Statins are BAD FOR PD People and What Are Other People's Perceptions of My Parkinson's Disease??

         Today I felt really sad because I went to the cemetery and took Valentine's decorations for my deceased daughter Amy.  Dan and I usually go together but he is so sick with the flu that I really didn't want him riding in the car with me.  I like to take things for Amy but I often wonder if I am taking them to make myself feel better or because I think she can see them. I really don't know, but I just want her to know, if she exists in any form in any place, that she is so loved and so missed, and will never ever be forgotten.   Olivia went with me to help me carry some things because it is difficult for me to carry more than one small thing and to walk.

 I am going to stop posting on Facebook sites in a few weeks so please copy and paste the link below if you want to read my blog and are not my friend on Facebook! I will still post on my own Facebook page and on People with Parkinsons because I am the Administrator of that page

http://feeds.feedburner.com/PositiveWithParkinsons

FOLLOW THE LINK ABOVE TO FOLLOW THIS BLOG or request to join    People with Parkinson's          on Facebook

        I wonder what other people think of me as a PD person.  I hope I don't complain about having PD to them. I try to take it in stride as just something that I have been dealt with in life. I try to keep a positive outlook and think about the good things in my life.   There are definitely much worse things than this disease.  Do others feel sorry for me? Do they think it isn't a big deal?  Do they think I  act differently now? And do I act differently now? I know that I am slower and a bit more cautious walking if I feel as if I am off balance a little.
         I use to think of my life as before Amy died and after Amy died. Now I also have to divide that AFTER Amy died into BEFORE I had Parkinson's and Sciatica and AFTER I had/have Parkinson's and Sciatica.  It really is amazing how much one has to change so much about their life when they get the diagnosis.  For me, I need to know as much as possible, so I joined Facebook groups, and googled information, and then I started a Facebook page.   And I started to blog last year. I think that sharing information between those of us that have this disease is the best information to get.  For example, I have TERRIBLE and PAINFUL Sciatica and I have had almost all of my docs say that it has nothing to do with PD.  However, I have met so many people online who have PD and also have painful Sciatica. And recently I have found information online that actually lists  Sciatica as a symptom of Parkinson's.!
 (Ask the MD: Pain and Parkinson's Disease | Parkinson's ...

Feb 22, 2017 - Musculoskeletal pain: Because of decreased mobility, postural changes, falls and sometimes fractures, Parkinson's can cause muscle and bone achiness. Many people also have lower back pain and even associated sciatica (pain, tingling and numbness radiating down the back of one leg).

Even though I am still in terrible pain, I have decided to start PT again.  I called Emily,  my physical therapist,  and she called her office to get a referral from my doc. He LOVES that practice so I know he will write the script!  They called me and I think they will start me at the end of this week or the following week.  The more I read about PD, the more I find out that the best treatment is exercise!! I hate to exercise but I want to stave off the faster progression of this disease as long as I can! I also want to try to go back to the Boxing class but I will see how well I do with the physical therapy sessions first!  Since I have been diagnosed, I have to remember to take my walker in case I am out somewhere and I really need it, I need to ALWAYS remember to have my meds with me.  Whenever I make any appointments I try to make them for later in the morning because it takes me so long to get ready, I use to be able to shower, put on make-up, blow dry, and get dressed and be out the door in 30 minutes. Now I am more than twice that time!  I use to like to make any doc appointments at 8 am and get them over with. Now I also have to calculate how long it will take me to walk to the office from the parking garages and add that time to the drive I need to get to the appointment. I no longer can hop into the shower, it is more like I drag my body into it. I can no longer do a Target Run and Done.  I can do a Target Halt and Go Again!

Someone on one of the Facebook groups also posted that it is bad to take statins and I didn't know that. I take atorvastatin everyday to lower my cholesterol.  I have been reading about statins since someone commented on it. Everything I have been researching about statins makes me want to stop taking them. I will have to have a chat with my family doc and my neurologist.

Statin

It can treat high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This may reduce the risk of angina, stroke, heart attack, and heart and blood vessel problems.
Statins can indeed produce neurological effects. ... But studies show that statins can influence our sleep and behavior—and perhaps even change the course of neurodegenerative conditions, including dementia. The most common adverse effects include muscle symptoms, fatigue and cognitive problems.Jul 1, 2016

Statin side effects mimic the effects of aging; they include fatigue and weakness, memory loss and reduced mental capacity, neuropathy and slowed reactions, muscle wasting leading to back pain and heart failure, intestinal disease, pancreatic problems, diabetes, reduced libido, depression, accidents, suicide and cancer.

Recently scientists have found that statins interfere with our stem cells, which work to repair damage to our bodies and protect us from muscle and joint pain as well as memory loss.

A study from Tulane University found that statins prevented stem cells from performing their main functions, namely reproducing and replicating other cells in the body to carry out repairs; in particular, statins prevented stem cells from generating new bone and cartilage.  are bad for PD Atorvastatin belongs to a group of drugs called HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, or "statins."

Atorvastatin is used together with diet to lower blood levels of "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL), to increase levels of "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL), and to lower triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood).

Atorvastatin is used to treat high cholesterol, and to lower the risk of stroke, heart attack, or other heart complications in people with type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, or other risk factors.

To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• liver problems;
• muscle pain or weakness;
• kidney disease;
• diabetes;
• a thyroid disorder; or
• if you drink more than 2 alcoholic beverages daily.