Cholesterol-lowering drug linked to amnesia

Q. I have normal LDL cholesterol but low HDL, as low as 26. With diet and exercise, I can get my HDL to the mid-30s, which is not great. Lipitor lowered my LDL below 80, but sadly my HDL didn’t budge.

After being on Lipitor for a couple of months, I woke up one morning and had no idea what day of the week it was or that the company picnic was the day before. At work, I could not make simple postings of dollar amounts from hard copy to electronic spreadsheet (I would forget the amounts).

At a meeting, I could not remember names, and later at home, I kept asking my wife the same question, as I could not remember her answer. She took me to a doctor, who thought I had a ministroke. Ultrasound, brain scans and all other tests were normal, so no stroke.

I mentioned Lipitor, but the doctor dismissed it. At the end of the evaluation, I was diagnosed with transient global amnesia.

Not wanting to be a vegetable for the rest of my life, I stopped taking Lipitor. I now take Niaspan (prescription niacin), and my HDL has improved to 43. My LDL is 80, and my memory is better than ever. I hope this story helps others.

A. We received a startlingly similar story from Duane Graveline, M.D., a retired astronaut and family physician, in 2001. He, too, was taking Lipitor when he had a scary experience with transient global amnesia (TGA).

Subsequently, we heard from others who also experienced TGA or other kinds of memory problems while taking statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs. Anyone who would like to hear Dr. Graveline’s story and learn more about this complication and other ways to control cholesterol may be interested in a CD of a radio interview we conducted with him and several other experts. To order a CD of this one-hour conversation on “The Dark Side of Statins,” please send $16 to: People’s Pharmacy (CD-523), P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also is available at www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Q. My teenage daughter has been taking antibiotics to treat her acne for years, but she’s also had terrible GI problems (stomachaches and diarrhea) for much of that time. I didn’t think of a connection until recently, but now I wonder if the antibiotics might be responsible.

She has taken Prilosec, as per her doctor’s recommendation, but it really hasn’t helped. Is there anything else that might help her overcome these symptoms? Her dermatologist says if she stops the minocycline she is taking, her acne will come back, and I hate for her to have to deal with that at the start of the school year.

A. It is possible that years of antibiotic treatment have altered the ecology of her digestive tract, contributing to her pain and diarrhea. Antibiotics kill good bacteria as well as the bad ones.

Repopulating the digestive tract with good bacteria can sometimes help reverse that problem. Such probiotic bacteria may be found in yogurt with active live cultures or capsules such as Culturelle, Enzymatic Therapy or Florastor.

Q. Can Synthroid and ferrous sulfate be taken at the same time of the day?

A. No. Iron supplements such as ferrous sulfate interfere with the absorption of Synthroid (levothyroxine), taken to treat thyroid problems. Wait at least two hours after Synthroid before taking iron, calcium or other minerals.

XIn their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy” (Rodale Books).

2008 King Features Syndicate, Inc.