I had tried Crestor and Lipitor in the past. Both gave me severe legs cramps. My cardiologist at the time would not let me take CoQ10.

About a year ago, my GP asked if I had tried CoQ10 with the statins.

I was on two older statins but they aren't as effective as the newer ones. I asked my current cardiologist about taking Crestor along with CoQ10 and she has no issue with it. I have not had the legs cramps this time and credit the CoQ10. YMMV

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
My doc started me on the Crestor generic (Rosuvastatin), minimum doseage, 5mg daily.

My wife's doc had her on Atorvastatin (Lipitor generic).

I discovered that my co-pay for Rosuvastatin was ten times as much as my wife's co-pay for Atorvastatin. We are on the same insurance plan.

I asked my pharmacist about it, he said that one was as good as the other, so I asked my doc about it and he had been unaware of the cost difference. He switched me to the lower cost Atorvastatin (the Lipitor generic).

My cholesterol numbers stay about the same with either drug, I have not experienced any side effects with either, but remember that I am on the minimum dose.

The one thing that I do not like: grapefruit in any form is a forbidden fruit with any statin. One of my innocent pleasures prior to starting on the statins was a glass of cold grapefruit juice at breakfast.

This is the same thing that happened to me. The price difference was staggering.

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:

This is the same thing that happened to me. The price difference was staggering.

I said that the Crestor generic cost ten times as much as the Lipitor generic. That was NOT a figure of speech. It actually was ten times as much!

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:

This is the same thing that happened to me. The price difference was staggering.

I said that the Crestor generic cost ten times as much as the Lipitor generic. That was NOT a figure of speech. It actually was ten times as much!

Your plan was more than likely getting a rebate from the manufacturer which would make the brand Crestor the same copay as your generic meds. I ran across this quite a bit, even up to the point when I left retail a little over a year ago.

quote:

Originally posted by Erick85:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:

This is the same thing that happened to me. The price difference was staggering.

I said that the Crestor generic cost ten times as much as the Lipitor generic. That was NOT a figure of speech. It actually was ten times as much!

Your plan was more than likely getting a rebate from the manufacturer which would make the brand Crestor the same copay as your generic meds. I ran across this quite a bit, even up to the point when I left retail a little over a year ago.

Why are you bringing up Crestor vs. Crestor generic?

I said that Crestor generic's co-pay is ten times as much as Lipitor generic.

Let me try again: For every dollar I would spend for Atorvastatin, I would have to spend ten dollars for Rosuvastatin. Is that clearer?

For a number of technical reasons, mostly related to how your liver metabolizes drugs, Crestor is probably safer than Lipitor, and lowers LDL more.
I am taking atorvastatin (generic Lipitor) because I don’t need much LDL-lowering.
In your case, the extremely high LDL and triglyceride levels would ring the fire alarm if you were in my office ( which I don’t have any more).
You do seriously need dietary changes: the extremely high triglycerides can lead to pancreatitis which is life-threatening.
Do make serious changes in diet; make sure your glucose and A1C (measures of diabetes) are well controlled.
Cut out sugar, including fruit juices; it’s sugars that tend to raise triglycerides.
You will likely need more than just the Crestor in the end, but weight loss and dietary change should happen no matter what you do about medication.
My bona fides: I was the lead cardiologist on a panel that approved guidelines for heart disease prevention for a national prepaid medical group.

Thanks all for your replies. At this point I'm asymptomatic, and am still undergoing tests (calcium score tomorrow), so I will see what the doc says after getting the final results in. I do feel better about it, should it come to that.

My cholesterol was in the 200 - 220 range. Tried two different statins. Highly allergic to both. Went off of them. A few years later went on a vegan diet (with my doctor’s blessing). Cholesterol went to the low 150’s. I hate the vegan diet, but the numbers don’t lie. If you are serious about changing your diet, you might want to look at a video on Netflix called “Forks over knives”, or a book called “How not to die”.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by Erick85:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:

This is the same thing that happened to me. The price difference was staggering.

I said that the Crestor generic cost ten times as much as the Lipitor generic. That was NOT a figure of speech. It actually was ten times as much!

Your plan was more than likely getting a rebate from the manufacturer which would make the brand Crestor the same copay as your generic meds. I ran across this quite a bit, even up to the point when I left retail a little over a year ago.

Why are you bringing up Crestor vs. Crestor generic?

I said that Crestor generic's co-pay is ten times as much as Lipitor generic.

Let me try again: For every dollar I would spend for Atorvastatin, I would have to spend ten dollars for Rosuvastatin. Is that clearer?

It was never unclear. I was attempting to explain a very possible reason as to why the cost was so drastically different.

Your insurance company more than likely had the Crestor generic (rosuvastatin) at a higher tier than the Lipitor generic (atorvastatin), trying to push patients to the brand name Crestor. They have rebates worked out with the brand name companies and the brand ends up being cheaper for them. Between that and a coupon card that was available, when the rebate was in place, the copay for 30 days of the brand was $4.00. Now, if you were paying out of pocket and not running through your insurance, this is a moot point.

PBM’s pushing brand name meds is becoming more common. Express Scripts (or Cigna since there was a recent acquisition) has a department dedicated solely to this.

I’ve tried every statin they will prescribe. Every one of them result in muscle spasms at best. Obviously not everyone has the same experience. For me they are poison, plain and simple.

quote:

Originally posted by Erick85:

Your insurance company more than likely had the Crestor generic (rosuvastatin) at a higher tier than the Lipitor generic (atorvastatin), trying to push patients to the brand name Crestor. They have rebates worked out with the brand name companies and the brand ends up being cheaper for them.

Possibly, but not likely. The first prescription, the more expensive one, was written for Crestor, with the notation that a generic substitute was acceptable. The pharmacist is a friend and he always checks every variation for me to come up with the lowest cost: brand name, generic, etc. He has even found circumstances where he cancels the insurance charge because cash payment is less than the insurance co-pay.

quote:

Cholesterol and triglycerides

It is all about eating the right foods. You also need to take CoEnzyme Q10 when using beta blocker drugs.

How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally … in 28 Simple (!) Steps



https://draxe.com/health/heart...erol-naturally-fast/
......................................

What High Triglycerides Mean for Your Heart & How to Lower Triglycerides Naturally

https://draxe.com/health/heart.../high-triglycerides/

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 41,

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
I've been using Crestor for quite a few years, with no apparent side effects. My doctor chose Crestor to fit with my other meds, and it appears to be a good fit.

flashguy

Same here.