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Is Lipitor a scam?

KenJackson

New member
I guess shouldn't single out Lipitor when I mean all statins, but it seems to be the leader. Here's how I think the scam works:


  1. Your doctor sees your cholesterol is higher than some government agency recommended,
  2. He prescribes a statin like Lipitor,
  3. He insists that you come in every 2 to 3 months for a blood test to check for the liver damage that statins have been known to cause.
  4. The customer (patient) doesn't challenge the doctor's judgement, because doctors are unquestionable,
  5. The customer (patient) doesn't question the cost because most of it is paid for by his insurance, so he thinks he's not paying it.
Are these on-going regular blood really needed? Or is there main purpose to keep the doctor's calendar full to pay his staff.

And is the prescription really necessary to begin with? Or was it motivated by a need to generate more business? That is, does the statin increase your life long enough to offset the risk to your liver and other less common side effects?

Every doctor needs to keep his calendar full enough to stay in business--that's not greediness, just business. But I wonder if they are erring on the side of caution in their minds, which happens to be on the side of business.

There's a reason I ask this. I decided that the hassle of frequent doctor visits far out-weighs the potential increase of life expectancy that Lipitor might give me, so I stopped taking it and told my doctor that I only need a once-a-year physical. But he refused! He refuses to prescribe the blood pressure medicine that I do need if I won't take the statin that he says I need.

Now I'm looking for an honest doctor.
 
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OhioTC18

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
I take Lipitor and regularly submit to the 90 day blood tests. Not all statins are the same. Crestor did affect my liver functions revealed by the 90 day blood tests.
My bad cholesterol levels have decreased, but my diet has changed at the same time, so what really did the trick? Who knows?
 

KenJackson

New member
I have NO magic potion. In fact, I suspect many of us can just QUIT STATINS with no problem.

But I'm not positive, so I'm askin'.
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I can't take those statins because they give me muscle pains. I use Creastor and so far everything seems to be doing fine.

What annoys me however is the arbitrary way they assign a number to a target level. I remember when 240 was the magical number that I was trying to get down to but as soon as I started to catch up to it, they dropped it to 200. The only reason for doing that I could see was get more patients requiring treatment and possible increase in kick-backs from the drug companies. There was no other logical reason for doing it.

I think that it's important to remember that these numbers are just guidelines and, at best, are a SWAG. It may be that their "opinion" is slightly more informed than yours but it's still nothing more than a guess.

It turns out that my high cholesterol ran in the family but my father lived until he was 82, all my uncles made it to their late 70' and 80's so how much longer would they have made it if they had been diagnosed and treated? Who can tell!!!! No, there's no hard and fast rule to follow for a longer life. It's all a crap shoot. Pay your money and take your chances.
 

KenJackson

New member
Ya know, California, I wouldn't mind if you edit your post to remove that picture or shrink it or something. Innocent people may read this thread and assume your guess was right.

In retrospect, re-reading my post, I can see how someone might think it was a sales pitch for a replacement, as you apparently did. But this is a very serious issue.

We constantly hear politicians wailing about the cost of healthcare, but you hardly ever hear anybody hit the right issue. We don't need more heavy-handed regulations. We need information and (most importantly) freedom.

When a doctor holds other prescription(s) hostage to a customer's agreement to take a statin, that's not freedom. That's unethical business practice and part of the reason for the skyrocketing cost of healthcare that we hear so much moaning about.
 

California

Charter Member
Site Supporter
Ken, I owe you an apology. I read your first post in this thread and mistakenly responded that I thought it would be followed by an advertisement for something. After seeing that you are sincere, I asked the moderators to take down my post so your thread can move on unimpeded.

I looked through the posts you have made so far and see you are a valuable addition to FF. Let me say Welcome Aboard! I hope you can forgive my mistake.
 

Erik

SelfBane
Site Supporter
I've been seeing Lovasa in a lot of medical records recently (and had it prescribed) - it's not a statin, it's apparently a concentrated dose of omega's -- but my doctor still wants me to come back in 3 months to see if my numbers level out, and my insurance company thinks it's an OTC med, so will only pay half.
 

KenJackson

New member
..., and my insurance company thinks it's an OTC med, so will only pay half.
Ah! You hit on another problem.

When I went shopping for health insurance, I tried to insist on a policy that did not cover medication. I couldn't get it! No insurance company would do it.

Insurance coverage of anything just adds a layer of bother and overhead and therefore expense. So averaged over time, medication that is covered by insurance must be more expensive than that which is not covered. But the fact that most people's employers pays for it, and it's pre-tax, hides the cost increase. So people think they're getting a good deal by having insurance pay for it.

Most don't even ask how much a prescription is going to cost. The doctor prescribed it, so I'll take it. What further need for discussion is there? That's why healthcare costs are skyrocketing.

