What are statins?

Statins are a chemical group of medicates which are normally employed to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood. They include atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), pravastatin (Provachol), rosuvastatin, and simvastatin (Zocor). They each have different brand names.

Statins act by halting the action of a certain enzyme (chemical) in the liver which is required to produce cholesterol.

What are the side-effects of statins

Muscle symptoms are a common side consequence of lipid-lowering medications; a lot of people undergo aching in the shoulders, pain in the jaw, or muscular pain in the legs. The muscle pain is a symptom of muscle break-down that is happening in the body due to the side effect of the statin drug. Once tissue breaks down, the body must eliminate the redundant waste cells.

The waste cells then overload the kidneys, causing graver problems. Rhabdomyolysis is the medical term for the breakdown of muscular tissue. In addition to muscle pain, the additional major symptom of rhabdomyolysis is dark, red, or cola coloured urine.

If fact, the statin drug known as Baycol was removed from the market after being implicated in over 60 deaths caused by rhabdomyolysis. Even so, rhabdomyolysis remains a life-threatening side effect of statins in general.

According to the FDA's MEDWATCH Reporting System, over 3300 cases of statin-induced rhabdomyolysis were described between January 1, 1990, and March 31, 2002. Investigators approximate that between 1% and 5% of lipid-lowering medicine users will go through muscle pain episodes and weakness as a side effect.

Muscle weakness is frequently a symptom of neuropathy, too. Some researchers approximate that 10% of the people who undergo statin drugs treatments will experience a weak form of neuropathy where the symptoms could be a feeling of fatigue, trouble in arising from a low chair or getting out of bed, breathlessness or difficulty walking.

They may simply not recognize the progressive muscle weakness and excuse the symptoms away as the result of being tired, overdoing or just getting older. For those who take statins, keep in mind that muscle weakness can be a sign of a rare, but serious side effect.

Some statin users experience amnesia, they also report an inability to focus as well, and feel that they are developing Alzheimers while taking statin drugs. Others claim to experience mood drops and other behavioural alterations when taking statins.

What are the safe and natural alternatives to statins?

Opposed to what the medical mainstream will assure you about lowering LDL and raising HDL, there are a number of safe natural alternatives to lipid-lowering drugs. Some of these include perilla oil (a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids), arjuna (an Ayurvedic plant which has been proven to lower cholesterin by as much as 12% in under one month) and Proactol (a patented fiber complex).

Also, Policosanol, a compound of fatty alcohols, has been gaining a reputation as an effective alternative to statin drugs.

Niacin supplements have also been shown to dramatically boost HDL.