checking in after bloodwork

[nitewind]

Hi everyone. I posted a week or so ago about my bloodwork and my ultra low vitamin D level.
Started weekly doses of prescription vitamin D, it says 1.5 mg. Doctor also ordered 80 miligrams of Pravachol, everyday, I picked it up but haven't taken it yet, been reading too many bad things about statins. I surely don't need more muscle pain and fatigue. I really don't know what to do, I have a fear of medications anyhow and this doesn't sit well with me. I took the vitamin d and I'm sitting here looking at the bottle of pravachol. Any information? What would you do? I'm such a big baby when it comes to meds, I don't know how I got thru chemo (lol).
Hugs to all

[Mary Anne in TX]

Hi Susan!
I totally know what you mean! But I have become a walking, talking drugstore myself....tyroid med, high blood pressure med, statin, blood thinner PLUS my "meds" of choice...fish oil, CoQ10, vitamins. don't like it, but I do it. After working so hard to "beat the beast" I want to make it those 8 1/2 years more til my granddaughter finishes high school. So I take the stuff and keep checking to be sure it's doing good things to me...so far, so good! but I sure do understand. ma

[vickie h]

Susan and Ma, How do we get through chemo ...LOL! We're all walking drugstores, aren't we? But I agree with Ma...we need to stick around for those grandkids, sooo....more fish oils, vit K, Vit D, etc, etc. Much Love to you, vickie

[Mary Anne in TX]

I did that kinda newer test for CTCs on Friday! Am curious to see the results. It will give me a baseline for the future. I'm counting on it being below 5 and being able to celebrate when I get the results!!!
The other day I just wanted to pretend I never got that original phone call 3 years ago and take off on a very long adventure! Doesn't take long for reality to catch up to me, but it was a fun mental adventure for a while!
ma

[Jackie07]

I bought a bottle of fish oil and something else a couple of weeks ago. Haven't taken any because I have not worked it into my routine. Old habits die hard. And it seems unless we are pushed into the corner, we don't want to 'change'.

I was just thinking about my late Mother-in-law who had left us January 6, just 1 1/2 months short of her 82nd birthday. She was only 5', was born premature to a mail bride (her Mother was 48 when she was married first time to her late cousin's husband in Florida.) Her Mother kept her warm in a shoe box by the stove. Her Father died of diabetes when she was 13 and her Mother ended up moving back to Texas to stay with a younger brother, bringing my Mother-in-law and her two older step sisters.

Oh, almost forgot about my point. My Mother-in-law developed diabetes in her early 50's and started taking meds to control it. By the time I was married to her youngest son, she had turned 61 and was taking more than 15 pills at different time of the day. She drew lines in a notebook to check off the pills she had taken.

She had retired from a teaching career for more than 30 years. Then she started to sell Avon to people who live in her neighborhood and a town of 3000 15 miles away. She was bitten by a vicious dog while visiting a customer. She crashed her car half year before she had a heart attack and underwent quadruple bypass. She had to treat her ulcers on her legs caused by diabetes... She had had congested heart failure.

I could just see her face. She took those pills without ever a blink of her eyes. She's got so many of them to take, she just wanted to get them done so she could get about her business and go to bed in time.

I never have problems with taking my pills after I had known 'Addie Belle', my wonderful Mother-in-law.

[Jackie07]

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, the following should be considered:
Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.
Diet—Before prescribing medicines to lower your cholesterol, your doctor will probably try to control your condition by prescribing a personal diet for you. Such a diet will be lower in total fat, particularly saturated fat, and dietary cholesterol. Many people are able to control their condition by carefully following their doctor's orders for proper diet and exercise. Medicine is prescribed only when additional help is needed and is effective only when a schedule of diet and exercise is properly followed.
Also, this medicine is less effective if you are greatly overweight. It may be very important for you to go on a reducing diet. However, check with your doctor before going on any diet.
Pregnancy—HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors should not be used during pregnancy or by women who plan to become pregnant in the near future. These medicines block formation of cholesterol, which is necessary for the fetus to develop properly. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors may cause birth defects or other problems in the baby if taken during pregnancy. An effective form of birth control should be used during treatment with these medicines. Check with your doctor immediately if you think you have become pregnant while taking this medicine . Be sure you have discussed this with your doctor.
Breast-feeding—These medicines are not recommended for use during breast-feeding because they may cause unwanted effects in nursing babies.
Children—Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in children with use in other age groups. However, atorvastatin, lovastatin, and simvastatin have been used in a limited number of children under 18 years of age. Early information seems to show that these medicines may be effective in children, but their long-term safety has not been studied.
Older adults—This medicine has been tested in a limited number of patients 65 years of age or older and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.
Other medicines—Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• <LI itxtvisited="1">Cyclosporine (e.g., Sandimmune) or <LI itxtvisited="1">Gemfibrozil (e.g., Lopid) or <LI itxtvisited="1">Clofibrate (e.g., Atromid-S) or <LI itxtvisited="1">Fenofibrate (e.g., Tricor) or
• Niacin—Use of these medicines with an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor may increase the risk of developing muscle problems and kidney failure