I dread the day when pre-tax food insurance is foisted on us.
 

benspawpaw

New member
i dont have now or have i ever had high cholestrol but my heart dr has me on prevastatin i use the chepo from walmart it is only 10.00 for a 90 day supply my doc says i need to take it to prevent a problem since i have had 3 bypasses and 5 stents but i do have to do the liver function test 2 times a year i think if a medicine you take makes you need a test for some other problem it could cause the drug co should be responsible for the cost i mean its not like they are broke
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
i do have to do the liver function test 2 times a year i think if a medicine you take makes you need a test for some other problem it could cause the drug co should be responsible for the cost i mean its not like they are broke

Now that's kinda logical ... their product can cause liver damage so they should pay for the tests as a preventative measure to ensure that I don't sue them if potential damage does occur and to ensure that I keep on using their product. I don't think that it will fly though but it's an interesting idea.
 

KenJackson

New member
... i think if a medicine you take makes you need a test for some other problem it could cause the drug co should be responsible for the cost i mean its not like they are broke
Cost is only one issue, and not the most important one to me.

I don't want to have to put up with the bother of running in for blood tests constantly for something that I suspect is at least partially a manufactured problem.

I also want the freedom to make these decisions for myself.
 

ncroamer65

New member
Cost is only one issue, and not the most important one to me.

I don't want to have to put up with the bother of running in for blood tests constantly for something that I suspect is at least partially a manufactured problem.

I also want the freedom to make these decisions for myself.

KenJackson, unless you have a medical degree, and you deside on your
own to just stop, so be it. Make sure you have your funeral arangements
made. :mellow::hammer:
 

KenJackson

New member
KenJackson, unless you have a medical degree, and you deside on your
own to just stop, so be it. Make sure you have your funeral arangements
made.
I don't have a nutritionist degree, yet I buy my own groceries.
I don't have a business degree, yet I bargained for and bought my house and my car.

Your argument doesn't make sense. No one says we'll drop dead without statins. They are just supposed to change the odds a little--supposedly to prolong life. But I'm skeptical of even that.

They also are known to damage the liver in some people and increase the risk of death a little (or so I've read) by other things.
 

benspawpaw

New member
you should ALWAYS check with your doctor before you just stop taking a medicine you should also check before starting any suplement there are lots of herbals on the market that will help control good and bad cholestrol also a high fiber diet like oatmeal will help but please at least let your dr know you want to stop taking the medicine and search for a good herbalist who can help also you will still need to be checked ever so offten anyway just to make sure everything is ok

sidenote
i took a medicine several years ago for diabetes and the fda pulled it off the market it was causing liver damage and a few people died from liver failure(got a chunk from class action settelment) but i still have to get the test to make sure your health is important to me i got to have somebody to talk to :smile:
 

KenJackson

New member
you should ALWAYS check with your doctor before ...
you should ALWAYS check with your doctor before ...
you should ALWAYS check with your doctor before ...
Don't think! Don't question! Don't read! Don't step back and look at the big picture!

Doctor ALWAYS know best. Doctor NEVER has conflicting interests.

I doubt that is what you intended to say, but the influence of the negative trend is evident in your words. You see, the scam wouldn't work if we hadn't been conditioned to blind obedience to our doctors.
 

benspawpaw

New member
back off jackson what i am saying is not to stop taking any medicine without finding out if stopping will cause any bad side effects i am not saying ask the doc if it is ok with him i know most get some sort of kickback/payola but if your doctor is like mine he/she will care enough to listen to you when you say you dont want to take the med anymore and they will also listen when you say you want to try herbals mine does if yours doesnt find one that will you are new here and will be able to read between my lines after a while welcome aboard:brows:
 

KenJackson

New member
benspawpaw,

I assume you mean well, but I've heard the advice to always check with your doctor repeated so frequently in so many situations over even trivial things, that I've started questioning the advice.

What I've decided is that many, especially the media, say it just to cover themselves to prevent a lawsuit in case some loon tries to sue them for something they mentioned in a news story. That's self-protection pure and simple. It's a sad statement about our legal situation.

A lot of ordinary people repeat it because they've heard others say it and they assume it makes them sound wise.

While there is, of course, some wisdom in the advice in general, I'm getting tired of hearing it repeated so often without evident thought.
 

benspawpaw

New member
yes i do agree with you on the point there are too mant stupid people that would do something totaly insane and then try to sue when they get hurt but good advice is worth more than no advice also as before i take cholestrol med and dont have high levels and have wondered if i can come off and just keep eating high fiber alot i love oatmeal and fruits but i will still ask about comming off all at once or slowly best to ya wishes for great health to ya
 

mak2

Active member
Statins are control your cholestrol. If your cholestrol is not elevated it is difficult for me to understand why just about everyone who sees a cardiologist, regardless of cholestrol, is put on a statin. by no means harmless drugs, livers are pretty important too.
 
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