If you are taking statins, make sure you’re also taking CoQ10, since statins significantly reduce CoQ10 production, which is pretty important for healthy functioning.
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My understanding is that people recommend it for muscle pain associated with statin use. I don’t have any muscle pain, and I regularly exercise, so should I still worry about coq10 ?
It’s way more than muscle weakness, it has to do with proper mitochondria functioning, which is basically the most important part that makes up “you”.
Here’s an research paper you can refer to: Coenzyme Q10 and Statin-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction - PMC
I was on statin after a myocardial infarction at 38yo, and the doctor didn’t tell me I had to top up on B12 and Q10 when on statin. Within months I started to develop the first depression I’ve ever had in my life, the contrast was huge since I’m generally a very optimistic and happy/content person.
It was later at a high-end health checkup clinic did the doctor there tell me Q10, B12, Omega 3 are definitely essential if you take statin. Especially Q10 since statins stops your body from creating them, which is pretty darn essential to your whole body’s proper mitochondrial functioning.
After some research, it appeared to me how bat shit crazy it is for a doctor to prescribe statin but not Q10, but then again it’s what the insurance companies approve (or deem as necessary) as insured meds, so if you understand how the system works you will know that you have to do your own research before eating any kind of prescribed meds.
Also, ApoB is the closest indicator of possible clogging in blood vessels, but inflammation is what causes endothelial walls to fill up with cholesterol and thicken.
Uric acid, CRP are some biomarkers to watch for.
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Thanks! I’ll remember to monitor coq10 levels on my next panel. I probably haven’t felt a difference because I’ve been on statins less than 1 year
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Thank you for sharing. Excellent blood results. I did have an increase in my basal glycemia for a few weeks too. (I wear a CGM). It is back to normal now.
FWIW…
Review link below.
“The world’s best and most comprehensive CoQ10 encyclopedia – the only place you need to go to find useful and practical information about the incredible substance Coenzyme Q10 commonly known as CoQ10.”
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Thank you so much for sharing your journey thus far with us. Are you willing to share the price of using healthspan for both the Acarbose and rapamycin?
@qBx123Yk Thank you for sharing and nicely done! Just a few comments to throw away if not of value.
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Some physicians in the hormone world do not like getting your total cholesterol below 140 since it is a building block for other hormones. I know that with certain high risk patients its worth the trade. It may be worth a discussion on adjusting your statin dose in the future.
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3 month window changes could be due to some acute phase reactions that can start with new treatments vs. long term trends, but it should help clarify an urgency for immediate adjustment.
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Your DEXA scan change may be in percentage error range? Just thinking to not read to much into it.
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I am a fan of daily dosing of Vitamin D3 vs weekly dose of vitamin D2 as well as adding CO Q 10 to any statin use - but more a preference.
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Thanks! I agree about the DEXA scan. I did gain some weight (confirmed by my personal scale), but the muscle and fat breakdown will have some error in it. The muscle breakdown in particular shows my left side being 2 pounds lighter than my right side. I’ve learned that it’s not uncommon for DEXA scans to show this discrepancy.
I heard about COQ10, but I feel great so far, and I really don’t want to add more to my supplement stack, if I can help it.
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Hi Gus, I ended up paying $495 for 3 months of rapamycin at 6mg/week, and $90 for 3 months of acarbose at 25mg/day
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Hi clammy 77, how are you feeling now after the myocardial infarction? You were talking about ApoB, was yours fairly high before the MRI? Has the Depression resolved since taking coenzyme Q 10? I have felt no depression from statins either, but I take 700 mg coenzyme Q 10 a day.
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In short, I think much better than pre-MI, because I exercise a lot now, eat healthy, and I learned a lot to save myself so that resulted in just much better body hormonal balance and lifestyle. I’d say the MI saved my life.
I had another artery 50-60% clogged and I was able to clear it via exercising 30min/day, meditation 2 hrs a day (there was a study on this showing this could clear plaques), and various supplements targeting healthier heart and arteries (lumbrokinase, CoQ10, Ginko, fish oil, etc).
Depression was resolved when I stopped taking statins or lowered the dosage, and CoQ10 definitely helps too. I haven’t felt anything close to a depression since I lowered the dosage.
And in terms of ApoB, I actually don’t know, because hospitals aren’t insured to take ApoB tests. My LDL was at higher range I remember (130) but not like batshit crazy. I only took ApoB test recently and was around 73. My LDL is usually around 60 now. I eat like half a statin every Mon Wed Friday, with cholestoff, and red yeast rice.
