Doc has good reason for bypassing cholesterol generic

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Updated: May 9, 2012 10:02AM

Q. My physician said my HDL cholesterol is low and my LDL is high, the reverse of what it ought to be. She prescribed a brand-name statin drug, Crestor. When I asked about a generic, she said no generic statin will be as good for me. Is she right?

A. Your doc’s not saying “generics schmerics.” There isn’t a generic for Crestor yet, which excels at lowering risky LDL; it also will kick up your HDL. We’re guessing both are pretty bad, and that’s why your doc stuck to her Crestor guns. We’d like your LDL below 70 and your HDL above 50. Find out your numbers! It’s important.

There are other reasons to like Crestor, and Lipitor, too (which should have a generic by December). In three studies, both statins (but not others) have reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s by 60 percent. Both also seem to be much stronger inflammation fighters than generics.

Like other statins, Crestor can cause muscle pain. Try taking 200 mg of CoQ10 a day to prevent this. Or talk to your doc about a hybrid approach: Switch to a daily low dose of simvastatin (take the CoQ10); then twice a week take 5 mg of Crestor, too. This regimen pumps up heart-healthy HDL while cutting artery-clogging LDL by 80 percent, without increasing muscle aches.

Q. I got my first mammogram in 2010. I was 45. It was all clear, and my doctor told me new guidelines said I didn’t need another for two years. I thought, “Great.” But recently a friend who’s 51 was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now I wonder whether every two years is enough.

You need to make this decision with your doctor. That sounds like a cop-out, but since we assume you’re not at high risk (you wouldn’t be on the two-year plan if you were), it comes down to personal tolerance. Which one will make YOU less anxious?

Q. I have arthritis in my shoulders and relentless pain that radiates through my arms and ribs. I’ve had bypass surgery, but the pain sent me to the ER four times last month, and there were no heart issues. My doctors don’t seem concerned about the pain.

We’d recommend two things: First, get a neck brace. Put it on, take a walk, and see if it helps. Second, get new docs, including a back specialist. Yours aren’t listening.

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