Simvastatin 20mg Facts

Simvastatin 20mg

Simvastatin 20mg in Questions

My hubby's HDL is 19; doc gave him simvastatin 20mg to take for 90 days? My husband is 36 yrs old, 5'9" and weights about 170 pounds. He does not drink or smoke, generally he is in good health. He used to work out alot but stopped because of wor etc about 1.5 yr now. During his last physical the doc told him that his "good cholesterol" HDL is low-19, therefore he needs to change his diet and exercise more. Yday we received a prescrioption on the mail for Simvastatin 20mg, the instructions are for my husband to take the medication for 90 days!! the strange thing is that the doc did not say anything about the medication when my hubby visited him about a week ago! We are not sure whether he should be taking these medications or not... should he change his diet and exercise first before taking the medications? We've been reading about Simvastatin adn the comments & side effects are scary so we are not sure. My hubby is quiet stressed about it and i am worried!! Please help!! thanks in advance.

Clyde N replied: "By all means, if your husband can increase his HDL by diet and exercise alone, he should do so under his doctors supervision. If there is a change in his HDL levels, it will be noticeable within a month. If not he will probably medication.Since your husband's doctor made no mention of it, it would be wise to contact the doctor's office for instructions BEFORE using it to avoid any possible errors and undesireable effects. Visit naturescorner.com, my website."

John W replied: "19 is a really low HDL level. Exercise and diet can help. He can also take fish oil (omega 3) capsules which can also help a little. My doctor put me on Niaspan which is a prescription slow release Niacin pill. My HDL was around 32 at the time. Don't just start taking over the counter Niacin - it's not the same as the Niaspan. Hope this helps. Between the Niaspan, fish oil, and exercise I've been able to keep my HDL in the 45 - 55 range."

Why prescribe the same statin again? I have a cholesterol reading of 6.2 and was prescribed Simvastatin 20mg. After 1 month, although my cholesterol had dropped to 4.2 , i was taken off the statins because they where causing serious cramps in both feet and legs. I stayed off Statins for 1 month on a stricht diet, my cholesterol went back up to 6.4. I have been prescribed the same statin again and the terrible cramps are back again. Sometimes i am unable to walk for 20 minutes or more as both my legs and feet cramp up. I dont understand why i have been given the same statin again. has anyone had these symptoms, any help, tips or suggestions are welcome.

the crusader replied: "Stop taking it immediately! This can be a serious reaction to the statins that can lead to a muscle-wasting disease. I have no idea what your doctor was thinking putting you back on a statin after having this type of reaction. Call your doctor tomorrow and remind him of your problem and tell him/her that you will NOT be taking it anymore. If he/she won't listen, for whatever reason, or if you find out that he/she made a mistake by prescribing this to you again, then I suggest you find another doctor right away!"

Platobeenz replied: "I get 8 minutes with my do and go-away pills. What makes you so special?"

Dr Frank replied: "It was perhaps worth a second try, simvastatin is the systems statin of choice it is both cheap and effective. The problem maybe that you will experience the muscle cramp as a class effect from all statins. It is not appropriate that you continue with your current drug. After a spell off, it might be worth trying pravastatin, its metabolism is different, ( but it is less potent), but if you get cramps with it your GP will need to consider non-statin alternatives."