• Digoxin (e.g., Lanoxin)—Use with atorvastatin, fluvastatin, or simvastatin may increase blood levels of digoxin, increasing the risk of side effects

• Oral contraceptives, (birth control tablets)—Atorvastatin may increase the blood levels of the birth control hormones, increasing the risk of side effects

• <LI itxtvisited="1">HIV protease inhibitors (Amprenavir [e.g., Agenerase], Indinavir [e.g., Crixivan], Nelfinavir [e.g., Viracept], Ritonavir [e.g., Norvir], Saquinavir [e.g., Fortovase, Invirase]) or
• Nefazodone (e.g. Serzone)—Use with simvastatin may increase the risk of developing muscle problems and kidney failure

• Verapamil (e.g. Calan, Isoptin)—Use with simvastatin may increase the risk of muscle problems

Other medical problems—The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• <LI itxtvisited="1">Alcohol abuse (or history of) or
• Liver disease—Use of this medicine may make liver problems worse

• <LI itxtvisited="1">Convulsions (seizures), not well-controlled, or <LI itxtvisited="1">Organ transplant with therapy to prevent transplant rejection or
• If you have recently had major surgery—Patients with these conditions may be at risk of developing problems that may lead to kidney failure

[nitewind]

Jackie, I wish I had the strength and courage of 'Addie Belle'. There was a time when I didn't worry about taking meds, always took what the doctor said to. About 12 years ago my old doctor (notice I said Old) put me on premarin and I had a terrible reaction, had a nervous breakdown, from that time on, I've been really scared about taking anything. I think that was the worst time of my life, even worse than the cancer. Guess that's why I'm so skeptical now.
I suppose I'll start taking the pravachol, but 80mg. still sounds like to much to me. I guess it won't kill me, but so afraid of side effects. Wish I could get a pep talk from your 'Addie Belle'.
Thanks for all the help
hugs

[Jackie07]

I found an article "Statins: Are these cholesterol-lowering drugs right for you?" (Mayo Clinic) off the Yahoo search on Pravachol. 80 mg seems to be the highest dosage [Read it carefully, the dosage varies by the medication]. It did talk about how you might want to talk to your doctor about the dosage.

Let me see if I can copy and paste certain portion of the article here.

[Jackie07]

[Disclaimer: I am not a drug pusher, never was, never will be. The information provided below is for reference only...]

From the Yahoo Website on Statin:


Should I be on a statin?

Whether you need to be on a statin depends on your cholesterol level along with your other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. If you have high cholesterol, meaning your total cholesterol level is 240 milligrams per deciliter, or mg/dL, (6.22 millimoles per liter, or mmol/L) or higher, or your "bad" cholesterol (LDL) level is 130 mg/dL (3.68 mmol/L) or higher, the numbers alone won't tell you or your doctor the whole story.
High cholesterol is only one of a number of risk factors for heart attack and stroke.

If your doctor decides you should take a statin, you and your doctor will have to decide what dose to take. Statins come in varied doses — from as low as 5 milligrams to as much as 80 milligrams, depending on the medication. If you need to decrease your LDL cholesterol significantly — by 50 percent or more, it's likely you'll be prescribed a higher dose of statins. If your LDL cholesterol isn't as high, you'll likely need a lower dose. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about the amount of statins you're taking.

Lifestyle is still key for lowering cholesterol
Lifestyle changes are essential for reducing your risk of heart disease, whether you take a statin or not. Quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, getting daily activity and managing stress are examples of lifestyle changes that will improve cholesterol, and most all of the other risk factors for heart disease. In fact, lifestyle changes may have a greater impact on reducing risk of heart disease and stroke than does medication alone.

[My Mother-in-law started walking 30 minutes a day around the block after her heart attack. My husband is also prescribed the same
Kind of exercise by his doctor after he had stents put in his heart – ’30 minutes a day, rain or shine’]

Consider statins a lifelong commitment
You may think that once your cholesterol goes down, you can stop taking medication. But, if your cholesterol levels have decreased as a result of taking a statin, you'll likely need to stay on it indefinitely. If you stop taking it, your cholesterol levels will probably go back up.

The exception may be if you make significant changes to your diet or lose a lot of weight. Substantial lifestyle changes may allow you to maintain low cholesterol without continuing to take the medication, but do so under your doctor's supervision.

[My own Mother, who has been chubby all her life, decided to become a vegeterian when she turned 50. It is sort of an old tradition for Chinese to 'refrain from killing animals' when a person gets to be middle age. By being a 'half vegeterian' (milk and eggs are allowed) she dropped 20-30 lbs over 10-15 years off her 5'2"frame. She only started to eat meat product after she recovered from Non-hogekins lymphoma in her early 70's. She also did a lot of Taichi and other 'resistance' sort of exercise. She is 86 right now and enjoys going to the cities for art exhibitions or shows.]