Need some support! Thanks

[Enomarb]

I have been doing LC for almost 5 years, but was also on statins (Pravachol) until 3/07. 12/07 my numbers were
Total Cholesterol:217
LDL:141
HDL:56
TRIG:99

last week (6/08)
Total:314
LDL:218
VLDL:28
HDL:68
TRIG:141
CRP:2.5

My MD wants me back on statins and I am saying no. I increased my Omega 3s and am going to cut back on wheat. This is scary to me - I'm repeating my labs in 3 months- and could just use a little support - help!
Thanks-
E

[MizKitty]

Eno, have you read "The Great Cholesterol Con" by Malcolm Kendrick. Since reading that, I have stopped worrying or allowing my doctor to worry me about cholesterol numbers.


Statins are a much bigger threat.

[Nancy LC]

My MD wants me back on statins and I am saying no. I increased my Omega 3s and am going to cut back on wheat. This is scary to me - I'm repeating my labs in 3 months- and could just use a little support - help!
Thanks-
E
Have you read Dr. Davis's web site? Cutting back on wheat isn't going to cut it.

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com

He has a lot of supplements he recommends: D3, Fish Oil, Niacin, to name a few. Read his blog

And he recommends cutting out all wheat and grains entirely.

If it were me, I'd keep in mind a few things:

1) Cholesterol tests are a poor predictor of heart disease. However calcium scoring tests are a very good predictor.

2) Statins don't work in women and even in men you have to treat 250 men to find one it works on.

3) Statins and all drugs have side-effects. Is it worth risking them for what appears to be almost no benefit?

[Enomarb]

thanks. I have read the heartscan blog- and have had 2 scans and both scores were "0" (one in 2003, one in 2008).
I take D3 (2000 units), fish oil, CoQ10, b vitamins, magnesium citrate, calcium, and folic acid.
I have read the Cholesterol Con book(s) and Good Calories/Bad Calories. I have listened to Dr. Mercola, Dr. Eades and others. I read here and go to the original source material when I can. While I think the cholesterol theory of heart disease is false, it is still really hard to just say no to the doctors. Especially when they push it soooo hard.
This is a journey for me- first doing LC against medical advice, and now the statins. Guess I am still learning. The support helps- thanks.
E

[jschwab]

My husband weighs about 135, is in fantastic health and has similar cholesterol numbers to yours - he's not worried at all. Your HDL is fantastic. I would only be concerned about the triglycerides, but I don't think statins help with that. Do you exercise? Inactivity might make your triglycerides jump? I know it's hard to stand up to doctors but you have to go with your gut. My mother works in patient advocacy in a hospital and that really opened my eyes to how health care functions - you must advocate for yourself and make your own decisions. No one can make you take anything you don't want to.

Janine

[Nancy LC]

Dr. Davis is a cardiologist, he out ranks your family physician. :p

[Haggis]

My MD wants me back on statins and I am saying no. I increased my Omega 3s and am going to cut back on wheat. This is scary to me - I'm repeating my labs in 3 months- and could just use a little support - help!


The stress of worrying isn't good for you, that's for sure. If you choose to believe in the numbers or not, you can still stuff about it to humour your doctor among others. Nancy and Enomarb mentioned them already. Cut the wheat, take a good fish oil and a flushing form of niacin (the none flushing niacin is said not to work as well.)

Oh, not all your numbers are considered bad. You HDL, the stuff that protects you, is above 60, a very good number.

[LarryAJ]

You might want to print out this report, which says, "Another important but overlooked observation: “Elevated LDL identify less than one half of individuals who will die from coronary heart disease” (Rosenson et al. Antithrombotic Properties of Statins, JAMA, May 27, 1998). (http://www.medicalconsumers.org/pages/failedVytorinstudyraisesquestions.htm)"

[eddiemcm]

Did you fast 10-12 hours before your last blood test?
If not,that can have a great impact on results.
Incidently,Lipitor does lower triglycerides but I would still be
leery of statins.
Eddie

[Enomarb]

thanks for all the help and support!

