Commencing Lipitor

Brainteaser · Post by **Brainteaser** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 5:05 pm

Just to announce that my doctor has prescribed Lipitor for me, for MS and so I will probably commence it this coming week. He suggested starting with 20mg per day and ramping up from there. He encouraged me to continue to take 500mg CoQ10 per day.

I am also on LDN, abx regimen, supplements etc.

Any Lipitor advice would be welcomed, such as when to take it during the day, the ramping process, other suggestions etc.

Thanks & regards,
Phil.

JFH · Post by **JFH** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:13 am

Good luck with the therapy Phil. Keep us posted on how you get on.

carolew · Post by **carolew** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 7:51 am

Dear Phil,
I have been on Lipitor for 3 yrs now. It really made a big difference for me. I started at only 10 mg and my balance improved after 2-3 days. It was noticable even by others .
I increased to 20 mg later when I thought I was kind of loosing the effect. And again, big improvement.
Over those years, I have gone up to 60mg, always because I was going through a slump or something.
I even went up to 80 mg last Dec. because again, my limping had gotten worse, that was probably a little attack. And, it did the trick.I avoided steroids. I went back down to 60 mg because I needed to have some room for an increase again if ever my leg started to drag again.
Note that it doesn't make my symptoms disappear completely but it sure makes a big difference. And my EDSS score has not changed in those 3 years.
What will regulate the dose that you can take is the presence or not of side effects which are very minimal, I have none what so ever. But what they warn about is elevated liver enymes and muscular pains.
If that happens, one can just lower the dose. The liver damage is not irreversable.
There have been over 80 million prescriptions for lipitor in the world and only rare (3or4 ) cases of rhabdomyolisis (disintegration of the muscle mass) which can cause renal failure. Very, very, very rare.

Now, they give patients who just suffered an MI ,80 mg of Lipitor right off the bat after their heart attack. They don't even look at the size of the patient .
So, best of luck to you with the Lipitor.
I read on this site that it works best if you have a gene that makes you more prone to cardiovascular disease. Can't remember where exactly where I read that but it is in this section on Statins.
Take care

Carole

carolew · Post by **carolew** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 8:18 am

What did you mean by the ramping process? Is it the dose increases?
Also, I take mine in the morning but you can't take it with grapefruit juice.
Those who take it for a high cholesterol are suppose to take it with supper or at night. Carole

Brainteaser · Post by **Brainteaser** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 4:36 pm

Thank you JFH for your support.

Thank you also carolew for your very helpful and informed response. For you to have commenced Lipitor 3 years ago, you must have been a trailblazer.

Carolew, it seems your EDSS score has remained much the same during this time, which you put down to Lipitor, although your balance has improved. Is that correct? I missed what your EDSS score is.

Yes, ramping is the process of commencing on (say) 20mg for 2-3 weeks, so my doctor advises and then if all is OK, to move up to 40mg and then 60mg over a period of time.

I will keep you posted of how things go.

Regards
Phil.

Melody · Post by **Melody** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 5:12 pm

John was told by the cardiologist to take it with his evening meal. Unsure as to why but make sure it doesn't have an interaction with what ever else you are taking.

carolew · Post by **carolew** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 8:11 am

My EDSS score is around 3 and has remainded there for those 3 years.
I am still trying to clarirify in my head, how exactly this medication works in the long run. I mean, everytime I increase my dose I improve then six months later, my body seems to want more to stay better.
That is why I am not staying at 80 mg.
It is almost like steroids for rheumatoid arthritis, you can be well on a certain dose but still have a flare up that necessitates a boost in your dose, temporarily.
Or, is it like narcotics that loose their efficacy after a while and also require an increase in the dosage to get the same pain releif. we know that new pain receptors form and that is why the dose needs to be increased.
Is it the same with MS? Do we form more white cells that attack our nervous system to compensate for the ones that the lipitor blocks?
Obviously, there are no studies to answer my questions so I keep a diary of everything and try to make sense of it all.
Good luck again, Carolew

Melody · Post by **Melody** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 3:59 pm

Carole some valid questions to say the least. I up John's doses of vitamin D3 as well as glucosamine when we seem to be suffering a slump. The lipitor I don't choose to play with as it has some potential side affects I'd rather not deal with. I am considering upping his COQ10 though as we are sitting at 60mg so lots of room for play there. I've also noted it pulls John out of a slump quick and don't no why.