I has a sad...

[Spiky Bugger]

@CaitlynR He's seen a neurologist, had MRIs and is awaiting (another) carotid ultrasound.

But...thanks to the info from the good folks here and the brain scan, we are thinking that statins may be a big cause of his problems. So he stopped them and will have another blood test in six weeks to make sure he's controlling diet enough to make some doctors happy.

They mostly seem convinced that statins are the best drug ever. But I don't get why a drug that can cause diabetes, and so many other problems, is such a gift to mankind.

I will mention a neuropsychologist to him, though. Thanks.

 

[Clematis]

I'm so happy to hear it's statins. I think it only took 10-14 days for my "dementia" to clear. Glucose levels normalized within 24 hours. Liver function was normal when next tested, two months later. My head hair and ends of eyebrows started to regrow, but not on my arms or legs. The weird electrical buzzing in the bottoms of my feet that "flushed" up my legs took nearly a year to settle back to my feet only -- it's still there 5 years later, but now it just happens occasionally, so that was unfortunately permanent damage.

My cholesterol level wasn't good (about 300, can't remember now) but that all instantly vanished after DS. Diet and exercise reduced cholesterol levels but did not get it to an ideal level. I was on a near-vegetarian spartan diet and maniacally exercised for a year. Got down to an anorexic 111 lbs but the cholesterol only dropped to 210.

Given a choice, I'd rather drop dead of a heart attack than slowly deteriorate with dementia and diabetes.

Please join me on my bandwagon to preach that statins can be very dangerous. There are Cleveland Clinic cardiologists who think statins are a miracle drug and EVERYONE should be on them -- they've even been on national news saying so. This thinking then ends up in the cardiology protocol that lands on the PCPs desk and gets prescribed to most patients. He may have to fight every doctor from here on out not to be put back on them. Even after I discussed all the adverse effects I had to several statins with a new PCP (before DS), she still tapped the cholesterol reading on my chart with her fingernail and said I really needed to go back on statins! For God's sake I couldn't remember how old I was or my birthdate, got lost coming home from grocery store one mile away, spoke haltingly as I couldn't find words and became just generally afraid of everything -- not to mention malfunctioning liver and near-diabetic glucose levels. Geez. And she continued to say this at every appointment until I left her concurrent with the DS.

Hope all improves for Mr. Sue ASAP.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

We will keep an eye on his numbers.

I go with him to the doctors' appointments. He says, "You talk."

I say something like, "He is a non-confrontational guy. And he is determined to stop the statins. So, he won't argue with you...he'll just go home and be non-compliant. I would like it if we can find a way to monitor his cholesterol while he aims for better dietary control. If he can do that, he will go without the other benefits of statins in exchange for not having diabetes and other quality of life problems."

And he says, "Yeah...what she said."

So, he retests in five more weeks.

He says that after a week without them, he feels like he has more mental clarity, but enough mental clarity to explain what he means. LOL

 

[JackieOnLine]

he is lucky to have you, but you know that, right?

 

[Spiky Bugger]

he is lucky to have you, but you know that, right?

I keep telling him, "I'm the best thing that ever happened to you!"

Eventually, he may buy into that scam.

 

[CaitlynR]

I am so glad you have some answers. Cognitive decline (or even just the perception of it) is so scary, especially for cerebral types.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I am so glad you have some answers. Cognitive decline (or even just the perception of it) is so scary, especially for cerebral types.

Lol...if only I were a jock, eh?

 

[DianaCox]

I swear this just happened:

1) I read your post about Mr. Sue stopping statins to Charles, who takes statins and whose mental function (he's almost 66) is -
let's just say not improving. He demurred about having any mental function issues which would suggest considering stopping taking them (which is weird in and of itself, because he fought long and hard AGAINST taking them in the first place when his TGs were so high - over 600 - that his cholesterol couldn't even be measured, or blood pressure meds, or a baby aspirin, and bitches about not wanting to even take an Advil when he's clearly in pain, or a Dulcolax or Metamucil or enema when he's debilitated in pain from constipation because he still eats crap), because that's what he does - argues with me about EVERY.DAMNED.THING.