I pulled out a bunch of my printouts on cholesterol/LC/statins and feel a bit stronger. I talked to a friend yesterday who is a MD and knows my eating plan very well. She said she would be very suspicious of the higher labs as it is such a big jump with basically no change in my eating or exercise (I walk 4-5 hrs/wk and lift weights 2xwk). She suggested I redo the tests in a few months.

I am very thankful for this site- and your help.
E

[Enomarb]

I got back the results of my second labs :
Total Cholesterol 298
HDL 56
LDL 222(calculated)
Trigyliceride 99
VLDL 20

and my vitamin D is still low- 28.5 after I havae been taking 3000iu/day for 3 months (had been on 2000 units for like a year.).

What do you think?
Thanks-
E

[JLx]

I've heard that Vit D levels can be very difficult to raise. Since you are being tested periodically, why not take more?

In 1999, Vieth indirectly asked the medical community to produce any evidence 10,000 units of vitamin D a day was toxic, saying "Throughout my preparation of this review, I was amazed at the lack of evidence supporting statements about the toxicity of moderate doses of vitamin D." He added: "If there is published evidence of toxicity in adults from an intake of 250 ug (10,000 IU) per day, and that is verified by the 25(OH)D concentration, I have yet to find it." Vieth http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/vitaminDToxicity.shtml

[Nancy LC]

I got back the results of my second labs :
Total Cholesterol 298
HDL 56
LDL 222(calculated)
Trigyliceride 99
VLDL 20

and my vitamin D is still low- 28.5 after I havae been taking 3000iu/day for 3 months (had been on 2000 units for like a year.).

What do you think?
Thanks-
E
You need to take more D. Like 6000 iu. Some people have to go as high as 10,000 iu to get it up to 60 like Dr. Davis recommends. 3000 iu isn't even a replacement dose, people use up about 4000 iu a day.

All this stuff is in Dr. Davis's blog.

Oh yes, did you read his latest about how calculated LDL is messed up (way too high) in people with low triglycerides? You need a test that actually counts the particles, not one that estimates them.

I had an NMR done and it was about 50 points lower than the calculated LDL test.

[Enomarb]

thanks- I am going to print some stuff out and mail it to my MD right now-
E

[Enomarb]

hi-
so it is December and I had my 3rd set of labs done (since stopping statins and zetia and changing MDs) and saw the MD yesterday- so this is an update.

(6/08)
Total Cholesterol 298
HDL 56
LDL 222(calculated)
Trigyliceride 99
VLDL 20

9/08
Total:314
LDL:218
HDL:68
TRIG:141
VLDL:28
CRP:2.5

12/08
total :310
HDL:56
LDL:223
Tri:153
VLDL:31

vitamin D3: 45.9 ( normal range)


I had increased my D3 to 6,000 IU/day, and it is working (thanks, guys!). After discussing both my thoughts and literature on the cholesterol/statin issues we agreed to stay the course and do nothing new! The MD agreed that the literature on statins and women with no heart disease is just not there- and that he would support me in not gong on statins. The numbers are stable, I have exercised (run/walk) for over 30 years, my ECG is great and the 2 calcium scans I had were "0".
And, given the evidence that thyroid and D3 do play a role in heart disease, I am vigilant about that.

Wanted to thank you for all the info and support and advice- it really made a difference for me.

E

[Nancy LC]

Oh good! Especially since you had a heart scan and your score was 0. Absolutely nothing to get concerned over. Glad you found a reasonable doctor!

[Enomarb]

hi-
just wanted to post my latest update-
I am not on statins and both my cardiologist and internist support me. I just asked them to please show me any good research that showed the benefit of taking statins for women with no history of heart disease- and BINGO- no statins! This site has been sooo helpful to me- just wanted to say thanks.
so after 6 years on LC, and off statins for 2.5 years-

total cholesterol:319
Trigs: 97
HDL:77
LDL (calculated and worthless):224
VLDL:19

taking 6000iu of D3, 4000mg omega3
calcium, magnesium, folate,synthroid,cytomel,multi B