OK, I went back for my thyroid follow-up with the endocrinologist today, and will be increasing my meds for that. But when she ordered the thyroid tests she also did a lipid panel and now is freaked out about the results.

Well actually I was a little upset too, just because I was hoping two months on thyroid meds would show an improvement, but actually the numbers were worse! Two months ago my TC was 229, this time it was 279. Two months ago my calculated LDL was 165, this time it was 204. HDL at 50-something and triglycerides at 60-something both remained about the same.

She wanted to *immediately* put me on statins, which I flat-out refused, much to her displeasure. I said that all the studies I had read about indicated that statins were basically useless for someone in my category, but she essentially just shouted me down and said "how can you even say something like that! *ALL** the studies show that statins dramatically reduce the risk of heart attacks!"

I also told her that the standard Friedewald equations didn't calculate LDL properly when TG were below 100, but she insisted that was wrong also. I also told her I would not even *consider* the significance of the results of an LDL number unless it was *directly calculated* and also the actual type of LDL was determined, to which she said nothing.

Well the bottom line is that she didn't prescribe them, and I would not have taken them if she had. And I have to go back and have my thyroid rechecked in three more months and she wants to repeat the tests then.

In my own mind I think part of the problem may be because I had not fasted long enough before getting the tests. I had worked late on Tuesday and had to go out, and didn't home until 10 PM, and was hungry then as I had not had any dinner, so I made myself a dinner which I didn't eat until nearly 11 PM. *THEN* I remembered I was having the blood drawn at 7 AM and was supposed to fast for 12-14 hours or some such, but by that time I just said "screw it" to myself as the only number I was interested in was the thyroid number, which they said I didn't need to be fasting for, so I went and had the blood done anyway, but I sort of discount the numbers.

However in three months I want to go back and have better results to show her that statins are not the answer - so before I go back I'm looking fro a couple suggestions.

1) Ideas about else I might be able to do to improve the TC number. I already take daily: 500mg Slo-Niacin, 5000mg D3 (my vitamin D level was 52 when last checked a few months ago), 2000mg fish oil capsules (360mg EPA, 240mg DHA) - plus of course a LC diet, etc. Any other ideas?

2) I shall go googling and checking my favorite bloggers for articles and links about statins, but anyone have any favorites they would like to suggest? I'd like to print some stuff off to bring in a notebook when I see the doctor next - but of course it would need credibility.