Off Lipitor for 7 months Here are Results - Should I go back

I am in an interesting situation. I am 51 male in good health and condition.

I started getting terrible headaches about 2 years ago and had a CAT scan. The CAT scan showed a lacune or space in the brain considered to be from a stroke. At the time my bp was in the lower range of borderline high and my cholesterol was in the normal range.

I went to a neurologist who did not find any clinical evidence of a stroke except for some minor sensation loss on the foot corresponding with the stroke region.

He decided to play it safe and treat me as a stroke patient. I went on Aggrenox, Lipitor and Altace. several months apart.

He sent me for milliions of tests and an MRI.

All tests were normal.
I took another look at the MRI on Friday with the neuroradiologist and
I am finally convinced that it is a Virchow-Robin Space and not anything else. From my point of view, you could probably stop the aggrenox. The fact that the side of the "lesion" matched the side of your deficit was coincidental.

I stopped the Aggrenox and stayed on the Lipitor and Altace since my cardiologist was convinced my BP needed treatment. I stayed on the
Lipitor for a year as well.

I stopped the Lipitor for 6 months to see what readings I would get and here are the results:

On Liptor 10 mg Off Lipitor 6 months

Total Cholesterol 162 mg/dl 184mg/dl
LDL 91 mg/dl 117
HDL 50 45

I had a profile done while on Lipitor but about 3 months later than the resuts shown above and my HDL was below 42 (exercising less at the time).

So here is my question:

If I want, I can go back on Lipitor. My family doc seems to feel we should stay off and wait and test after another 6 months.

There seems to be growing evidence that statins are more effective in treating healthy people than previoulsy thought. I tolerated them well it seems. I may have had a stroke despite what the MRI said since in discussing my case later on with my neurologist he said its hard to tell but that I may have had one but most likely not.

Interested in what those more informed than I think about what to do next vise a vie resumption of taking a statin.

George why are you taking a statin? Your cholesterol numbers look great (under 200 for total cholestrol) from where I sit. Do you have heart disease? You have probably not had a stroke according to your neurologist, your physician says stay off the statin, you are exercising, and your HDL is reasonable.

Read this study from Therapeutics Initiative of the University of
British Colombia, funded by the British Columbia Ministry of Health (as opposed to most statin studies, which are funded by pharmaceutical companies).

They reviewed the latest studies on statins and find "statins have not been shown to provide an overall health benefit in primary prevention trials." That doesn't leave much to the imagination does it?
http://www.ti.ubc.ca/pages/letter48.htm

Read www.impostertrial.com for some of the things you take a big risk at getting if you continue to take statins, and read www.redflagsweekly.com (look for Malcolm Kendrick, P.Langsjoen, M.D.
and Paul Rosch M.D.) for an opt-pharma point of view on cholesterol.

Why are you taking a medication for a disease you MIGHT get, George, when the numbers say the medication isn't doing what its billing says?

The finding aren't controversial George. They are disproven for those who are in the primary prevention category: ie) healthy people.

From what I have read, current thinking says ratio and hdl levels are more important than total cholesterol reading. Your primary care physician should be able to help you figure that out.

You should also know that statins have been shown to CAUSE heart disease. Read www.redflagsweekly.com/Langsjoen.

Physicians and cardiologists have to protect their interests too.
Asking them whether or not someone with your readings should take statins is kind of like asking a car dealer if your can be repaired or should you buy new? I know that and each one of us has to make our decision with the best possible information. From what I have learned, the best possible information is that ratio is more important than overall.

My total cholesterol is 560. My ldl is over 400. I'm not buying the new car.

In your shoes I'd want the Lipitor to be safe. I'd also ask for a CRP test. I'd make VERY sure my bp was under control. You might as well assume it was a stroke and be aggressive in reducing your risk factors. Make sure you have fish 2x per week, and have an drink or two a day. Also eat at least 5 servings of fruit and veggies daily and try to get one hour exercise a day. If you have any TIA's tell ur doc, you'll need blood thinner. Better safe than sorry! PS - evidence is building that statins like Lipitor can prevent Alzeheimer's. My sister is 58 and has had three strokes - take care of yourself!

If you want to read the NIH's position on this go to
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/ atp3_rpt.pdf

it's quite interesting and very readable, but a bit long.

I'm not a Dr., but if I were in your situation I would press to take the
Lipitor. Other than cost, the side effects are there but limited - especially at such a small dose. I take 60 mg/day. An alternative would be an improvement to diet and exercise.

I think your cardiologist would be the best person to advise.

I will clarify. My cardiologist recommended taking Statins to get my
LDL below 100 when it was thought I was a stroke patient. The initial
CAT scan showed a stoke and he didn't want to err on the assumption that maybe it wasn't.

He also recommended taking Altace to get my borderline BP in the normal to low normal range.

After the neurologist decided that I did not have a stroke (after the
MRI) my family doctor told me to stay on the Altace (my readings are much better and I have no problem staying on it) and my family doctor also told me that since the Lipitor lowered my previous normal scores to the very low range it may be a good thing to stay on that too.

After my anual physical in Feb we discussed (at my suggestion) whether ot not I needed to stay on the Lipitor and he then suggested I go off for 6 months and test, the results of which I have posted previously.
On the phone he felt I should stay off the Lipitor 6 more months and test again and then decide what to do.

I will see him in September to go over it in person.

My only hesitation in whether or not to stay off it is the fact that the neurologist told me that while he feels confident I did not have a stroke he would treat me as a possible and continue to monitor me.
That was when he took me off the Aggrenox (a blood thinner for stroke patients caused headaches galore for me) and told me to let my family doctor and cardiologist follow my BP and lipids.

I think I will also see the cardiologist since he was the one who wanted me on the Lipitor in the first place and I have not seen him since I was told that it was not a stroke.

Since I am in a grey zone as far as my history profile and since there is evidence that Statins seem to benefit healthy people (I accept that these findings may be controversial) I am questioning what the best plan of action would be.

Dr. Chung's recommendation that I get the LDL under 100 is consistent to what my cardiologist recommended, but that was before the MRI results came in.