2) Not 5 minutes later, he asked me about the cool power tower I now use to organize all the cords for my electronic devices on my nightstand - asked me where I got it, so we could get another one for the front of the RV. I just stared at him. He asked again. I said "I don't know where it came from - you bought it for me for my birthday" (which was less than 2 months ago). And of course he got pissed at me for "making fun of him" and pointed out how many things he's had on his mind lately.

We have the same PCP - I will mention it to him via MY message system before Charles goes in to see him again.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I swear this just happened:

1) I read your post about Mr. Sue stopping statins to Charles, who takes statins and whose mental function (he's almost 66) is -
let's just say not improving. He demurred about having any mental function issues which would suggest considering stopping taking them (which is weird in and of itself, because he fought long and hard AGAINST taking them in the first place when his TGs were so high - over 600 - that his cholesterol couldn't even be measured, or blood pressure meds, or a baby aspirin, and bitches about not wanting to even take an Advil when he's clearly in pain, or a Dulcolax or Metamucil or enema when he's debilitated in pain from constipation because he still eats crap), because that's what he does - argues with me about EVERY.DAMNED.THING.

2) Not 5 minutes later, he asked me about the cool power tower I now use to organize all the cords for my electronic devices on my nightstand - asked me where I got it, so we could get another one for the front of the RV. I just stared at him. He asked again. I said "I don't know where it came from - you bought it for me for my birthday" (which was less than 2 months ago). And of course he got pissed at me for "making fun of him" and pointed out how many things he's had on his mind lately.

We have the same PCP - I will mention it to him via MY message system before Charles goes in to see him again.

Good luck. But as has been previously mentioned, they seem to want every.fucking.body on the damned things.

That is why I told our PCP that he wouldn't argue with her...he'd just go home and be non-compliant...so wouldn't it be better if ALL THREE OF US agreed to a temporary cessation with blood test follow ups.

Mr Sue was prescribed statins early on. His heart attack was when he was 47. But he was working, his safety depended on muscle strength and the statins first bothered his muscles. So he stopped.

Charles recently had a brain scan, right? After he hit his head? And a carotid ultrasound? You're the scientist in this conversation, but when Mr Sue had those and checked out okay, I decided it was a chemistry-related issue (meds he was taking or should be taking) rather than a geography (blockages along an important pathway) issue. Time will tell.

Meanwhile...the power tower incident? You probably bought it the same place I hid the door hinges that were eventually located in a place HE could reach, but I couldn't. And even then, he had no recall of putting them there. Welcome to my world.

(And Charles is one year older than Mr Sue.)

 

[DianaCox]

No brain scan, no carotid artery U/S. I'm pressing for these things, but I have to tread lightly with the anti-doctor ego issues. My successes this year: (1) he's on antidepressants, which really helped with his mood swings; (2) he had a colonoscopy on 10/4, which we're still waiting for the results from the biopsies of his polyps, and they diagnosed diverticulosis, which may explain his constipation issues and MIGHT make him adjust his diet somewhat; and (3) we're both having hearing tests in early November, because you know it COULD be me, even though I am NOT the one who has listened to rock music at high volume, including through headphones, for 50+ years.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Hearing aids...really good ones..cost a fortune. THOUSANDS per ear.

 

[DianaCox]

I know - Dad's ladyfriend made us contribute half of the cost (negotiated down from full cost) for his. One of the cuntier things she's done. (He's probably coming to live with us in December, btw - he shouldn't be driving anymore (a couple of minor accidents), so he's no longer of any use to her.)

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I know - Dad's ladyfriend made us contribute half of the cost (negotiated down from full cost) for his. One of the cuntier things she's done. (He's probably coming to live with us in December, btw - he shouldn't be driving anymore (a couple of minor accidents), so he's no longer of any use to her.)

 

[JackieOnLine]

so much for true love

I was at my (concierge!) doctor yesterday and he said I don't need statins yet but he seemed really pro-statin.