My neurologist and my regular doc of 14 years had words. All because my doc put me on fish oil rather that a statin drug that gives me nasty stomach pain. My doctor and her nurse both gave me a call that my neurologist was concerned... my neurologist saying (to my doctor) there could be "dire consequences" if I was not on the statin. My docs reasoning was that my cholesterol is not high, I do not have any narrowing or clogged arteries, that it is being used as a preventative, and fish oil would do the job without the side effects. My neurologist is adamant about me taking aspirin, the statin, and a blood pressure as a deterrent to further strokes since the reason for my stroke is unknown. I am at this time undecided. I think I will take half the statin coupled with fish oil. I hate hate hate the idea of being on drugs the rest of my life, but am doing it because of the "risk of stroke" hanging over my head. And I have been very reliable with my drugs, taking them daily.
Anyone else have this drug cocktail as a preventative?
from January 14, 2008.
ReplyDeleteDrug Has No Benefit in Trial, Makers Say
http://www.orchardchiropractic.com/resources/ra-pdf1/Cholesterol%20-Zetia%20has%20no%20effect%2001.pdf
But then I'm no doctor so don't bother confusing yours with facts. Statins have numerous side effects.
Do Statins Make You Stupid?
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/13/do-statins-make-you-stupid/
I only have 28 posts on statins that your doctor should be able to recite to you.
Dean
My doctors are in two different philosophy pools about medication... so I will do some reading and talk to them further. Thank you for pointing me in another direction... it is good to have more info, usually I relish it but it seems since having the stroke I am less able to do research. Probably due to the content of the material.
DeleteI have lots of opinions too. (grin)
ReplyDeleteFirst I really would think carefully about the idea of cutting the dosage of any medication without getting those Drs of yours to agree.(or adding new things to the mix, even over the counter or herbal teas) The quantity usually is critical. Too little does nothing and can put you at risk, and too much gets toxic.
I started out with Warfarin as a blood thinner to try and prevent further clots but as things changed and I became more medically stable we switched me to asprin after about a year. I would not assume that you would have to stay on statins or aspirin permanently but your stroke was really recent and with so many unanswered questions it probably is good to be conservative with any changes.
Might be in your best interests to discuss things further with the neurologist and come to a compromise with him. I have had no end of trouble with neurologists but I seem to need them for a lot of filling out forms.
Hope you work things out soon or at least manage the bad side effects.
Yeah, I hear ya. My neurologist gives me a very serious tone when he answers my medicine questions about dosage changes-- always using the "because you had a stroke and we don't know why" which pretty much stops me from arguing, since I would not voluntarily go down that path ever again. And you are right, I can wait a bit longer, it is still recent--I forget that. I think of it as selective amnesia... that someday SOON I will be totally "normal" and not on any pills other than vitamins. Which I know will never be the case... but there is a teeny part of me that wishes.
Delete