Solution For Cholesterol Drugs Causing Heart Failure (Heart Muscle Wasting) and Death

Cholesterol lowering drugs called statins are causing many people heart failure, also called cardiomyopathy, which are technical terms heart muscle wasting, which is heart muscle becoming weaker and weaker. Loss of heart muscle strength causes fluid retention (swelling) which makes the heart work even harder which causes excess sleep and an increase in heart rate (pulse, heart beats per minute).

Coenzyme q10 is nutrient necessary for storing and using energy in heart muscle cells and therefore necessary for heart muscle strength. Statins cause a coenzyme q10 deficiency by disrupting the metabolic pathways (series of chemical reactions) in cells that involve coenzyme q10.

Cardiologist Speaks Up

Here are a few quotes from a Cardiologist

” 9. All large-scale statin trials excluded patients with NYHA class II and IV heart failure such that the long term safety of statins in patients with heart failure has not been established.”

“3. Statin-induced decreases in CoQ10 are more than just hypothetical drug-nutrient interactions. Good evidence exists of significant CoQ10 depletion in humans and animals during statin therapy.”

“4. Scientific evidence confirms the existence of detrimental cardiac consequences from statin induced CoQ10 deficiencies in man and animals. “

“Statins kill people – lots of people – and they wound many, many more. All patients taking statins become depleted in Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), eventually those patients who start with a relatively low CoQ10 levels (the elderly and patients with heart failure) begin to manifest signs/symptoms of CoQ10 deficiency relatively rapidly – in 6 to 12 months. Younger, healthier people who’s only “illness” is the non-illness “hypercholesterolemia” can tolerate statins for several years before getting into trouble with fatigue, muscle weakness, and soreness (usually with normal muscle enzyme CPK tests) and most ominously – heart failure.”

Manufacturer Admits Statins Cause Coenzyme Q10 Deficiency

The technical term for statin is “HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor”. Merk, the manufacturer of the statins lovastatin, simvastatin, and pravastatin wrote in 1989 in an application for a patent on a combination of their statins with coenzyme q10, “A pharmaceutical composition and method of counteracting HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor-associated myopathy is disclosed. The method comprises the adjunct administration of an effective amount of a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor and an effective amount of Coenzyme Q10.”

Coenzyme Q10: Ubiquinone and Ubiquinol Supplements

Food contains the ubiquinone form of coenzyme q10 and all cells of the body convert it to ubiquinol. It’s much easier to get both forms of coenzyme q10 from nutritional supplements.

Many sources incorrectly say coenzyme q10 is so safe you can take coenzyme q10 by the shovel full and you’ll be fine. If you feel better on coenzyme q10 at first and then feel like it’s making you tired or sleepy, then your body is very likely filled up on coenzyme q10. Once filled up on coenzyme q10, stop taking it for a while. You may want to find a once a week dose. Coenzyme q10 is fat soluble and like other fat soluble nutrients (i.e. vitamin D, Vitamin A) the body stores coenzyme q10. Once the body’s stores of coenzyme q10 are filled up taking more coenzyme q10 causes over dose symptoms of fatigue and excess sleep. With the lower amounts coenzyme q10 is commonly sold in, it can take only a week or two to fill up on coenzyme q10. Coenzyme q10, whether ubiquinol or ubiquinone, may make you too energetic at first.

Fifty mg of coenzyme q10 every other day is probably the safest amount up to the filled up point. But some people take hundreds of mg of coenzyme q10 every day; it’s sold in 50, 100, 200 and even 400 mg doses.

Coenzyme q10 supplements that come in soft gels may be difficult for a sensitive digestive system. Buy Coenzyme q10 in capsules (also “vcaps”) without any other nutrients nor herbs, extracts, etc. You certainly don’t want to think these problems are caused by coenzyme q10. If ubiquinol causes you problems, try ubiquinone.

One brand, Doctor’s Best, of coenzyme q10 contains an extract to increase absorption of coenzyme q10 which may increase or decrease absorption of medication. The extract may also cause digestive problems.

Potassium needs may or may not increase a little when first taking a supplement of ubiquinol or ubiquinone; reversal of muscle wasting is muscle building, which requires potassium.

Ubiquinol and ubiquinone are fat soluble so take it with a meal or snack (e.g. cracker with butter or peanut butter) and not on an empty stomach.