Lipitor and plaque

[Protimenow]

It was a bit of a surprise, but after my TIA (a stroke), that was apparently caused by maintaining an out of range INR for too long (my meter was apparently reporting .6 higher than it should have because of a substance that I was taking), the doctors started prescribing Lipitor. Surprisingly, in the hospital, they didn't even CHECK my cholesterol -- they prescribe Lipitor to anyone who's had a stroke because they believe that it helps to reduce plaques in the circulatory system. I could only find one paper on the subject - and it wasn't quite as definite about this capability or how it directly applied to me - but the doctors I saw believe that it helps to reduce risk of additional TIAs.

This, of course, is a terribly expensive medication - even the generic is extremely expensive unless you take your chances with foreign generics. Also -- I've read that once you've been on it for a while, stopping it can cause a heart attack.

I'm curious to see if any of you are taking Lipitor. I'm curious to see if any of you who ARE taking Lipitor were told that it's for plaque prevention.

I'm also curious (and I'll probably ask a doctor) if other statins - including time release Niacin (which costs a hell of a lot less than Lipitor) may also have the same plaque prevention capability.

(I wonder, too, that if some brave drug company came out with a generic Lipitor that cost as little as generic warfarin, if it would be something that would be prescribed, along with warfarin, to everyone taking warfarin).

 

[dwhist]

I have been on Lipitor for maybe 10 years now. Also on Zetia which is supposed to bring up the good stuff. I had AVR last year and the angiogram I had just before it showed only 1 artery at 35%, so no bypass needed while they were in there. I am 53 now. My numbers have been great.

In my case I was doing 80mg a day and after this test, doc let me go to 40mg. I was still getting the 80mg 3 months at a time on my drug plan and have been cutting them in half which is saving some money. I think the generic change over is on going and prices will get better soon as when it went generic, only a few companies were allowed to sell the generic. In a few months, more companies will be able to sell it.

Curious to see what others have to say.

 

[Protimenow]

Right now, I'm getting the brand name stuff at no cost -- but I hope to HAVE to pay for it soon. Generic locally is almost $400 for 90 pills, and more than $500 for the brand name. There's probably little motivation for the generic makers to make it cheap unless there's some stiff competition from other generic suppliers. (I've found it in India, from a company that I've used in the past, at $25 for 30 pills -- making a 90 day supply of generic 80 mg cost $75. In my case, because the Lipitor was prescribed as a preventative for plaque and having nothing to do with cholesterol, I might be somewhat surprised if I'm told to drop my dose.

My original question, though, was about Lipitor as an 'anti-plaque' agent.

I'd be interested to see if anyone else has been told this.