[Travelinglady]

I have been having a battle with high cholesterol for a number of years. I was on statin drugs, but I have had nerve problems, muscle weakness, pain, and tiredness due to other diagnoses, and I don't want meds that can possibly increase these symptoms. Plus I've read that statin drugs don't necessarily actually decrease heart attacks, etc., since high cholesterol is only one potential cause of them. And they can actually weaken the heart muscle! So, I went off of them and have been taking fish oil. However, when I went to the doc recently for yearly testing, my overall cholesterol level was over 300.

I am going to keep taking fish oil. I am adding red yeast rice to my diet as of tonight, too. (I tried it once before and just stopped it for worry of its possible side effects.) Of all things, I just read that the U.S. has banned red yeast rice that contains much of the ingredient that actually helps with cholesterol, though. (Big Pharma at work?!) Two pharmacists told me it wouldn't have as strong side effects as statins, however.

I know I need to lose at least 30 pounds and exercise more, too.

How do you folks with this problem treat it? I really still don't want to take Statin drugs. Help and thanks!

[lynn P.]

Hi PAYNE1 - do you think the cholesterol is diet related, genetic predisposition or both?? Maybe consult with a dietician and see where you're getting the extra cholesterol? My mother passed after several strokes - was disabled for 7 yrs. She was very slim but smoked, didn't exercise and she liked butter and fat on steaks. After she passed I became well versed in healthy eating. We only have red meat once a weak, no butter, eat one vegetarian meal and eat fish /chicken more.

High cholesterol is a genetic issue on both side of my family unfortunately. Both of my parents have high cholesterol and take lipitor. Neither of them are overweight, the have always been healthy eaters, very active. Nevertheless, they also have cholesterol issues. I also have high cholesterol, mostly still a genetic thing. I was overweight at one point, but have lost quite a bit. My cholesterol numbers improved some, but are still considered high. My doctor hasn't really pushed medication as so far it has improved some with a bit of weight loss. He's just keeping an eye on it at this point.

Now, did you discuss the whole LDL vs HDL thing with your doctor too? I'm absolutely no expert on that end of it, but I know the ratio is an important consideration. With a level of over 300 though, I'd perhaps reconsider the medication issue maybe, at least until I had the weight down and my numbers were at least headed in the right direction.

[Travelinglady]

I asked my mom and my identical twin sister earlier this week, and they said they didn't have a cholesterol problem! I am surprised! My sister weighs a lot less than I do, though.

My doc said she would check me again in six months. I am trying to watch what I eat, but I can be even more careful. Maybe I'll be lucky and not have a heart attack in the meantime, but the more I think about it, the more concerned I am getting....I have had two mini-strokes already.

If you've already had strokes, wouldn't taking the medication be really important preventatively? (I'm asking because I honestly don't know the answer but figure you do.)

[optimize990h]

if you have access to a nutritionist, then you could ideas for the best foods to eat.

[unaluna]

didn't your dr recommend a diet? once a year testing is really not enough, look for cholesterol "fairs" at the pharmacies or malls and maybe get an extra free test or two in. as for diet, I would cut out cheese and fried foods and increase foods with soluble fiber. These are chef Alton Brown's recommendations:

Include Daily:
- Fruits
- Whole Grains
- Leafy Greens
- Nuts
- Carrots
- Green Tea

3 times a week
- Oily Fish
- Yogurt
- Tofu
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Sweet Potato
- Avocado

Once a week
- Red meat
- Pasta
- Dessert
- Alcohol

NEVER!
- Fast Food
- Soda
- Processed meals/frozen dinners
- Canned soup
- "Diet" anything

Eat breakfast every day, no exceptions.

[Fresia]

A good way to help naturally to lower cholesterol is to use foods with plant sterols and stanols which compete with natural cholesterols. Including these in the diet and they can naturally lower LDL and total cholesterol.

http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-man...terols-stanols

http://herbs.lovetoknow.com/What_Foo..._Plant_Sterols

Fish oil alone actually can slightly raise LDL, but helps with significantly lowering triglycerides (TG) and raising HDL, which the last part is good to lower cardiovascular risks by decreasing the LDL to HDL ratio which is important. However, if the fish oil is taken in combination with garlic, there is the added benefit of lowering LDL, while also lowering TG and total cholesterol, but raising HDL. Garlic alone only lowers LDL with not affecting TG or HDL, so it is helpful to take them together lowering some, raising the HDL, and decreasing the ratio to improve cardiovascular health and decrease risks.

