Cholesterol and my experience

I started taking Lipitor when I was 25. 25! The Doctor said since my family had a history of heart disease I need to keep my cholesterol really low.



I am 39 now. Someone recently reminded me that one of the biggest side effects of statins like Lipitor is muscle degeneration & muscle fatigue. They asked me "isn't your heart one big muscle?"

Wow!

So I have done more research on Cholesterol. When I was younger there was just an absolute number. Then they discovered variants, such as Good and Bad Cholesterol.

Current research says cholesterol is in every cell of our body; and they question why it might be a bad thing if its part of every cell?

Cholesterol levels of 320 were ok but later they got revised to below 200 after the Framingham Study.

(For Wikipedia on this, click here)

Apparently that study has continued till today and the results are different now. Cholesterol below 200 is an insignificant guarantor of death from heart attack or a stroke !

But,,,, we know Lipitor type statins are bad for muscles.

Current research science says statins are only effective if you've had 1 heart attack.

There is not much science on what happens to non-heart attack users after decades of statin use.



So I've stopped my statins !! Since 6 weeks. I can tell you that my energy levels have shot up. I never knew statins were affecting me since I started them so long ago !!!!



Wish me luck and stay tuned for my bloodwork results after I stopped statins.



Jr