Vytorin Cholesterol Drug & The Cancer Connection

[Guest guest]

This is from Suzy Cohen's newsletter

(

http://www.dearpharmacist.com/index.html)

Published September 20, 2008

 

Dear Pharmacist,

I take Vytorin for cholesterol and I heard that this drug may increase my

risk for cancer. I had to have a lumpectomy in 1996 and so my fear is

that the breast cancer will return. Should I continue the Vytorin or stop

it?

L.P., Washington, D.C.

ANSWER: The final decision is between you and your doctor, but here's

more information about Vytorin to help you both make this decision. First

of all, other readers may not realize that Vytorin is a combination drug

so you can take one convenient pill instead of two. It contains a statin

called simvastatin, which is sold as a stand-alone drug (Zocor). The

other drug is ezetimibe, which is also sold as a stand-alone drug

(Zetia). Simply put, Vytorin is the marriage

of Zocor and Zetia, except they don't live happily ever after together.

 

Combination drugs are useful when stand-alone drugs fail

to produce desired results. But whenever you take two drugs (even if they

are combined in one pill), you will face more side-effects from both

components in the pill. A recent study on Vytorin showed a dramatic

increase in risk of developing cancer. No one is sure if it's the

" Zocor " component or the " Zetia " component of the

drug, but some scientists lean to the Zetia component (ie

ezetimibe). It may be both components, and it may be neither.

That will be sifted out in further studies. To be fair, not all

studies on Vytorin show a cancer connection. Now, FDA officials,

pharmaceutical executives and congressmen are scratching their heads

trying to determine if this study result is a fluke or not. Let's take a

closer look:

1. Vytorin contains a statin component.

2. Statins are drug-muggers of Coenzyme Q10.

3. The nutrient depletion of CoQ10 by statins is well-documented by

clinical trials. I have been warning you about this since the 1990s. It

occurs because statins prevent production of cholesterol in your liver,

and while doing so, they inadvertently also prevent formation of CoQ10.

So statins lower your CoQ10. Are you with me?

4. CoQ10 is one of your body's most powerful antioxidants and it protects

your brain, heart, liver, breast, prostate, lungs and kidneys from free

radical damage.

Many scientific leaders say that antioxidants protect your cells from

oxidative damage. When you run low on

antioxidants, you have a greater risk of cell damage which could

translate to a higher risk for cancer.

The study result may not be conclusive yet, but it doesn't

surprise me. I believe the reason for dreadful side-effects of

medications is due to their drug-mugging effect. Drugs steal nutrients,

plain and simple. I've posted more information about this effect on if

you CLICK

HERE, which explains a little bit more about how various medications

can slowly steal the life out of you.

Dozens of other medications deplete your CoQ10 stash, little by little.

These include: Most diabetic drugs

Estrogen-containing hormones like patches and shots

Hormone Replacement Drugs

Birth control pills

Most blood pressure pills

HCTZ

Many tri-cyclic antidepressants and

Some psychiatric meds

Many many more (over 100 other medications)

If you are taking any of the medications that deplete CoQ10, it may be

wise to supplement with 50 to 200mg CoQ10 each day, or use the active

form of CoQ10 called " Ubiquinol. "

 

 

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