I am reading a fasinating book by Chilton that gives you a natural eating plan to fight inflammation called "Win the War Within". I prefer changing my diet over a prescription. We all have a choice. It took me many years to realize that I DO have that choice.

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What about the new Bayer Aspirin with Heart Advantage? Low dose aspirin with phytosterols?

I am relying on exercise and aspirin to help with spinal stenosis and arthritis, so, the aspirin helps that too.

I hope I do not read that phytosterols are going to be real bad for us next.

I am improving my diet too. I have a mental illness (bipolar) so I have enough drugs to take and they are the most important IMHO. Those and the diabetes meds. I am type two and am trying to get that under control with better eating and exercise.

I stopped Lipitor. It is too scary when I already have aggression symptoms if I am getting manic. So, my psych meds are raised. My liver suffers MORE!

Between big pharma and docs making so much money off meds, we are doomed.

My shrink actually told me, "It stands to reason that a ten dollar pain pill will work better than a cheap aspirin."

WHY? Aspirin works for me! I make sure I take it at mealtime IF I need it.

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Please also be advised that there's plenty of information online indicating that statins may also play a large part in producing anxiety ! Dosing at larger-than-needed amounts may be connected; check out the info. and make consumer decisions based on your own criteria.

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Unfortunately, statins really aren't for short term use, unless you make total lifetyle changes. Those at high risk for heart disease, or who manufacture cholesterol in spite of good diet and lifetyle may have no other option. They do make you feel bad, but not all. It's best to try different options, and certainly foods that are rich in antioxidants can help. Plant sterols, soy products, avoiding baked goods,and processed foods help, but honestly most people cannot do what's needed. Dr. Dean Ornish - check him out. He has the answers.

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Statins are scary, and they can make you feel bad. They really aren't for short term use however, unless you make total lifestyle changes and lower your cholesterol on your own. The unfortunte thing is there is no question that they help reduce inflammation that leads to heart disease and heart attack - those studies are not small, and for many statins can be lifesaving. It's hard work to lower cholesterol if you have a family history of heart disease, but foods play a huge role in blood vessel inflammation too. The point is, you can't be cavalier about their use, and if you make a choice not to take them, you have a full time job on your hands regarding lifestyle choices.

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This is one subject that has me reeling. I have had problems with chorlesterol for years now. Have tried several meds , and have found that each one has side effects that I don't like. Problem is , that they do work to lower my levels , and right now my levels are on the low side. Part of this problem is that , now I feel as if I am not myself anymore. I tend to have depression problems that I never had before. Heredity is a factor here too. But when I wasn't taking the statins, I did have control off and on. When I asked my doctor on mylast visit , how long will I have to stay on the Lipitor, he told me Forever! I found this extremely disheartening. I do have other medical problems , and with one being COPD , I am really worried about the consistant use of any Statin product. The FDA and the Medical community need to step up to the plate and help with more studies and facts. Just my opinion.

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Statins like many other drugs used for chronic conditions should only be used in the short term. Statins, like anti-depressants are masking the effects rather thn actually dealing with the underlying problems. Not so many years ago, an 'acceptable' level of cholesterol was somewhat higher than what is 'acceptable' now. How did this change, well you can bet that the pharmaceutical companies had a hand in it. Statins are the best selling drug of all time.
Statins like many other drugs are not sophisticated enough to only target one enzymatic reaction in your body, this is why there are always side effects. A side effect of taking statins is a reduction in your own production of co-enzyme Q10. this enzyme is important for oxygenation of muscle tissue. If it's production is reduced then muscle tissue will atrophy (get smaller). Your heart is your most important muscle and a study showing people who had been taking statins 'preventatively' for 7 years showed a reduction in heart tissue. This is also the reason behind why some people experience more muscle pain whilst taking statins.
Two days ago I heard to my horror that in my country, Doctors are about to start phoning people who are 'high risk' for heart disease and get them to start teking statins. The pharmaceutical companies must be laughing up their sleeves!

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Statins like many other drugs used for chronic conditions should only be used in the short term. Statins, like anti-depressants are masking the effects rather thn actually dealing with the underlying problems. Not so many years ago, an 'acceptable' level of cholesterol was somewhat higher than what is 'acceptable' now. How did this change, well you can bet that the pharmaceutical companies had a hand in it. Statins are the best selling drug of all time.
Statins like many other drugs are not sophisticated enough to only target one enzymatic reaction in your body, this is why there are always side effects. A side effect of taking statins is a reduction in your own production of co-enzyme Q10. this enzyme is important for oxygenation of muscle tissue. If it's production is reduced then muscle tissue will atrophy (get smaller). Your heart is your most important muscle and a study showing people who had been taking statins 'preventatively' for 7 years showed a reduction in heart tissue. This is also the reason behind why some people experience more muscle pain whilst taking statins.
Two days ago I heard to my horror that in my country, Doctors are about to start phoning people who are 'high risk' for heart disease and get them to start teking statins. The pharmaceutical companies must be laughing up their sleeves!

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Ask yourself - why does my body produce cholesterol in the first place? The answer - to protect you, by protecting your blood vessels. Now ask yourself again - what is damaging my blood vessels? The answer is - your lifestyle, which includes your diet and exercise and the way you deal with stress, which again shows itself in diet and exercise (or lack thereof). The only way you get cholesterol is from ingesting animal products. So the solution is extremely simple.

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Statins damage muscles - your heart is a muscle! Based on what I've read about Statins I refuse to take them even though my doctor badgered me to. My cholesterol level was super high (according to the guidelines) at 9 UK (789 USA), even though I consider myself a healthy person who eats a very healthy diet. I come from healthy stock, my dad is a very fit 90 year old and my mother is a very healthy 83 (she also has a cholesterol level of 9, so I've probably just inherited it). By taking only soy lecithin I managed to lower my cholesterol level from 9 to 6.3 UK (552 USA). This is still above the guideline, but I'm not concerned any longer. Having read even more about what is really going on with Statins and the guidelines I believe the guidelines are pretty meaningless for most people. They've been designed to force people to take cholesterol lowering drugs for the benefit of the pharmaceutical industry, not necessarily for the patient. Cholesterol isn't the problem it is cracked up to be, the problems are other underlying factors like inflammation. I've read a study that shows men whose cholesterol levels are below a level higher than the highest guideline level are more likely to get Parkinson's Disease! I've also heard that the guideline levels are going to be lowered further so that even more people will be advised to take Statins! What is really going on with this overwhelming push to get so much of the population on Statins? Millions of dollars have been made by t

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