Hostility, Aggression, Combativeness, Depression and Suicide with Statin Drug Us

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Hostility, Aggression, Combativeness, Depression and Suicide with Statin Drug

Use

http://www.spacedoc.net/depression_statins.htm

 

From thousands of case reports we have seen a strong association between

statin drug use and affective disorders of all kinds. Although this paper

stresses

depression and its most extreme form, suicide, other affective manifestations

include hostility, aggressiveness, rage, combativeness, accident proneness

and special proneness for use of addictive substances.

 

“He or she is not the person I married,†is a frequently recurring statement

from spouses of statin users. And more ominously is the statement from

surviving wives, “there was nothing wrong before his statin. I know that drug

killed

him.â€

 

The mechanism of action in explaining the association of these reactions to

statins appears to be interference with the biochemistry of dolichols, one of

the vital metabolic pathways collaterally affected by the use of statin drugs.

 

Dolichols are absolutely necessary for the formation of neuropeptides, known

also as messenger molecules. These chains of peptides not only are the basis

of every thought, emotion and sensation we have ever experienced; they are our

every thought, emotion or sensation in a process we are only just beginning to

understand.

 

In the tiny microtubular factories within each of our cells peptide segments

are stacked one by one into the desired chain and passed on to the Golgi

apparatus for packaging and delivery to other cells via the axons of nerves.This

entire complex of activity is orchestrated by our dolichols and inevitably

compromised by statins. Need it be stated, the effects on human emotionality can

be

extremely varied.

 

The following are a few of the reports I have received from readers of my

books and this website relevant to the subject of Depression Hostility,

Aggression, Combativeness and Statin Drug Use.

 

1) I am an alcoholic. After my 15 years of sobriety my resumption of heavy

drinking correlated with Zocor use. Again and again I made this observation. I

stopped several times but was unable to make sobriety stick as long as I was on

this statin. My personality changes on this drug were profound. I felt as if

I were totally going out of my mind. I also became noticeably paranoid and

somewhat schizophrenic. I began to think of myself as two people. It was like

having a junior employee who constantly had to be instructed to stay alive and

function.

My symptoms became progressively worse and I began to feel I could easily

become suicidal. Later I was started on Zetia only to suffer the same type of

problems. It took me many days after washing out of these drugs before I became

my usual competent self again. I write to you because you have become a focal

point on the side effects of the cholesterol lowering drugs. I hope you will

share this information with anyone you feel appropriate. I do not think that any

human being should have to repeat the experiences I have had with these

drugs.

 

2) My husband was an attorney who was placed on Zocor purely as a preventive

measure. In the few weeks before his death he complained of insomnia and

difficulty thinking. The idea that this brilliant man couldn’t think was

ludicrous.

He was placed on a sleeping pill, Restoril, several days before his death. On

the morning of his death he was his fun-loving self, laughing and talking

about his day. We had dined out the previous evening – a warm, wonderful

evening.

Something happened after I left that morning. My husband had some sort of

psychotic break and in an incredibly bizarre manner, committed suicide.

 

The pharmaceutical companies may consider suicides as “statistically

insignificant†but the victims who fall within this violent numerology and

those who

love them do not. I am a professor at one of our Universities. I have lost

someone very dear to me. Millions of men like my husband are being prescribed a

drug purely for preventive reasons, which has been shown to cause as much

trouble as it rectifies. The more I read about these drugs the more my horror

mounts.

 

3) My father has been very depressed, withdrawn, argues over a cat of all

things, and just really not himself. My father (68 yrs.old) started taking

Lipitor in June of this year. Since then, we have seen a very dramatic change in

his

demeanor or personality. Very angry, moody, doesn’t want to do anything

except sleep when comes in from work. We really didn’t know if depression

might be

a symptom of a overdose of Lipitor. He’s also a type 2 diabetes patient for

the last 5 yrs. Thanks for all your information on your website.

 

4) I saw your article on the internet. My father who is 70 years, about 3

months ago started having pressure on the right side of his head and nervousness

- he feels like he is losing his mind - he says it feels like something is

crawling inside his legs - he is miserable. His primary care physician says it

is

depression and increased his Zoloft - that has been 2 weeks ago - and he is

no better. He says his mind just won't let him think - and everything seems

confusing to him.

I tried to talk with the physician about the Lipitor that he has been taking

for years - because I saw on the internet that Lipitor could cause problems

with patients who were also on Lanoxin (it said it could build up a toxin). The

physician won't have it any other way but depression - I just don't see that -

my father has never been depressed a day in his life.

