What Are the Symptoms of Statin Drug Problems?

Statin drugs are effective at helping control high cholesterol, but they have side effects. There is also a disagreement among scientists over whether the new recommended blood levels of cholesterol are set to low. Side effects come not just from the statin but also the lower levels of a coenzyme, which occurs when you take statin or lower cholesterol levels. You may have symptoms of statin drug problems without even knowing it, unless you know what they include.

Types

• There are several types of statin drugs. Atorvastatin, the chemical name for Lipitor is probably the best known. Fluvastatin, known as lescol; Mevacor or lovastatin; Pravochol or pravastatin; Zocor a simvastatin, and Crestor, a rosuvastatin, currently are on the market. Baycol, a cerivastatin no longer is available, since it has serious side effects found in 2001. The Bayer Corporation, which made Baycol removed it from the market when there were 35 deaths reported from the drug. The deaths came from the breakdown of muscle tissue called Rhabdomyolysis. Once the muscle cells release into the blood stream, there is a potential of death from kidney failure.

Mental Confusion

• Dr. Beatrice Golomb a researcher and assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, is an independent researcher whose mission is to keep drug company research honest. She noted that most of the time, drugs have no warnings or information on the mental confusion they sometimes can cause. According to her studies, the drugs cause mental confusion and can reduce intelligent people to mental incompetents within months of taking them. She presently heads a study on the negative side effects of statin drugs. In order to find her many articles, use the reference below and click on the link called "statin study."

CoQ10 and Dolichol Production.

• According to a study found in Neurology, not only did statins block the production of cholesterol, they also block the synthesis of coenzyme Q10. The production of cholesterol in the body undergoes a series of chemical changes. Initially the process begins with acetyl-CoA, often called the building block of life. It then combines to form HMG. At this point, it requires an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase. When you use the statin drug, it inhibits this enzyme, and your body can't make cholesterol. The problem is that the string of events also produces CoQ10 and dolichol.

Muscle Breakdown and Pain

• If you have lowered levels of CoQ10, you may be more susceptible to a coronary. A deficiency leads to muscle wasting, muscle pain, back pain and often rupture of the tendons and ligaments. It causes severe pain in the extremities from neuropathy and as the drug removed from the market may flood the blood stream with waste byproducts. Since it causes muscle wasting, you need to consider the fact that the heart is a muscle. This means it too has a potential for damage.

Lowered Dolichols

• Dolichols carry the message from the DNA to help create specific proteins in the body according the genetic instructions. If you have a shortage of dolichol, the messages are intermittent and chaotic. Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., in their article on the dangers of statin drugs, compare it to a computer virus that blocks specific paths to your files.

ATP Loss, Stroke and Death

• Loss of the CoQ10 reduces the amount of ATP in the system since it contributes to the key component in the transport system in the cell's mitochondria. The system synthesizes the ATP and it's necessary to create an energy source for the heart and brain.

Increased Cancer

• Cholesterol is one of the end products blocked by statins. Unfortunately, a precursor to the cholesterol squalene, is also blocked. There is a cancer fighting effect from this body chemical that is no longer produced. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association by Thomas B Newman, MD showed that when rodents given statins with a ratio, according to size, equal to normal doses given to people, there was a higher incidence of cancer.