prescription. Find out if there is anything natural that you can do instead. Make the decision for yourself. If your doctor insists that you take a statin when you do not want to, then find another doctor. If you are taking a statin, it is because you still believe the cholesterol hype put out by the drug companies. No doctor can “make” you do what you do not want to do.
(P.S. Your cholesterol will temporarily go very high when you stop taking statins. Limit the bread and sugar! Take a walk several times a week. Keep your weight at a reasonable level — not too skinny and not obese.)
Chris, thanks for your blog! I really like reading it. I came across it several months ago while doing research for my IBS (which is finally under control after 58 years of pain and trying everything under the sun). I am very familiar with the Framington Study, among others, and Dr. Graveline (spacedoc.com), Dr. William Davis’ blog, the International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics, and more. I check your blog every couple of weeks to see what you have that’s new.
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