Pfizer Seeks To Develop OTC Lipitor Product As Patent Runs Out

[Steve Williams]

well even I as an OBG thought immediately of the reported side effect of leg muscle pains and suggested the CoQ10 at 300 mg/day

 

[rblnr]

I'll check with him, thanks Steve. Have always considered him a doc very up on the latest info.

 

[docvale]

Mmmmmm...
Let's try to analyze something:

- People (usually, almost always) like eating
- Accordingly, people would dream not to limit food intake because of preserving a good shape or avoid health issues
- Sometimes, people eat crappy food, which makes more damages than well-prepared food
- People is aware that crappy food is bad
- People is aware than too much food is bad
- People would dream to have a pill that makes the miracle: you can eat whatever you want and the pill counters fat accumulation and overall health problems
- There's pills that do nice job, but the "miracle" pill doesn't exists

I'm afraid that the availability of an OTC drug that affects metabolism would encourage people to get the drug occasionally rather than in a long-term therapy. Even if safe (or at least relatively safe, I doubt any drug is comparable to sugar) I'd the scared that an easy access to that drug would promote some debatable meal habits. These are my 2 cents...


BTW, a cholesterol of 109 is perfectly ok. But a value of 185 (which is already good, specially nowadays) doesn't require any pharmacological treatment.

 

[audioguy]

I don't say anything in tube audio threads because I know very little about tube audio. I hope you can see where I'm going with this.

Lee

I'm neither a Doctor nor an expert on Statins (nor on tubes ).

Some background: About 9 years ago, I started going to MD's who practiced integrated medicine. Some time thereafter, I ended up with two heart stints -- never had any symptoms, [exercised (running) for 40 years], but as a result of a scan that tested for calcium buildup in the arteries (a highly recommended, non invasive and inexpensive test) some not positive results were obtained. I was tested every year after that scan with a Thallium Stress test and on year 5, the results were not good, so in go the stints.

A couple of years before, a very good friend had a heart attack and had stints placed. Two years later, they were blocked and had those replaced with the "newer stints". Two years later, they too blocked and he never left the hospital.

Several years after my stints were 'installed", I began having symptoms that I had previously not had. Not wanting to go the way of my friend, where traditional medicine had not been successful, I chose another route. All natural, no Rx's, no surgery and no more symptoms. Subsequent to that, I have gotten off my blood pressure mediation (gone the "alternative" route).

I have done enough research on the subject of cholesterol and the approaches to controlling it to recognize there are ways, in many cases, of having appropriate cholesterol levels (LDL, HDL et al) without the use of statins. As to the negatives of the drug or the downside of having cholesterol that is too low, anyone who can search the internet can find what they choose to look for. I started to post a few but if you are interested, you can do your own research.

Not recommended by the cardiologist who put me on Lipitor (nor the Dr. who put in the stints) but rather by my Integrated Dr, I started taking COQ10 - and still do. BUT, while taking Lipitor AND taking COQ10, I still had all kinds of leg issues.

Each person is responsible for their own healthcare and there are LOTS of resources to study and make your own choices.

I am very comfortable with my research and my choices. While I recognize I could still have a massive heart attack tomorrow, I'm taking what I (and my wife) believe is the best path.

To each his own.

 

[Steve Williams]

well said Chuck

"stent" BTW

anyone who can search the internet can find what they choose to look for. I started to post a few but if you are interested, you can do your own research.

Chuck you and I both know the internet can be a dangerous thing. Not saying you made mis-informed decisions. If anything you weighed pros and cons and decided to do what you felt to be best. That's informed consent

I hope however that you continue to have a routine exam once yearly with appropriate annual blood testing, and other recommended tests such as annual PSA for your prostate.

 

[RBFC]

Chuck,

I wish you the best of health, above all. Coronary artery stents, either standard or drug-eluding variants, are still very much a question as to their longevity. The gold standard for coronary revascularization is still open-heart surgery with bypass grafts. This is what I do for a living, as you know.

My cautions are to those who do their own research and "self-medicate". There are myriad drugs, supplements, and natural herbals that have complex interactions which can affect one's treatment in a negative manner. It is extremely difficult for a non-medical person to become sufficiently informed to plan an optimum diet/medicine plan, especially in the presence of pre-existing disease states and treatments (stents, etc.). It's pretty easy to miss some of the contraindications for certain combinations.

Lee

 

[Steve Williams]

Lee to that extent it is also always important to tell your doc all meds used including OTC

 

[audioguy]

I hope however that you continue to have a routine exam once yearly with appropriate annual blood testing, and other recommended tests such as annual PSA for your prostate.

I have an annual physical.

My cautions are to those who do their own research and "self-medicate". There are myriad drugs, supplements, and natural herbals that have complex interactions which can affect one's treatment in a negative manner. It is extremely difficult for a non-medical person to become sufficiently informed to plan an optimum diet/medicine plan, especially in the presence of pre-existing disease states and treatments (stents, etc.). It's pretty easy to miss some of the contraindications for certain combinations.

I hope I was not giving the impression that I was trying to be my own Doctor. Anything but. But I do believe every adult (who is capable of doing so) is ultimately responsible for their own healthcare. I have no interest in just buying into what "everyone else is doing" without checking all available options. So the internet provides easy access to information that was previously not easily accessible (or maybe didn't even exist). It assists me in making informed choices. And while "traditional" medicine has a lot of the answers, we know they are still "practicing"

And consumers aren't the only ones who miss some contradictions on drug combinations. I've heard too many stories from MD's I know who have told me that it happens in the medical community a lot more than you can imagine. Each visit I make to either of my two primary care docs includes me handing them a list of every supplement or Rx that I take.

And I still think putting Lipitor out as an over-the-counter drug is a bad idea. Bu that's just me.

I'm going down stairs and listen to some music !!!!!

 

[RBFC]

Lee to that extent it is also always important to tell your doc all meds used including OTC

Absolutely. While even a well-informed MD may not be aware of every possible interaction, the odds are that they know more about it than most folks.

Lee