My new Doc has gotten the results of my first bloodwork since my starting to eat LC. Her nurse called yesterday and said the Doc wants to see me to go over the tests, so I asked her if cholesterol was the issue. She confirmed my fears. Sheesh, I've had "high" total cholesterol since my early 20's. OMG, my 98 yr.-old Grandma is on Lipitor, much to my dismay.

Thanks to reading everybody's very informative posts here, I feel I am "loaded for bear" and ready to withstand the probable statin onslaught. I have lost 25 lbs, am taking krill oil, D3, and magnesium. I am willing to try niacin, but NO STATINS! I'll ask for a retest (last time I had just had my customary coffee with HWC 1 hour before the draw) or I'll ask for a VAP. Wish me luck!

Oh yeah! Def let us know how it goes. Arm yourself with info (sounds like you have). You prob know more about cholesterol than they do. Remember, you got a big bucket of "NO" for them.

I guess you read my "loaded for bear" posts in another thread such as this. Good luck!

Hi Lisa, I probably did read your post. Your posts are always interesting and informative. But, that's an old expression in my family as my grandpa was quite a hunter and adventurer. BTW, where are you on the Oregon coast, if I may ask? I'm Seattle born and bred, all my family are still there and in Portland.

ILikeMice, I'll be sure to post the results of the "chat" after I've seen the doc on the 20th. In the meantime, business as usual. Still losing and feeling great.

You shouldn't have coffee, and definitely not cream, before a cholesterol test. I'd definitely get retested.

Nancy, that's what I thought, too! I told the nurse before she drew my blood and she said it was fine... I will definitely request a redo. I'm pretty sure my levels will still be on the high side given my history, but I think/hope in 6 months or so, given WOE and supplements, that the #s will improve.

Well, I went in for my Dr appointment to discuss my blood work results yesterday, and it went pretty much as I expected. My metabolic panel was great, and TSH was normal - 1.15mIU/L (whatever that means). Lipid panel as follows:

TC=296
HDL=57
LDL=212
Trig=134

She told me the usual: don't eat red meat, shrimp, or full-fat dairy. Limit egg yolks and other sources of dietary cholesterol. Has nothing changed in the 30 years since I had my first test done? Similar readings, same speech. I'm supposed to increase my cardio (of which I do none at present) and decrease my fat intake (which I am reluctant to do). I don't eat tons of fat now, bacon a couple of times a week, 2 coffees with HWC, very little cheese and butter.

I told her that I'd only been eating LC for 2 months when the test was taken and that I'd started taking krill oil, D3, red yeast rice, and slo-niacin to help matters. I eat 3 heaping tablespoons of oat bran daily, too. She wants to retest in 2 months, but I don't think that's enough time for changes to happen.

Any sage advice from you experts out there would be much appreciated- other supplements, food changes, etc... I know from reading here that changes in lipids resulting from LC WOE can take 6 months to show up?

Several people with high LDL have had too much reverse T3, which means they don't have enough free T3. Taking thyroid meds containing T3 have brought their LDL values down dramatically. Your TSH might be normal, but your FT3 could be too low.

Finding a doctor savvy enough to do the right tests is difficult. However, you can order tests yourself in most states.

http://stopthethyroidmadness.com -- a good place to start

Hi there!

I'm no thyroid expert, but I have been reading that "high" total cholesterol and trigs can be related to a thyroid issue.

Your TSH is NOT necessarily normal, even though these numbers may seem low. If your system is having to produce "Thyroid Stimulating Hormone", then it needs to be stimulated - which it shouldn't actually need to!!!

A poster here called "merpig" (Debbie) had her cholesterol go down in just a few weeks after she started on Armour dessicated thyroid.

What's more, there is no evidence that it is useful for women to have low cholesterol levels; in fact, the contrary is true!

Your 98 year-old grandma is living proof - her high cholesterol levels may actually be the reason she's made it to nearly a 100!!!

Dietary cholesterol doesn't affect your internal cholesterol: if you eat too little, your liver will just make more; if you eat too much, your liver makes less.

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/sa...ttack-risk.html

And how about this list of articles from the same site:

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/se...&sa=Search#1108

These are from the site run by Barry Groves, a veteran low-carber of about 50 years' standing (I think he started low-carbing in the 1960s!!!). He is now over 70, fit as a fiddle and sharp as a tack.

He's one of the best ads you can get for low-carbing!!!

amanda

Hi again,

Just spotted this on the LC media forum:

http://www.drbriffa.com/2011/09/21/...rol-hypothesis/

Maybe you should send this to your doc!!!

And this is no doubt also full of edifying articles:

http://www.drbriffa.com/category/ch...ol-and-statins/

amanda

That would be me. And yes, I had my total cholesterol drop from a high of 295 down to 196 after 6 weeks on Armour thyroid. My TSH *was* on the higher side (about 5.5 when I started the Armour) but after being on the Armour it went down to something like 0.05, which the nurse practitioner I see said is perfectly fine for someone on Armour. I never had high triglycerides though. and in fact they went UP on Armour, though still under 100.

Sounds like at least your doctor was willing to let you try dietary changes (even if wrong-headed ones) rather than immediately trying to push a statin down your throat, which is something at least. When my former endocrinologist said "I'm writing you a prescription for a statin" as soon as she saw that 295 number I think you could have bowled her over with a feather when I said, "Fine, you're more than welcome to write it but I'll never take a single pill".

Thanks to you all for your wise words. My doc wanted to retest me in Nov. but I think I'll put it off until early next year. I've read in several posts here that it can take 6 months for this WOE to be reflected in bloodwork. Also, been taking slo-niacin, chelated mag, krill oil, D3 and red yeast rice so maybe those will help. I certainly ignored all the dietary changes suggested by the doc since they were so contrary to the way I'm eating now, and I feel so great. Getting more in-depth thyroid tests will be an uphill battle since whatever basic test I had showed "normal" numbers-they seem to be so resistant to looking further than the ends of their noses.