Question: I am 63 and eat very healthy. In January my doctor insisted I go on Crestor because my cholesterol was a little over 200. By April I was vomiting regularly and quit. I really don't want any statins. High cholesterol seems to be a family thing and most of my family lived into their 90s.

Dr. Hibberd's Answer:

All statins are not the same. I certainly wouldn't use Crestor again due to your severe side effects, but you might be able to try another as long as your physician agrees. Be sure to start with a low dose and escalate slowly. Do NOT use grapefruit juice or extracts. Grapefruit juice will elevate your drug level and predispose you to side effects. There is good evidence that statins do deplete our stores of CoQ10 predisposing some to muscle cramps, so you might want to consider daily supplementation of your statin with 50 to 100mg of CoQ10 daily if your doctor agrees. So, get baseline lab, then with your physician’s approval, start your substitute statin. I would prefer Lipitor, which has extensive experience and studies to back its safety.

I presume your cholesterol levels call for drug treatment, but I certainly cannot support prescribing statins without your full profile that includes LDL, HDL, and triglyceride levels fasting. While statins are not the only choice, they are certainly the most cost effective and side effect neutral choice for lipid conditions that require managing by a prescription drug. If you are uncomfortable with statins, consult your physician about the suitability of other lipid-lowering meds, such as niacin. Also, a diet high in soluble fiber will improve cholesterol values by as much as 10 percent, and soluble fiber supplements may improve this even further in selected patients.