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Medical Forum / General / Cardiology / October 2004Policosanol
Has anyone been using Policosanol for a long period and accumulated experience on its effectiveness and any side-effects? The threads I have examined have many people switching from statins to this substance but no follow up information. I emailed one such person but was advised that his mailbox was full - uncleared - ominous! Obviously I have looked at the research reports - I am as suspicious of Cuban sources recommending a sugar cane by-product as I am of US corn-growers pushing ethanol as a petrol-substitute. Hello Ken, I experienced the same adverse side-effects from Policosanol as I did when taking Statins : weak and painful muscles, heart failure ( I am a bit prone to this). I cannot comment on its effectiveness, or long term use, as I obviously ceased taking it after a few weeks. Sorry this does not really help you too much. Regards, Barry Sylva NSW, Australia > Has anyone been using Policosanol for a long period and accumulated > experience on its effectiveness and any side-effects? [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > of Cuban sources recommending a sugar cane by-product as I am of US > corn-growers pushing ethanol as a petrol-substitute. Thanks. In fact I saw your earlier similar post. You will also have seen posts suggesting that some muscle damage caused by statins may be permanent. Cutting out lipitor brought a quick improvement in most of my problems but, six weeks later, my left arm is still suffering discomfort (though I am hopeful that it continues to progress). Can you be resonably confident that the problems you experienced with policosanol were not carried over from the statins? As I say, six weeks after stopping lipitor its effects are still very much with me. Yes Ken, I can be "reasonably confident" that the adverse effects were from the Policosanol, as I tried it on at least two separate occasions each time after ceasing Statins, and when the side-effects had substantially ameliorated, only to return again with the Policosanol consumption. However, the Policosanol could have exacerbated any effects from the Statins, or the effect could have been idiosyncratic to me. So it is a bit tricky to be too sure about these things. Maybe someone out there has experienced the side-effects without ever having consumed a statin class medication. I would be very interested to know myself of course. At the present time I take neither, and probably never will again. Regards, Barry S. > Thanks. In fact I saw your earlier similar post. You will also have > seen posts suggesting that some muscle damage caused by statins may be [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > policosanol were not carried over from the statins? As I say, six > weeks after stopping lipitor its effects are still very much with me. I know what you mean about 'being sure' and I agree that, for better or worse, there is no point in continuing medication which seems to cause problems. AS you say, drawing on the experience of many gives more confidence - especially the results of controlled experiments. I found that TGA have looked at these materials - see another post - and I am going to email them asking them what they think about policosanol's effectiveness (in lowering cholesterol) and side effects. For non-Oz members, TGA is a federal government agency which put the boot iinto the entire alternative medication industry in Australia a year or so ago because it found that a major player was careless. This the response from the Theropeutic Goods Administration: Dear Mr Kerrison, The TGA Office of Complementary Medicines have advised the following response to your enquiry. 1. Are you reasonably satisfied that it lowers cholesterol? Answer: Sugar cane wax alcohols, the active ingredient in policosanol, has been assessed for safety and quality by the TGA but as a Listable (low risk) medicine it is not required to be assessed by the TGA for efficacy in lowering cholesterol. Product sponsors / manufacturers are required to hold evidence to support claims made for Listable medicines but this is not required to be submitted to the TGA unless called upon to do so. 2. Is there evidence, as with statins, that serious side-effects are not uncommon? Answer: The TGA has assessed the available data for sugar cane wax alcohols and considered it to be safe enough to be included in Listable medicines in Australia. Compared to the statins, products based on sugar cane wax alcohols have not been subjected to the same widespread use as statins, although the TGA is not aware of any history of serious side effects associated with the substance. I trust the above information has been of use to you. I may now approach Blackmores who put up this stuff in Australia and ask them for their evidence. Stay tuned! > I experienced the same adverse side-effects from Policosanol >as I did when taking Statins : weak and painful muscles, heart failure ( I am a >bit prone to this). I cannot comment on its effectiveness, or long term use, as >I obviously ceased taking it after a few weeks. Sorry this does not really help >you too much. Count me as another "anecdotal case" who also found policosanol to have the same debilitating effects as Lipitor. > Has anyone been using Policosanol for a long period and accumulated > experience on its effectiveness and any side-effects? [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > of Cuban sources recommending a sugar cane by-product as I am of US > corn-growers pushing ethanol as a petrol-substitute. This was discussed a few months ago. I was interested in it because I went off my statin. From what I've read, any benefits seem highly anectdotal at best. I read enough that gave me the impression that it was essentially useless. The world of unregulated, untested (i.e. long-term, double blind) supplements is a murky one. I would be very cautious. L. 24 Oct 2004 03:59:04 GMT in article <Xns958C147D756Csome1outthere@38.144.126.67> listener >> Has anyone been using Policosanol for a long period and accumulated >> experience on its effectiveness and any side-effects? [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >useless. The world of unregulated, untested (i.e. long-term, double blind) >supplements is a murky one. I would be very cautious. There seems to have been some long-term (at least up to 3 years) double-blinded trials of policosanol, but I think that all of them have been conducted in Cuba. I'd wish to see these trials repeated in other countries. Here's a list of some trials: <URL:http://tinyurl.com/5eorc>  SignatureMatti Narkia > There seems to have been some long-term (at least up to 3 years) > double-blinded trials of policosanol, but I think that all of them > have been conducted in Cuba. I'd wish to see these trials repeated > in other countries. I and several friends have tried Policosanol. It didn't do a thing for any of us. :-( Lee > > There seems to have been some long-term (at least up to 3 years) > > double-blinded trials of policosanol, but I think that all of them [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Lee FWIW, ime, it is as potent as simvastatin *if* someone is either lean or on the 2PD Approach. It does not work as well if someone is overeating. Servant to the humblest person in the universe, Andrew -- Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD Board-Certified Cardiologist http://www.heartmdphd.com/ ** Who is the humblest person in the universe? http://makeashorterlink.com/?L26062048 What is all this about? http://makeashorterlink.com/?R20632B48 Is this spam? http://makeashorterlink.com/?N69721867 > FWIW, ime, it is as potent as simvastatin *if* someone is either lean or > on the 2PD Approach. It does not work as well if someone is overeating. > > Servant to the humblest person in the universe, > > Andrew I've heard SYTRINOL is real good. Lee What's the deal with Policosanol? It is supposed to be from rice but the cheap stuff is from cane sugar? It is the active ingredient of sugar cane wax alcohols (SCWA). Here is a link: http://www.tga.gov.au/docs/html/compguid/sugarcwa.htm |
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