DEAR DR. GOTT: I have read your column for a long time. I happened to come across an article where a person asked you about Welchol and you do tell them there are many side effects. I wanted to share my experience.
About 2 ½ years ago I suffered from transglobal amnesia. After reading about somebody that had been taking Lipitor and experienced a similar problem, I quit taking the Zocor that I was on. I told my doctor I would take one of three medications I had found online that were non-statins, one of which was Welchol. My doctor told me he took Welchol so that was what I was prescribed.
I took the Welchol for the last 2 ½ years. During this time I suffered from severe pain in my mouth. I researched and researched, trying to determine whether these were cold sores or canker sores. Finally in desperation and great expense, I went to an ENT. He looked at my mouth and said he did not think it was either. He asked what medications I took so I gave him a list of everything. He had some little machine which he held up to me and I read on it SEVERE BLISTERS. He had punched into his machine Welchol and severe blisters was a side effect. I immediately quit taking Welchol and have not had any blisters or pain since. I have yet to tell my doctor (I see him next week). I would not recommend Welchol to anybody any more. Please be aware of this.
DEAR READER: Before I get into a proper response, I would like to point out some issues I see with your story. The first is that you appear to be relying on the internet to provide you with information instead of your physician. Is there a reason for this? My first reaction upon reading your story was “Why didn’t she just go back to her physician?”. Chances are you could have had this situation resolved a lot sooner without relying on your computer for information. The second issue is that all first-time fills of prescriptions come with a pamphlet explaining the medication, what it is used for, how it should be taken, what many of the potential side effects are, and more. I urge everyone to take the time to read this information before popping those pills into their mouths. Had you done this, you may have been able to determine if your symptoms were a known side effect, and possibly both shortened the period of your discomfort and saved money seeking a specialist.
I have found that more and more people are now using the internet as a sort of physician replacement. This is not only frightening to me but it can be downright dangerous to patients. If you can’t trust what your physician tells you or feel like he or she doesn’t care about your health, then you need to find another doctor. Period. Using online resources can be extremely helpful in further researching a known medical problem and its available treatments, but when you stray away from the well-known, reliable sources, the information can be iffy at best. Medical terminology can also be extremely hard to understand and decipher (sometimes even for a physician) and a simple translation error can make a huge difference. What this boils down to is that you physician should be your first resource in regard to health, not the internet. You only have one life so I recommend you take care of it properly.
All that said, I can now get into your questions. All prescription medications to include herbals, over-the-counters, supplements, etc. carry side effects from mild and temporary to potentially life-threatening and permanent. It is important that a patient know why he or she is taking a medication, what it is called, the dosage, and what some of the potential side effects are. As I stated above, your physician is your best resource for this information. While side effects may be plentiful, they are typically uncommon in a vast minority of users.
As for Welchol causing blistering, I could not find this as a side effect through my Physician’s Desk Reference. I did note that ONE patient during drug trials for use of the medication in the treatment of type 2 diabetes (rather than its more common use as a cholesterol-lowering medication) was removed from the trial due to a body rash and mouth blistering, which was thought to be due to an allergic reaction to the medication.
That isn’t to say that your experience isn’t the result of Welchol. It may have been directly related (especially since the sores disappeared after discontinuation); however, it may have been the result of a reaction between one or more of your other medications and the Welchol or even coincidental (although I highly doubt it). I realize that I may be angering you, even some of my other readers, with my answer, but in this instance, I believe you are over-reacting and over-relying on the internet in place of real, proper medical attention. While Welchol may not be an appropriate medication for you, it is for thousands of others.
It is your right to discontinue your Zocor (and thus demand a non-statin replacement) following a transglobal amnesia incident following reading a one anecdotal report. Transglobal amnesia is a rare, temporary and sudden loss of memory that cannot be attributed to a neurological cause. Having a history of migraines and being over the age of 50 increase the risk of having such an event. Medication, to the best of my knowledge, hasn’t been linked; however, strenuous activity, sudden immersion in hot or cold water, head trauma, emotional distress, and more have been. In my opinion, it is highly unlikely that your amnesia had a direct correlation to your Zocor usage.
Because you don’t mention what your other ailments are, I am only able to determine that you have high cholesterol. You should exercise regularly, reduce your fat/cholesterol intake and take medication if necessary. If you don’t change your lifestyle and diet but instead rely on medication, you could have a big problem because in many instances, diet and exercise alone can cause a dramatic reduction in those numbers and may even eliminate the need for medication in the first place.
Readers who are interested in learning more can order my Health Reports “Understanding Cholesterol” and “Consume Tips on Medicine” by sending a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and a $2 (for each report) US check or money order to Dr. Peter Gott, PO Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039. Be sure to mention the title when writing or print an order form from my website, www.AskDrGottMD.com.