Weight loss too decreases LDL and TG, and raises HDL.

[-jimi-]

Do you take any meds that could influence your levels?

[Travelinglady]

I've wondered about that, too, Jimrat. I asked my pdoc and she said she didn't think anything I'm taking would affect my cholesterol. Sigh. Thanks for suggesting it, though!

Originally Posted by PAYNE1

I've wondered about that, too, Jimrat. I asked my pdoc and she said she didn't think anything I'm taking would affect my cholesterol. Sigh. Thanks for suggesting it, though!

My son was on a med that has raising cholesterol as a semi-regular side effect and had to have his cholestoral level checked each month while he was on it. (It was never a problem for him though.) It was nice to know they paid attention to such problems though.

[madisgram]

OATMEAL.
coconut juice..pharmacist's suggestion
the new fish oil....costly but worth it. can't remember the name but i take it.
olive oil instead of other cooking oils.
non-fat milk
lots of fish but not shrimp or shell fish
no red meat even tho filet mignon has the least fat of red meats.
the other white meat-Pork. has less fat than breast of chicken.
no skin on chicken, turkey etc
no dark meats/chicken, pork, turkey. loaded with bad fat.
high fiber foods help.

i have a genetic predisposition to high cholesteral (the liver produces this but our liver doesn't know when to stop manufacturing it.) so every little bit helps. (on a complete non-fat diet in my twenties and my results were 425. i weighed only 95 lbs. at the time.) my father died of heart disease at 45 so i knew my diet alone wasn't going to cut it completely.

the best i've used is hot oatmeal/daily.
all 3 of my tests are better than text book perfect. good question u asked. hope my thoughts help you.
P.S. if statins cause leg cramps one shouldn't be used. serious medical complications if continued use.

[Travelinglady]

I went back and read about statins on the Internet, and I still think I should avoid them. Plus there were articles talking about how actually cholesterol is needed by the body. Note that the drug companies have to put on their ads that statins do NOT decrease the chance of heart problems. I might die tomorrow of a heart-related problem, but I already have a lot of the side effects mentioned as coming from statins due to other problems.

Thanks for the diet recommendations. I am definitely modifying my diet.

[Freefall1974]

Maybe you could do an internet search on a drug called Welchol. It binds with the cholesterol resins in the stomach and is not absorbed nor metabolized by the liver. It is not a statin. When it first came out it was ng nightmare but now it comes in a powder ( clear, not gritty, mix with anything) and is taken once a day. There are also discount coupons available. It was made for patients who cannot tolerate the statins. Hope that helps.

[bebop]

I know you said you didn't want statins but I am on lovastatin and I am having really good luck with it with no side effects. I am also on lopid for triglycerides with no bad effects.

[-jimi-]

I'm not really sure why people take statins, since the study concluded they only have a good effect if you already had a heart attack. It doesn't prevent heart attacks if you never had one. Seems like a lot of suffering for no good reason.

[Travelinglady]

People take Statins because their doctors push them on them, since they are encouraged to do so by the drug companies. Statins are the biggest money makers for some of these companies.

I did take Prevastatin at one point, but I went off of it.

Oh, I think I also read somewhere that some of the longest living people in the world actually have high cholesterol, and having it makes people actually feel better....

Mind you, I'm not telling people not to take them. Okay?

[missbelle]

I had serious prblems with statins. The first time I took them I had the muscle pain. The Dr. advised going off them for a short time then resuming. The second time I had serious muscle pain and brown urine...No more!!! I just now try not to think about it and I watch my diet. Thats all I can do until, and if they ever come out with another drug that is not a statin. Statins can be very dangerous!

[lizardlady]

AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I was not aware of the dnagers of statins!

Payne, without statins my cholesterol level is similar to yours. Mine is genetic. My Mom's cholesterol level was through the roof without meds. I already eat the recommended diet. I exercise. I'm not overweight. Heck for most of my life I was underweight! I take fish oil. Without the statins my primary care doc says I'm a stroke waiting to happen my cholseterol level is so high.

