Well, this little headline was sort of swept under the radar...at least away from most major news media. A few smaller papers caught wind of it.
So, if you haven't heard, please let me be the one to spill the beans: Pfizer, one of the largest (correction - THE largest) drug company in the world has been found guilty of illegal prescription drug promotions - they "wined and dined medical doctors and sent them on exotic trips to induce them to prescribe its drugs, including the impotence treatment Viagra and cholesterol medicine Lipitor." (for notes on Lipitor, please take a look at one of our previous posts here - you will want to get off cholesterol drugs as soon as possible after reading it).
There's a blog about it here, on the News & Observer website...I can't seem to find a link to one of the published stories (most require a subscription). I'll keep looking, though.
** UPDATE - I found a great article in our very own Columbus Dispatch, viewable here!
So, I guess a lesson to take home from this is this: if you decide it is absolutely NECESSARY to take a prescription drug, ask the doctor to show you paperwork that the drug is FDA approved for the intention it is to be used. If everything is as it should be, the request should not be a problem to fulfill.
Don't be a sheep, blindly following anyone in a white coat - educate yourself on the drugs you and your family are taking...it could save your life.
In Health,
Dr. Scott
www.hilltopwellness.com
Showing posts with label Lipitor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lipitor. Show all posts
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Muscle Damage Caused by Statins (cholesterol lowering drug)
I would be very surprised if you see this on the front page of the newspapers or the headlining story of the 11 o'clock news: PERMANENT Muscle Damage Caused by Statins! Statins are a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol and have recently been implicated in cases of muscle damage; in many cases this damage was considered to be permanent.
PERMANENT!
Take a look at this article at Forbes.com - if you're a research buff, you can find the original research paper from the Canadian Medical Association Journal here.
If you'd like the cliff-notes summary, here it is: if you are taking a statin drug to lower your cholesterol there is a 53% chance you will suffer muscle damage because of the drug. If you are taking a statin there is an 18% chance you will suffer permanent muscle damage because of the drug!
Yes, you read that correctly, 1 of every 5 people taking a statin will have permanent muscle damage.
Did you know a statin called Baycol was removed from the market because of a high incidence of system-wide muscle destruction? That was in 2001, and it was only one drug. There are 5 other major statin drugs on the market: Zocor, Pravachol, Lipitor, Lescol, and Crestor.
Do you or someone you love take one of these drugs? Chances are good the answer is "Yes" as statins are the highest selling drug in the United States.
Known risk factors for muscle pain include old age, high doses of statins, exercising vigorously while on statins and certain medications (including warfarin (Coumadin), cancer drugs, oral medications for fungal disorders and certain antibiotics, which interfere with the removal of statins from the body). This means if you are taking a statin and exercise to better yourself, you are at a higher risk of damaging your muscles. And if you are taking other medications concurrently with the statin you are at a much higher risk of damage.
If you are currently taking a statin and are experiencing muscle pain or weakness, I would URGE you to consult your medical doctor with this information readily available. Print the Canadian study and bring it to him or her. Let the doctor know you demand a HEALTHY alternative to this garbage.
I get worked up talking about this stuff because it's so easy to prevent high cholesterol in the first place. If you have high cholesterol and would like an excellent alternative recommendation, please give our office a call. I will gladly sit down with you and help you improve your life!
Dr. Scott
www.hilltopwellness.com
*If you would like to read Dr. Mercola's commentary on this information (I did and the information was invaluable), you can read his article on statins HERE - and please feel free to use my email address if you are prompted to log in - hilltopchiro AT gmail.com)
PERMANENT!
Take a look at this article at Forbes.com - if you're a research buff, you can find the original research paper from the Canadian Medical Association Journal here.
If you'd like the cliff-notes summary, here it is: if you are taking a statin drug to lower your cholesterol there is a 53% chance you will suffer muscle damage because of the drug. If you are taking a statin there is an 18% chance you will suffer permanent muscle damage because of the drug!
Yes, you read that correctly, 1 of every 5 people taking a statin will have permanent muscle damage.
Did you know a statin called Baycol was removed from the market because of a high incidence of system-wide muscle destruction? That was in 2001, and it was only one drug. There are 5 other major statin drugs on the market: Zocor, Pravachol, Lipitor, Lescol, and Crestor.
Do you or someone you love take one of these drugs? Chances are good the answer is "Yes" as statins are the highest selling drug in the United States.
Known risk factors for muscle pain include old age, high doses of statins, exercising vigorously while on statins and certain medications (including warfarin (Coumadin), cancer drugs, oral medications for fungal disorders and certain antibiotics, which interfere with the removal of statins from the body). This means if you are taking a statin and exercise to better yourself, you are at a higher risk of damaging your muscles. And if you are taking other medications concurrently with the statin you are at a much higher risk of damage.
If you are currently taking a statin and are experiencing muscle pain or weakness, I would URGE you to consult your medical doctor with this information readily available. Print the Canadian study and bring it to him or her. Let the doctor know you demand a HEALTHY alternative to this garbage.
I get worked up talking about this stuff because it's so easy to prevent high cholesterol in the first place. If you have high cholesterol and would like an excellent alternative recommendation, please give our office a call. I will gladly sit down with you and help you improve your life!
Dr. Scott
www.hilltopwellness.com
*If you would like to read Dr. Mercola's commentary on this information (I did and the information was invaluable), you can read his article on statins HERE - and please feel free to use my email address if you are prompted to log in - hilltopchiro AT gmail.com)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
