“My cholesterol medications are killing me?”

Not fast enough for you to take notice, but YES they are!

Is there a way to lower cholesterol without risking your life?

You likely think that eating a diet low in saturated fat is the most effective way to lower your cholesterol, but it might surprise you to know that physical activity and sugar intake have a whole lot to do with what your lab tests point to.

Cholesterol medications are given to you to correct your lab results from your blood tests.

Are you aware that lowering your cholesterol level will NOT statistically lower your risk of death?

Your doctor is happy to prescribe a pill that will bring down your cholesterol level, but is it really the best course of treatment for you?

Do You Know the Side Effects of the Drugs Your Doctor Wants You To Take?

There are 3 major classes of “lipid-lowering drugs”

and

They all have side effects

Ask your pharmacist which type has been prescribed for you, so that you will be able to realistically look at the side effects you may be facing should you choose to begin  drugging yourself.

The oldest cholesterol-lowering drugs are Bile Acid Sequestrants.

These drugs cause poor absorption of fat-soluble nutrients. (vitamins A,D,E,and K)

You already have enough reason to avoid this drug.  These vitamins, especially E, are extremely important to your heart health, and supplementing won’t help if you are on this type of drug.

Bile Acid Sequestrants have a laundry list of side effects

• bleeding disorders from Vit K deficiency
• vision issues due to insufficient Vit A
• interferes with absorption of thyroid medications
• causes poor absorption of antibiotics
• inhibits the absorption of several heart drugs

It doesn’t make sense to take a drug with undesirable side effects when there is a safe alternative that also binds with and removes cholesterol.

The alternative is dietary fiber.

The next group of drugs, Fibric Acid Derivatives, are down right deadly

The second class of drugs is generally used to lower triglyceride levels,  though it is unknown exactly how these drugs work.

They do cause a number of uncomfortable side effects.

• nausea
• loose stools
• flatulence
• muscle cramps
• rashes
• problems with skin and hair

It gets WORSE!

The World Health Organization conducted a six-year study of 10,000 patients using Atromid-S, a Fibric Acid Derivative.

This study found that Atromid-S actually increased the overall death rate by 44 percent.

It did lower triglycerides levels enough to reduce the risk of heart disease and death by heart attacks, but the increased mortality from other causes more than canceled this benefit.

The excessive deaths caused by this Fibric Acid Derivative were associated to:

• gall bladder disease
• cancer
• pancreatitis

Lopid is anther Fibric Acid Derivative and according to the Physicians’ Desk Reference, has similar side effects.

Additional things to keep in mind:

• These drugs should not be used with blood thinners or “Statin Drugs” (which will be discussed next).
• If you have gall bladder, liver, or kidney problems, you should not use these drugs.
• They are hard on the liver, and liver function should be closely monitored while taking them.

The Alternative is to eliminate sugar and other refined carbohydrates, and add a large dose of fish oil.

Even triclyceride levels in the thousands are relatively easy to treat with dietary changes.

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The third class of drugs is known as:

Statins

All of the generic names for these drugs end with “statin”, which is where the name comes from.  They include some of America’s best selling drugs:

• Lipitor
• Zocor
• Mevacor
• Pravachol
• Lescol

There have been 5 major studies of these drugs that prove that they lower risk of heart disease and death by heart attack, and other causes.

The medical community has been so impressed by these studies that they have gone overboard recommending these drugs.

The FDA actually approved Mevacor for use in people with normal cholesterol levels, and no sign of heart disease!

Some experts predict that half the population will be taking these drugs in the future, and there is a push to have them reclassified to over-the-counter status.

The National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines recommend aggressive drug therapy.  If fully implemented, 36 million Americans, one in every 5 adults, would be taking cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Statin drugs are helpful only when concentrated effort with lifestyle changes and natural therapies fail.

Despite the current infatuation with these drugs, they are NOT without RISK.

Side effects of Statin drugs include:

• liver toxicity
• gastrointestinal symptoms
• rashes
• blurred vision
• muscle inflammation and weakness
• rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis is a condition involving muscle breakdown, and can be FATAL!

One statin drug, Baycol, was voluntarily recalled in August 2001 after being linked to 31 deaths.

Every one of the drugs in this class works in a similar manner and has similar side effects.

According to Public Citizen, a Washington D.C. consumer group, other statin drugs have killed an additional 81 Americans.

Julian Whitaker, M.D. warns of another adverse effect of statin drugs that he feels has contributed to the deaths from rhabdomyolysis.

It is not listed in the Physicians’ Desk Reference or the drug inserts, but Dr. Whitaker calls it:

“the most chilling of all the statin side effects”.

Statin drugs work by inhibiting the action of an enzyme that is required for the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver.

This enzyme is also necessary for the manufacture of co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10).

Statins deplete the body of CoQ10.

CoQ10 is essential for energy production.  The heart is the hardest working, most energy consuming of all the muscles in the body, and therefore hardest hit by deficiencies.

Dr. Whitaker says:

“I consider the CoQ10 deficiencies caused by the growing use of statin drugs to be in large part responsible for our current epidemic of heart failure.”

You should hear what he has to say about the negative effects of statins on your brain.  The brain contains an abundance of cholesterol.  It is not difficult to see how these drugs would affect your ability to think and function.

Suicide and violent behavior have been linked to very low cholesterol levels for a long time.

Pretty serious reasons to take a closer look at statin drugs!

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Don’t fall prey to the hype surrounding these “miracle” drugs.  Educate yourself as to why you should give diet and lifestyle changes a REAL try.  There is help available when you open yourself to a new way of thinking about food and activity.

Alternatives to taking these risky drugs are to eat more fiber and less saturated fat and simple sugar.  Be more active and take CoQ10 and other supplements that can support you in your health building effort.

If you have no other choice but to take a statin drug, in is very important that you also take at least 200 milligrams of CoQ10.

Keep in mind that other natural alternatives may be helpful in lowering your cholesterol level:

• fish oil
• omega 3 fatty acid supplements (flaxseed oil)
• inositol hexaniacinate (niacin and B vitamins, which has been found just as effective as statins in lowering cholesterol)
• red yeast rice and other cholesterol-lowering supplements.

Nothing else matters if you don’t have good health.

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The Cholesterol Lie