tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981197052686065994.post1301682022640919357..comments2023-10-01T04:36:19.806-07:00Comments on medicine: facts and fictions: Medical Myths and Magical ThinkingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981197052686065994.post-50473609080461496932010-09-28T19:13:20.127-07:002010-09-28T19:13:20.127-07:00As I think I said in an earlier post, there is cho...As I think I said in an earlier post, there is cholesterol in the cell membranes of ALL animal cells, so when you lower the cholesterol, you change the trans-membrane voltage potential. This makes muscle cells more jittery, which probably explains the night-time leg cramps that awaken some statin users. Similarly, the neuron-to-neuron connections in the brain are probably altered in some fashion, perhaps enhancing negative controls, so I am not surprised that some patients on statins can have trouble concentrating or doing the Friday crossword puzzle in the NY Times.george thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14810516710667919032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981197052686065994.post-66564384639370394952010-09-06T11:20:48.412-07:002010-09-06T11:20:48.412-07:00I just wanted to explain to patients that they wer...I just wanted to explain to patients that they weren't as ill as they may have thought to be on 5 new medicines. You are absolutely correct about side-effects of statins--I think I mentioned this in an earlier blog on statins. Statins lower the cholesterol in the membranes of ALL animal cells---muscle cells in the legs as well as glial and nerve cells in the brain. This is the cause of the muscle cramps and difficulty concentrating that can occur in patients on statins. I tell my patients about the possibility of both these side effects when I prescribe them, and then let them make their own decision.<br /><br />Thanks for your comments.george thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14810516710667919032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981197052686065994.post-35348334497960456272010-09-05T18:49:08.513-07:002010-09-05T18:49:08.513-07:00I read with great interest - and more than a smatt...I read with great interest - and more than a smattering of belly laughs - this excellent stream-of-consciousness post. It's infused with all the right ingredients: intelligence, humor, whimsical anecdotal examples, to keep even the most ADD-addled reader such as me ENGAGED! Good job!<br />However, toward the end, I puzzled at your rosy assessment of heart medications, though respect your experiential reasoning as to their efficacy within the context of MI patients. Why not include some discussion of myopathy and memory loss - clear, evidence-backed side-effects of statins - in future posts?<br /><br />My Dad bucked those prescriptions - as well as refusing stents or catheterization; open-heart surgery was flat out of the question - when he experienced his first and only MI in 1996.<br />Now 86 and determined to remain prescription-free, he still writes a newsy letter each year to the doc who 'fired' him way back then.....<br />He's the best example-setter I've ever had.<br /><br />Dave HopkinsDave Hopkinsnoreply@blogger.com