Are any of U taking statins to lower cholesterol? If so, is anyone worried about side effects? I've a friend taking a doctor-ordered drug that's slowing a kidney function but her doctor won't change the med. And WB is taking a statin with liver-damaging potential. The friend with the slowed kidney refuses to take statins but is still taking the med slowing her kidney. What say you?

And, can those of you with medical background, explain to me
why the FDA approves drugs they know can harm the major organs
within a human being?

Sometimes it comes down to the lesser of evils with drugs - does the benefit outweigh the possible side effects? Some people are helped by a certain medicine while others are harmed. And the FDA, since all the deregulation and the firing of inspectors, hasn't been able to work the way it should. It is improving, though. For a long time, the drug companies were hiding results that were negative so the FDA was approving drugs that weren't what the company said they were. Even with clinical trials, the possible side effects don't always show up until the drug has been used long term, hence the recalls and taking drugs off the market after they've been used long-term.

Since not everyone reacts the same way to a drug, it's hard to predict who will be helped. Most of the clinical trials, until recently, were done with men, so it was a shock when they realized that drugs act differently in women as a whole.

And all drugs have possible side effects, but not everyone who takes that drug has side effects.

Thanks yonuh. I'm confident you are 100% correct. I'm floundering right now, because I love these people. God bless!

JUST TODAY, my Dr. put me on Zocor for high chol. I'm NOT thrilled, but she said what Yonuh said....the benefits are outweighed.

My LDL went up 29 pts in 4 months.....GRRRRR.

Just be sure your doctor monitors liver enzymes. It should be fine. But if you're interested in other options for lowering cholesterol, I highly recommend reading what Dr. Andrew Weil has to say at: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03028/High-Cholesterol.html

Thank you yonuh! I downloaded that "Dr. Weil" health tips & advice. Excellent! Can't thank you enough! Prayers and blessings,

A friend recommended my taking milk thistle pills (1 daily, inexpensive) to help counteract the rise in my liver enzyme levels after 4 yrs on statins. Seems to have worked - my next test showed the enzyme level dropped by 50%. It's back where it was before I started taking the statins.

Getting your cholesterol and triglycerides under control, whether by diet or medication, is always advisable. Heart attacks are the biggest killer of women, especially because our symptoms don't always match the classic pattern that men's follow.

Milk thistle is a good detoxifier. It is also recommended for other things like people who work around chemicals a lot (painters, carpenters, etc.) I don't know how it works, but it does work.

jakkom,
Thanks for sharing that info about milk thistle pills. I've written that down and hopefully can talk WB into taking milk thistle, asap!