Daily Column

December 30, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I was recently put on Lipitor for high cholesterol. I developed awful leg cramps. My doctor reduced the dose, so I take one pill every other day. My pain has decreased in frequency but hasn‘t disappeared. Would you associate the pain with the medication? The leg pain was tied to my sciatic nerve.

DEAR READER:
Lipitor has been connected with severe leg cramps and pain that can appear anywhere in the body, but most commonly in the calf muscles that are used so often.

Co-Q10 is a naturally occurring enzyme in the body. Reports have revealed a deficiency of more than 50% in less than a month by those patients on Lipitor. The deficiency causes pain. Therefore, I recommend you purchase [Read more...]

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Daily Column

November 25, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am a physician in California. I thought you would like to know a little about statin therapy and co-enzyme Q10. According to a publication in the Archives of Neurology, atorvastatin (Lipitor) has been shown to significantly decrease CO-Q10 by about 50% in one month. This depletion may lead to exercise intolerance and muscle pain and inflammation.

I, personally, have had many patients better tolerate statins when given co-enzyme Q10 as well. Please pass this on to your readers and other physicians.

DEAR DOCTOR: Thank you for writing and informing me of this finding. I have received a few sporadic letters regarding administration of CO-Q10 with statins as well as stating some studies have seen depletion during statin therapy. Yours was one of the only that included a reference. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

October 25, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
Shortly after my doctor prescribed a statin drug for me, I saw an item in my local newspaper written by a pharmacist warning that Coenzyme Q10 was depleted by the use of statins.

I discussed this with my doctor who had no objection to my taking the supplement so I started taking 100 mg twice a day (morning and night). For whatever reason I have had absolutely no side effects from the statin medication which has brought my cholesterol back to normal limits.

I am a retired registered nurse and an avid reader of your column, especially of what may concern me!

DEAR READER:
Unless you were experiencing side effects that were relieved by the Co-Q10 there is no evidence that this supplement was beneficial to you. You may simply be one of the vast majority of individuals who don’t experience side effects from statin therapy. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

June 12, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in June 2005. I take Mirapex which is prescribed and co-enzyme Q10 which is not. I read somewhere it was a good over-the-counter for people with Parkinson’s. Could you please comment on this?

DEAR READER:
Parkinson’s is a neurological disorder that results from the loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical substance that transmits nerve impulses. Dopamine is essential for normal functioning of the central nervous system. When the neurons that produce dopamine die, that part of the brain responsible for coordinating movement malfunctions and leads to tremor, rigidity, lack of coordination, sleep disturbances, difficulties with movement, and more.

Recent studies performed on mice have been extremely promising, revealing that the damaged area of the brain in Parkinson’s patients can be protected by [Read more...]

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