Documentary Cholesterol: The Great Bluff

[labradors]

It's fraud by the drug companies. Plain and simple.

I was prescribed Lipitor about 30 years ago - and it was expensive even then. I took it for a month and had muscle weakness in my hands. My specialist was surprised by this, and offered to prescribe a different statin, but I had learned a bit about what a con it all is and refused.

Linda

[Killerbunny]

Not sure why your specialist would be surprised, that is a known side effect and can be very serious and permanent! Used to work for a big drug company!

[labradors]

It was a long time ago, but I felt that he was feigning surprise that Lipitor could have a bad effect.

He was an epidemiologist and I would sit in his waiting room for quite a while, waiting for my appointment to see him. While I was there his receptionist made several calls to patients advising them that "Doctor wants to put you on a statin drug" I was amazed!

Linda

[ross]

Being these could happen reactions are written on the packaging sounds more like a doctor problem in not saying so . Each time I get on a new drug my Doc & my Pharmacist go over adverse reactions to look out for . Time to find a new one . Not all these reactions happen to everyone just like not all folks are not allergic to peanuts or have a gluten intolerance. Luck

[Killerbunny]

Unfortunately Ross money sometimes takes over. There was a point when certain Drug Companies were trying to push to have more patients put onto them with very weak evidence (I was reading the clinical trials). Also the Heart & Stroke Society and also Cancer Society have become more marketing organisations.

[labradors]

Most people will never even know what's being done to them. A friend watched that show and STILL doesn't get it! She has terrible leg pains and went off Crestor for a while. Said it didn't make any difference and her cholesterol went sky high so she felt she HAD to go back on it. She's had a heart attack already, so she's too frightened to ditch the darned statin.

It seems criminal that the Heart and Stroke Society is pushing these awful meds

Linda

[ross]

Understand but what I'm saying is read the label it's there . If it's not & you react than something new has happened . If you've ever listened to the American tv ads for drugs they go on & on about adverse reactions maybe should have that here in Canada . As example I'm on some meds that I've been told by others I shouldn't or read reactions that could happen if I took to long or took more than maximum would cause harm . I & my doc work with what's available & feel I wouldn't be here or in a lot worse shape if I didn't take cause I have tried to cut back & didn't work . Just cause drug companies are pushing things like car companies are pushing vehicle sales doesn't mean we have to partake . There's an old saying that "it ain't worth living if the living ain't worth it " Hopefully folks find a professional they can work with & trust . There there just like car mechanics just got to look . Luck

[Killerbunny]

There's an old saying that "it ain't worth living if the living ain't worth it "

You got that right!

[Ontario Chick]

Most people will never even know what's being done to them. A friend watched that show and STILL doesn't get it! She has terrible leg pains and went off Crestor for a while. Said it didn't make any difference and her cholesterol went sky high so she felt she HAD to go back on it. She's had a heart attack already, so she's too frightened to ditch the darned statin.

It seems criminal that the Heart and Stroke Society is pushing these awful meds

Linda

The culture has certainly changed, only in the last 10 years or so, the fact that ever medication has side effects has been mentioned on regular bases, until then it was all in your head, because it couldn't possibly be the meds, right?