straightivy replied: "If you tell a lie often enough, it soon becomes accepted as truth. In 1991 Professor Edward R. Pickney, M.D., (former editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association) and Doctor Russell L. Smith, PhD.D., produced a book entitled The Cholesterol Conspiracy. In it, he says, "Hitler did it. He was not the first but he did it quite successfully. 'It' being the big lie. What is even worse, the big lie about cholesterol may well kill millions of people . . " My father had been taking Zocor (Simvastatin 20 mgs.) for ten years. He had terrible pain and cramps in his legs and other parts of his body. He also experienced memory loss and muscle weakness. His Doctor monitored him every month for LIVER FAILURE. This is a big problem with Statins. They also deplete something called Coenzyme Q10 which weakens your heart muscle. Therefore, it could actually CAUSE you to have a heart attack. Heart disease is not a disease of Cholesterol. Cholesterol is actually a good thing and your body needs it to function correctly. Cholesterol is not the major culprit in heart disease or any disease. If it becomes oxidized it can irritate/inflame tissues in which it is lodged in, such as the endothelium (lining of the arteries). This would be one of numerous causes of chronic inflammation that can injure the lining of arteries. Inflamation is caused by oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can be much better treated by taking antioxidants like vitamins C, E, Coenzyme Q10 and Fish Oil. I took my father off of statin drugs and put him on a regiment of antioxidants. His cholesterol levels are healthy, his pain and other symptoms of statin drugs have disappeared and his doctor cannot figure out how he did it. The fact is that statin drugs create more problems than they are worth. There are natural means that do a much better job with no side effects. Go to my blog and read about what you can do to stop the pain and start living again."

chattanooga chip replied: "Check with your doctor... he does blood test to see that you are not having a problem with certain TYPES of muscle spasms Then if he assures you (you may want to have him put it in writing) that you are not having the problems because of those statins ..... THEN stop drinking or eating any dairy products This takes about three or four days for it to get out of your system and for the symptoms to go away... but stop eating dairy products and drinking milk. Get your calcium from other foods, vegetables sources, or from supplements. You do not have to read lables and go to extremes but just avoid regular milk products like cheese and sour cream... cottage cheese... half n half.... normal dairy products. You should see releif in a few days (for sure by a week) Keep your bowel habits normal by eating good roughage.. (bran or fiber) and drink lots of water. You should feel much better real soon."

Is this a deadly combination of drugs? My father was put into a nursing home after suffering a stroke. He is diabetic "type 2". He has high blood pressure. He has had constipation twice in a year that required an enema. It the following a recipe for disaster. Miralax 17g once daily Simvastatin 20mg once daily Zoloft 25mg once daily Aggrenox twice daily Aldactone 100mg twice daily Colace 100mg twice daily Lisinopril 20mg twice daily Metformin 500mg twice daily Prilosec liquid 40mg twice daily Wellburtrin 150mg twice daily Clonidine 0.3mg three times daily Reglan 10mg four times daily. Jevity is his feeding. Amount machince says on it's readout is 50 and he recieves 8 ounces of water a day. Is this a heathy combination.

LadyLynn replied: "This is a perfect question for his pharmacist, or any pharmacist. They are SO smart and helpful, and they know more about meds than many doctors! If you want to speak to a 24-hour pharmacist just look up "pharmacies" in the Yellow Pages. They have lots of ads. It's an excellent question, because some nursing homes are known for overmedicating and putting their patients in a daze. These homes should be sued and put out of business, or fix things! This would be a great time to talk with a pharmacist, because s/he wouldn't be too busy. You sound like a wonderful son. Best of luck to your father. :L"

COOKIE4EVER replied: "I assume that your dad is elderly if indeed he is he should be seeing a geriatric medication specialist. Many doctors over prescribe for the elderly. Their bodies can't tolerate the same amount or strength as a younger person of the same weight. Yet still many General Practitionerss write dosagess by body mass."

Should I have been put on cholesterol med. I'm only 22? These were my lab results i got back about a month ago: cholesterol: 210 HDL;: 52 LDL: 131 My doctor noted that this could have been caused by my growth hormone deficiency which just showed up on the labs as well. (GH: 0.1). She put me on Simvastatin 20mg once a night. I've been on them for a week. What do think based on my labs. Should i be on this medication at my age? \ If you need more info please imply so. thanks i'm sorry the units used to measure are mg/dLs if that makes any sense to you :-/

grodno replied: "They like it to be below 5 so yours appears to be massively over the top."

HillaryisadisgracetoUSA replied: "I would say that you should get a second test done. While it is possible that you have high cholesterol there are a lot of different factors that could trigger a high test. Seriously, before I got put on medication I would be tested again, just to be certain. Even if my 2nd test showed that I had high cholesterol I would exercise and diet, then be retested a 3rd time before I ever took medication at such an early age."