Hmmm, I'm going to talk to my pdoc about this. I realize statins are not a psch med, but he is knowledgeable and I trust him.

[Travelinglady]

Liz, don't expect your doc to support you in going off of Statins. If you have been taking them and don't notice any such side effects for awhile, then you might want to stick with them. I'll have to check to see if they really have been proven to prevent strokes. I'm not sure....Actually, other factors besides just cholesterol level lead to heart attacks and strokes. I might just be a nervous Nellie about them and will keel over with a circulatory issue tomorrow....

Hey, I am eating oatmeal most every morning now!

[-jimi-]

They say high HDL is good and high LDL is bad. But now they also know LDL can react in two different ways, one being good and one being bad. So it gets more complicated.

And cholesterol is not bad as you say. We need it. I test VERY low (rand 0 to 5 years old) on it. Docs cheer. But that only means my body no longer can repair itself properly. I feel sick all the time. I have an autoimmune illness that I think has to do with my "good" lab results.

[lizardlady]

Originally Posted by PAYNE1

Liz, don't expect your doc to support you in going off of Statins. If you have been taking them and don't notice any such side effects for awhile, then you might want to stick with them. I'll have to check to see if they really have been proven to prevent strokes. I'm not sure....Actually, other factors besides just cholesterol level lead to heart attacks and strokes. I might just be a nervous Nellie about them and will keel over with a circulatory issue tomorrow....

Hey, I am eating oatmeal most every morning now!

Payne, I'm going to talk to my pdoc about statins. Believe it or not he does NOT push drugs! My PCP pushes meds. She's the one who put me on statins to begin with.

I've been on statins for several years now. Without them my total cholesterol is around 300. When I take my statin it's in the "normal" range. I eat the right foods. I exercise. I can't keep it at a healthy level without the med. I have a family history of heart attacks and strokes.

Can someone direct me to some information about statins not being preventive and their dangers?

[Travelinglady]

Liz, I can't remember the wording I used when I "googled" this issue, but it is on the Internet.

By the way, I do know that statins CAN cause the muscle pain and weakness as mentioned, and I, as someone with fibromyalgia, don't need that any more of that! Something to consider, too....

Hi, Payne. I have a family history of heart attacks and high cholesterol. My MD tried me on statins but I developed muscle weakness from them and had to stop. It took a year for the poisons in my muscles from the statins to work their way out. Aside from watching my diet, the best medicine for high cholesterol is . . . exercise. It has to be aerobic exercise that makes you sweat, e.g., bike riding, swimming, eliptical machines.

In addition to high cholesterol, I also have VERY high triglycerides (fat in the blood) from eating too many simple carbohydrates. This complicate matters. I have to eat whole grains (oatmeal, beans) and avoid pastries and white breads. I also have to limit red meats and other meat fats like chicken skin. Veggies are fine as long as I don't put butter or solid margarine on them. I use a lot of olive oil on everything because it's good for my arteries. I don't do well with fruit which is high in sugar; I've learned to like avocados.

It is important to note where your body stores fat. If you put on fat in the stomach area that is a danger signal. You must lose that fat. If you smoke that has to stop. Some people watch salt intake and that seems to help too by keeping blood pressure low though, in really hot weather, salt is really important for the body.

Men and women have different mineral needs. For instance, women need iron but iron is a mineral that can cause heart attacks in men and needs to be avoided. Don't underestimate the need for sleep to stay physically and mentally healthy. Too little sleep will increase appetite and cause weight gain. I wish you good health!

[-jimi-]

It's not really the cholesterol that is bad. It is triggered to heal damaged parts caused by inflammation. To target the body's attempt to heal is probably not a good idea, although in some cases it is good, because sometimes the body "overdoes" it and that causes problems.

If you have a lot of inflammation it might be because you have a bad omega 3 to 6 ratio. We are TERRIBLE in the Western world for overdoing omega 6 which causes.. you guessed it.. inflammation. Also I wish I could find the info on the bad and good LDL. It was very interesting.

Statins come with risks.. if I had high LDL I'm not sure I would gamble an asymptomatic life just to treat numbers, for the risks statins bring.