 

5) My husband was on Lipitor for at least 3 years, and suddenly he lost his

ability to speak, well not suddenly but over a six-month period. During this

time he was on a low fat diet and lost 42 pounds however, no one ever mentioned

taking him off this poison drug. Now he is unable to function and they, the

head doctors, say he is psychotic. A good man with an excellent job, dealing

with very detailed work, is now unable to function. True, he has had some

emotional problems, he had a falling out with a son, and now he cannot see his

grandchildren.

 

6) I’ve been taking 20 mg of Simvastatin since May of last year. During the

eleven months I’ve developed some emotional issues that had me concerned. My

neurologist, psychiatrist and myself had written them off to the continued

progression of the degenerative effects of Parkinson’s Disease (PD).

Depression has

been a major fight in my life since April / May 2002, when I was diagnosed

with PD. The early stages were crying jags of long duration, over an hour or

more. Failure to get dress and lay around or sleep until just prior to my wife

coming home from teaching school. No stamina or outside interest. Early last

fall I began to see a psychiatrist who has been treating me for depression and

sleep disorder. The last crying jag, lasted two days, and I virtually did

nothing but cry and feel sorry for myself in July of 2004. When these severe

attacks

of depression arise I am unable to fight my way out of the episode until it

has ran its course. I feel as a whole that the psychiatrist has helped

significantly but after hearing your talk I am personally convinced that my

statin

drugs has been aggravating this condition.

 

7) Two years ago, my brother took Lipitor. His symptoms were low-key, at

first. I noticed he was looking so much older so quickly with hair loss, dull

skin, c/o of eyes bothering him, shoulder aches, ringing in his ears. He began

to

show loss of memory. Could not make decisions. Obsessed over the smallest

occurrences. Paranoia was increasing over job, parents and friends. Speech was

not

an option. He would try to talk, but his thoughts were not connected. He

would ponder over a word for minutes at a time struggling to talk. He could not

recall how to do the smallest task, something he would know, became something he

would not recognize.

He finally was taken to a psychiatrist, who said he was suffering from

Anxiety / panic disorder. Lipitor was mentioned, at my request, and was quickly

dismissed. He was put on Valium with no success. An antidepressant was also

given

with no success. He decompensated to the point of Catatonia. He is still in

the crisis unit - going on two weeks. The Dr said he was a very tough case. This

is a man with absolutely no history and none in the family. My brother has

always been strong, gentle and like a rock. This is completely out of character.

It has brought to the fore every problem in his life. I am convinced it is

the statin drug, There is just so much to help me to conclude there is no other

explanation.

 

8) I am a 53 year old type one diabetic of 32 years. 150 lbs, 6 ft, and a

devoted bicyclist. In 2002 my specialist in endocrinology put me on 10mg

Lipitor.

Over the next 12 months she saw modest " improvements " on my numbers but was

still unsatisfied, as I tended to remain at 240-260 total cholesterol range.

With an increase to 20mg dosage of Lipitor I began to experience a gradual

spiraling downward of my mood and energy to an eventual feeling of a low-grade

depression. I had lost all ability to function in my work setting and had no

ability to cope with life's daily challenges. I ceased taking the drug. I later

found that my sibling and my mother, both of whom were on this drug, were also

experiencing mood altering episodes! They have also fortunately quit taking the

statin medication. I wish you further success in bringing this

poisoning-for-profit scheme, as I have experienced it, to light. Thank you,

 

9) Doc Graveline – it was very fortunate for me to hear your presentation

this past Tuesday morning. I’ve been taking 20 mg of Simvastatin since May of

last year. During the past eleven months since I’ve developed some issues that

have me concerned. My neurologist, psychiatrist and myself had written them off

to the continued progression of the degenerative effects of Parkinson’s

Disease (PD). Depression has been a tendency in my life since 2002 when I was

diagnosed with PD. My present complaints are crying jags of long duration, over

an

hour or more and failure to get dressed, laying around or sleeping until just

prior to my wife coming home from teaching school - no stamina or outside

interest. Early last fall I began to see a psychiatrist who has been treating me

for depression and sleep disorder. The last crying jag, lasted two days, and I

virtually did nothing but cry and feel sorry for myself. When these severe

attacks of depression arise I am unable to fight my way out of the episode until

it has ran its course. I feel as a whole, that my psychiatrist has helped

significantly but thank you again for bring the possibility of a statin side

effect

to my attention.

 

Duane Graveline MD MPH

Former USAF Flight Surgeon

Former NASA Astronaut

Retired Family Doctor