DEAR DR. GOTT: Back in 2006, you ran a column in which a gentleman said he had good results taking two 1,200-milligram capsules of cinnamon bark every morning. You said you were going to experiment on yourself and report back to your readers. Well, I never saw the follow-up article and was wondering how your experiment went. Can you share your results with me? I’m currently on 80 milligrams of Lipitor every day and would like to try to eliminate that, if possible. Thanks.
DEAR READER: I’m sorry to say it didn’t work for me, but I must commend you on remembering a column from five years ago.
Lipitor is in a class of drugs known as HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, or statins. It is designed to lower bad (LDL) cholesterol while increasing good (HDL) cholesterol. I don’t have access to your lab testing, nor do I know your medical history, so I don’t know what you are dealing with. Many people are adequately controlled by taking 10 or 20 milligrams daily along with following a low-fat diet and getting moderate exercise. That leads me to believe that you may have a cardiac condition that necessitates lower-than-normal levels or a genetic predisposition to higher-than-acceptable levels.
Speak with your prescribing physician to express your concerns. He or she may shun the concept of cinnamon bark even on a trial basis or might endorse a trial period.
You also neglected to indicate whether you have modified your diet and incorporated a program of exercise into your daily activity. If you do have a family history, you may have a battle ahead of you; however, if you know your diet is less than optimal, simple changes might be the answer to eliminate having to take the drug.
Readers who would like related information can order my Health Report “About Cholesterol” by sending a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order made payable to Dr. Peter Gott and mailed to P.O. Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039-0433. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website’s direct link at www.AskDrGottMD.com/order_form.pdf.