10-S-C replied: "Your total cholesterol level should be less than 200. Your HDL is great. LDL is a little high, it should be less than 100, 70 if you have other problems like diabetes or high blood pressure, which at 22 I doubt you do. Ask your doctor what your HDL/LDL ratio was. Sometimes the good will balance out the bad and you won't have to be put on medication. Simvastatin 20mg is a pretty low dosage, but if you're uncomfortable taking something like that, just humor them for a month or so and then ask them to recheck your lipids. Be sure to go in fasting for your recheck, though--it's more accurate that way. Your doc probably thought it would be in your best interests to go ahead and start a medication. What is your family history like? Lots of strokes/heart attacks? But if you're uncomfortable, like I said, call the doctor. Actually, ask for the nurse--we know more about issues such as this! lol...maybe it was just an oversight or something. Call them! They will help you get it all worked out. Good luck!"

t a replied: "YOU ARE PERFECTLY HEALTHY! Your cholesterol is normal for a healthy human being. Your doctor is either an idiot or the victim of a corrupt drug approval system. Stop taking the poison they've prescribed and get a new doctor. This doctor has a different viewpoint." Blood cholesterol levels between 200 and 240 mg/dl are normal. These levels have always been normal. In older women, serum cholesterol levels greatly above these numbers are also quite normal, and in fact they have been shown to be associated with longevity. Since 1984, however, in the United States and other parts of the western world, these normal numbers have been treated as if they were an indication of a disease in progress or a potential for disease in the future." But please don't take my word for it, go to this site and educate yourself a little on the subject. "

My doctor wants to put me on Simvastatin (Zocor)? I have to admit I have changed me eating habits do to my financial situation and I drive a bus for a living now. My total cholesterol is 199 triglyceride 72 hdl 35 ldl 150 The doctor pointed out that my ldl is too high and should be below 100 I do take fish oil daily and when I get the opportunity I do exercise, i.e., run or swim. I am already taking 20mg of lisinopril. I am 42, 5'11' and I weigh about 183. Thank you in advance.

Murzy replied: "your DR is correct (and he may be saving your life) those numbers are too high for someone your age"

Shakera replied: "Yes your LDL is high and your HDL is low. You need to reduce your weight and exercise more. If you have a family history of heart problems, then perhaps you need to consider a statin and niacin."

AbeLincolnParty replied: "Sounds good, I have a few comments: Rarely, lisinopril can it self cause high cholesterol levels due to it impairing the flow of bile into the intestine, the condition is called cholestasis, and is due to liver damage not blocked flow from a gall stone. Adding together drugs with a potential for liver toxicity increases the risk, therefore avoid or limit alcohol and tylenol (acetaminophen). See the website, search Zocor and click on label information to get a listing of side effects and known drug interactions. If you eat much red meat, then I suggest you broil it in the oven so the fat can drip off. Hydrogenated vegetable oil is in many processed foods, sometimes they advertise 0% trans fats, but this number reflects low portion size and rounding the numbers to 0. Trans fats go in but they don't want to leave the body, their discovery in the early 1900's made nationwide distribution of baked goods like cookies possible. The cookies can stay on the shelf for months because bacteria don't know what to do with trans fats either."

kc replied: "Zocor is part of a group of choletserol lowering agents called statin drugs, hence the name Simvastatin. Zocor actually prevents the production of cholesterol, keeping it from building up in the body. It will reduce the amount of LDL and overall cholesterol in your bloodstream, allowing blood to flow normally through the arteries and preventing atherosclerosis. Lisinopril is an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor. It is used to treat conditions such as CAD (coronary artery disease). There are no drug-drug interactions between Zocor (Simvastatin) and Zestril (Lisinopril). Your doctor is wise to prescribe Zocor for your cholesterol. Make sure you discuss everything and anything that should be noted about your health and these medications."

mickey replied: "I take simvastatin for my cholesterol. It has lowered my hdl and ldl and my tota cholesteol."