From what I’ve studied, any atherosclerosis are mostly caused by inflammation caused by stress. Without inflammation, cholesterol doesn’t do much either, there are studies that demonstrate this. So the goal really is to regulate inflammation imo. Lower uric acid, crp, etc. The book “Drop Acid” is great.
PS: Also there are studies showing super low cholesterol doesn’t have any impact on health: EBBINGHAUS: No Effect on Neurocognition With Evolucumab - American College of Cardiology
Would love to hear if anyone has any insights on this study or claim. My cardiologist said that your body already has all the cholesterol it needs, the cholesterol we test for are just the circulating ones.
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I haven’t looked at the study but at least in the short term there’s randomized controlled trials lowering to 20 mg/dl LDL median and there being no side effects, and decreasing events all the way down. That was the PCSK9 inhibitor studies. There is also one with statins, with a similar result. If I remember correctly there was one down to 7 mg/dl or extremely low levels. Circulating cholesterol levels doesn’t affect brain cholesterol, so unless the statins can pass the BBB and impact results they won’t, certain statins might have a lower chance to pass the BBB.
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Do you mind sharing how much lumbrokinase you used? I’m taking 12000 natto now and it kinda seems like maybe I’m doing something wrong but I haven’t noticed anything physically.
I looked into lumbrokinase and it seems like a good way to go.
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I just used this: Doctor’s Best Lumbrokinase Cardiovascular Support Circulatory Health Blood Flow Enzymes, 20 mg, 60 Count https://a.co/d/07oyzvz
I took it before sleep.
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Could you please post the reference/citation?
This was mentioned on either Mark Hyman or Andrew Huberman’s podcast, can’t remember.
I achieved it myself so I do believe it. Just not sure how much one has to do to achieve max regression. I’ve read studies on how 12 minutes a day is already quite good.
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Clammy77 Maybe the MI was a blessing in disguise, like you said. It got you interested in your health, and now you have the rest of your life ahead of you. I do agree that inflammation is important as far as increasing plaque, but I don’t know that it is possible to reduce or prevent plaque buildup solely by keeping inflammation down in the presence of high amounts of ApoB particles… as an anecdote my CRP is always very low, less than .2 to .3 mg/L, yet I had a CAC score of 64 at age 46… after that, I started taking fenofibrate 200mg and Ezetimibe 10mg, as well as 4g/day EPA Only fish oil, either Carlson EPA Gems or Vascepa, and my ApoB was similar to yours, ~70ish, so there are alternate methods to get it down if you wish to discontinue the Statin. What Statin are you on and what dose?
I actually only eat crestor (statin) 5mg on Monday and Fridays only, because my LDL is already low (60-80) after my red yeast rice, planet sterols, pantethine, and diet. Statin is just a tiny boost.
Also, statin has been shown to clear plaques: Can Statins Actually Reverse Plaque Buildup? – Cleveland Clinic
Personally I stopped taking statins after a few months since it was causing me shitty moods. I only started taking very little of it this year because I realized such low dosage is already quiet powerful.
Did you have MI as well? For inflammation, you can look into uric acid levels. Keep it below 5.5 mg/dL. Uric acid is probably one of the best biomarkers for inflammation. The issue with inflammation is, scientists haven’t found the ultimate biomarker for it, but uric acid is directly correlating with whole body inflammation, so if you can keep that low it should be good. Just like how ApoB isn’t the perfect biomarker for plaque causing cholesterol but that’s the best we got for now.
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No, I don’t have any myocardial infarction history. I did have a 64 score on my coronary calcium at age 46 a couple years ago, so I do have some evidence of plaque. I take 20 mg a day of pravastatin, the weakest Statin, and it causes me no muscle pain and nothing cognitively. In fact I would say it makes me feel BETTER mentally, just a slight antidepressant feeling.
As I said earlier, you could also try the Ezetimibe along with other drugs, such as fenofibrate, which is much cheaper than the new Bempedoic acid or PCSK9 inhibitors, to lower ApoB and LDL without taking a statin Or incurring many side effects. I was taking nothing before I got the calcium score done. I take all of that now, as well as 4 g a day of EPA only fish oil, which has been shown to reduce plaque substantially. The EVAPORATE trial showed a 19% reduction of total noncalcified plaque when added to a Statin. Statin by itself had a little bit reduction, but not that much
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