Lowering cholesterol without statin drugs
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY
My cholesterol is high. My doctor has prescribed Lipitor, Zocor and Crestor. They make my muscles and joints hurt. Now he wants to prescribe Vytorin. I have heard bad things about it. What else can I take?
Because you have reacted badly to Zocor (simvastatin), it is unlikely that Vytorin will solve the problem. It contains simvastatin and ezetimibe (Zetia). There is controversy about whether Vytorin is associated with an increased risk of cancer (New England Journal of Medicine, Sept. 25). An editorial in this journal concluded: "Physicians and patients are unfortunately left for now with uncertainty about the efficacy and safety of the drug."
Psyllium fiber modestly lowers lipids. Niacin also may help when taken under medical supervision. Other non-statin drugs include Colestid, Tricor and WelChol. Fish oil can reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
I am seeing a new guy. The stubble on his face has left a chapped area on my face. I'm putting Vaseline on it. Is there anything else that might help?
We checked with cosmetics expert Dr. Stanley B. Levy of Chapel Hill Dermatology in North Carolina. He said you can use 1% hydrocortisone cream for a few days. It is available over the counter. To prevent or soothe irritation, Aquaphor (made by Beiersdorf) would feel and work better than Vaseline. It too is OTC.
Adds Levy: "Make sure you are not sensitive to his after-shave, moisturizer or lip balm. . . you also could ask him to shave more frequently."
Reach Joe Graedon, a pharmacologist, and Teresa Graedon, an expert in medical anthropology and nutrition, at www.peoplespharmacy.com or in care of this newspaper.
