This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Who or what dictates that a certain dosage of a particular statin drug is required to be effective? Before my Dx of MS in 2000 I had been taking Zocor for a 327 cholesterol level (Thank Ben&Jerry's Ice cream for that! Yummy!) but found that my liver couldn't tolerate it. Was switched to Lipitor 10 mg qd and my cholesterol level shot down to 143!! miracle stuff for sure. The reason my doc put me on such a low dose was my history with the zocor. I'm also on Rebif but am far from compliant with the 3 times per week schedule because I'm SICK OF THE NEEDLES!! I'll use it once or twice a week. Sometimes only 4 or 5 doses a month! Still no relapses, only a very slight change on my MRI from previous scans in that one non enhancing lesion appeared to have grown a very small amount but was also explained as possibly only appearing as such because of a slightly different angle in the slices. I'd like to believe the 10mg of atorvistatin has played a significant role in my having no relapses.

Any of y'all here doing the LDN, antibiotic. and statin thing been cured yet? How long do you figure it would take?

Just curious.

We actually discussed hubby's dose with the Doctor and decided to go with 40mg as the 80mg dose seems to affect the liver. If you are looking for a cure you are a might impatient as there is no cure at this time. It is a waiting game we are playing but you do have the CHOICE IMO to manage symptoms and to reduce or eliminate further destruction of your myelin. This is my opinion and it is working for us. Good luck and hope all is well with you. Took 5 months by the way when I started working with hubby's diet as well as vitamin content to start seeing dramatic improvement. Dramatic in my eyes as the limp is gone the sleeping all day is gone. The restless leg rarely appears the eczema is gone as well as he is seeing color now out of his right eye. Also his allergies are under control. He has a life again where the last few summers he lived like a bat he only came out at night. Hard work and patience is needed here.

Hard work and patience is needed here.

Sobering but excellent advice.

Outlawbiker wrote:Who or what dictates that a certain dosage of a particular statin drug is required to be effective?

The study that triggered my interest in Statins was actually on the front page of this web site (I have this site to thank for most of my treatment if not all). The story reported:

http://www.thisisms.com/modules.php?nam ... le&sid=106

A group of 30 patients with MS given 80 mg a day of Merck & Co Inc's Zocor, or simvastatin, had a 44 percent reduction in brain lesions after three months of treatment, their study showed

The article also says that further studies are underway to find an optimum dosage. Which I am guessing means noone knows yet.

Outlawbiker wrote:I'm also on Rebif but am far from compliant with the 3 times per week schedule because I'm SICK OF THE NEEDLES!!

I used to be on Rebif (had very bad reactions to it). When I was on rebif, I used a product called "emla" cream to make it a little more bearable. Emla is a topical anaesthesia cream which i applied 1 hour before the injection, and made the inserting of the needle into my skin, a lot more bearable. In Australia, Emla cream can be bought in a 30g tube of 5% (25mg/g Lignocane & 25mg/g Prilocane) for about $60AUD from a chemist without a prescription.

Outlawbiker wrote:Any of y'all here doing the LDN, antibiotic. and statin thing been cured yet? How long do you figure it would take?

That all depends on how you define "cured". If you are talking no new relapses or lesions, it may not take that long (I havnt had a relapse for 4 months, which is good for this year. And I have been improving slowly every day). If you are talking asymtomatic, then that is going to take a loooooong time. My doctor had gullian barr as a teenager, and still has weakness in his shoulder over 25yrs later. Myelin doesnt grow on trees ya'know...

CureOrBust wrote:Myelin doesnt grow on trees ya'know...

If genetic engineering can put a jellyfish protein in a cat to make it glow in the dark, then surely it could be possible to grow myelin on trees! However, that would be one ugly tree...

NHE

I am taking 80mg simvastatin every day, as well as on doxy and roxi (abx regimine). I just got my results from my last blood test, and it showed my liver was fine. The doctor actually used the word "great". So it would appear some lucky people have a liver that is made of steel.

As for that tree, I'd certainly have one in my garden...

I have been on Lipitor now since Feb. '04. Started at 10 mg and noted an improment in my balance right away. I gradually increased it to 40 then 60 mg always with some improvement in either my exercise tolerance or my balance. Still, in nov. '04, I had a relapse and needed solumedrol but , not until I got back on my Lipitor, did I feel back to my normal. Lately, in Nov' 05, again, my left foot started to drop and I posted here that I was scared. I didi not ask for steroids and continued to limp along, concentrating alot to lift my left toe with each step. Was still able to do my X'mas shopping which had been difficult the year before while only on the steroids.
In Dec. 05, I got fed up and put up my lipitor to 80mg. Wow, 2 days later, it was obvious that I was better. Did all my shopping, it is a reference point for me, I had 15 people over for X'mas and felt on top of the world.
The problem was: what next, what if I get my weak foot again? I was at the maximum of the recommended dose of this statin.
I was not too afraid because patients are coming out of the Heart Institute after a heart attack on 80mg of Lipitor , no mater the size of the patient.
I had my enzimes tested on 60 mg in oct'05 and they were fine.
After discussion with my colleague, we came up with the conclusion that the lipitor was like a steroid: really decreasing the inflammation in my brain when it was flaring up. Now, I am back down to 60mg and will try 40 mg soon, to keep a cushion for eventual need for a 'pulse' therapy I will call it.
I am on nothing else for my MS. There is no confounding factor and I got an improvement with EVERY dose increase. It did say in the original article that I had read (Dr. Singh from Carolina) that this response was dose related.
So, I will always continue my Lipitor and now I feel like I know more how to use it. Obviously this is just the opinion of two people and is not at all scientific. Good luck to all, Carole