cholesterol question.

[mopinko]

seems like on top of everything else, my cholesterol has skyrocketed. it has been high for quite a while, and i have been off and on drugs for it. it was on the way down with diet, fish oil, etc.
but, i was wondering about factors that might affect this. i have had 4 months of pain and frustration, and it is nudging my BP. but wondering about impacts of meds, or??? my liver is having a little trouble with the acetaminophen, i think, cuz my liver enzymes were up while i was on it, but came down when i went off. back on it now, pre-op.
they also did find some thyroid "abnormalities", which i wonder about, but will leave till after this surgery to worry about. but wonder if that is connected.
just how much fluctuation is there in cholesterol levels? mine had stayed the same for quite a while, but was last seen going down. i know it moves slowly, but how much does it move, and why?

[lizerdbits]

1. Some meds might affect it

I had mine checked frequently when I took accutane (for bad acne so nothing to do with pain) but never had problems. And I believe hypothyroidism can cause it to rise. I haven't read every post of yours here but if you're in pain that is affecting your sleep that might be an issue too. With pain and frustration that might be part of the cause but a doctor could tell you if one or a combination of drugs could also be behind it.

I'm not sure how much fluctuation there is normally (assuming you were fasting for the blood work). I had mine done along with other things in late December after not exercising for a couple weeks due to a nastier than usual cold and it was about where it usually is (160). I was thinking it might be high after holiday food and lack of exercise but it wasn't.

Was it your total cholesterol that was high? My mom's runs high but instead of trying to lower the total number her doctor just wanted to raise her HDL saying that the ratio was more important than the total number. But different doctors probably have different opinions on that.

I hope you find some relief with surgery, maybe some other issues will clear up or be less severe. :)

[hyphenate]

2. Depending on a wide variety of factors

your cholesterol can go up and down fairly frequently, depending on what you're doing about it.

It does take a while, though. Mine went from a November reading of (whole cholestrol) of 300 down to 256 in March. On statins, went from 298 to 143 within 6 months.

The most important parts, however, are the LDL and HDL readings. For women, the higher your HDL the better, in fact this is one of the factors which gives us a break up to menopause to less heart disease--the estrogen gives us more protection, but if we don't follow that up with good cholesterol levels, it's not as much help. The LDL levels, if high, make chance of heart disease higher.

Cholesterol isn't like blood pressure, though, which can go up and down even within minutes of each reading. You can see the difference within months, but certainly not days.

Hope that helps.

[Liberty Belle]

3. Diet can go a long way toward lowering cholesterol.

Mediterranean diet - whole grains, fish, olive oil, tomatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables, leafy greens and a little red wine can work wonders.

Try kamut hot cereal in the morning (an Egyptian grain) for instance. there are many good things in the health food stores.

Go for blueberries, cranberries, walnuts.

Get rid of anything deep-fried. Use low-fat milk.

Try chicken (without skin) and fish; limit red meat and trim off fat.

You can also buy margarine like Benecol that has a cholesterol-lowering substance added to it, though you're better to just do without butter and margarine. Try toast with just jelly or honey.

Also exercise.

This can make a huge difference very fast! I had a friend with triclygeride problems (related to cholesterol) that were extreme. his measured 1300! Dropped to 600 after a month of dietary changes, with no meds. Now his total cholesterol including triclycerides is down to 300, still higher than the docs like, but he's definitely on the right track.

Cholesterol medicines are very dangerous and can cause several muscle wasting and parkinson's. I'm convinced statin drugs for cholesterol are what killed my father and have left my Uncle severely afflicted.

Good luck!

[yellerpup]

4. I've been on thyroid medication for almost 40 years.

When my doctor decided to lower my dosage, my cholestrol levels shot up. I did some research and discovered that when your thyroid is out of whack it causes your cholesterol number to climb. I have lowered my cholestrol reading 62 points in 90 days by cutting out all processed foods and eating oatmeal every morning. Hippywife in the Cooking & Baking forum just posted an excellent snapshot of how she lowered her cholesterol through diet. I hope you feel much better soon! :hi:

[mopinko]

5. i try hard to be good, but i don't have a lot of control over what i eat.

i am the only one in the family that tries to eat healthy, so it is a constant battle. i don't do a lot of the cooking, and sympathy only goes so far. DH cooks a lot, and his idea of a meal is a hunk of meat on a plate.
but i have been really good for long periods to no avail. i started taking the meds this week. i do have a very bad family history. my brother had an even higher level than me, my mom's was bad, and half the family is on meds. have to say, tho, that they are in good shape, and older than me. my mom had a heart attack at 67. so i figure i have a few good years left.

[yellerpup]

6. You are good, mopinko, and taking the meds won't be so bad.

I get a little hysterical about cholesterol lowering drugs because they seem so fashionable now and everyone seems to be on one of them. I prefer for my friends to try diet first, but I see that has been done with you. If it runs in your family be glad there is a medicine that can help you live a longer, healthier life. I've enjoyed your comments and art work since I started lurking on DU and I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like for you to to hang around here for a long, long time! :hug:

[mopinko]

7. aw gee

:blush: thank you.
:hug: :hug: back at you.

yea, i am glad for all the medical miracles that are keeping me kicking, instead of tied up in a ball of pain and fatigue, and who knows what all, at least as much as my warped personality allows. basic flaw in my character that makes me see what is wrong, but overlook what is right. just ask my kids.

frustrating times, tho, i think. we know a lot but don't really have a good idea of what we don't know. so much we can do, so much we can't. i live on the edge of that, and take my chances. i try to stick to the side of science, and believe in the process that most of this stuff goes through, at least as long as people can still sue.

[yellerpup]

8. I agree heartily with your comment on how much we do/don't know

about medicine. I am especially skeptical about doctors who rush to get everybody ON something, especially cholesterol meds. I hardened my position when I found out that the drug manufacturers "know" what level of cholesterol is too high, but they don't know what level is too low. Statins work through the liver and can easily screw it up, and the other like Zetia, as my doctor assured me, "works through the intestine--go ahead and research it," he graciously invites me to do. Well, okay it works through the intestine by shutting down the normal function of that part of the intestine...sorry, I need my intestine to absorb nutrients. What happens on the day when I find myself without health insurance? (again) Will I have to choose between medicine or food? And, at that point will my body be able to absorb nutrients from food at all without expensive medication? The liver manufactures cholesterol because we need it to keep our nerve endings healthy. I find it strangely provocative that the incidence of 'restless leg syndrome' has gone way, way up now that so many people are on cholesterol-lowering drugs. Don't mean to go all tin-foil hattish on you because you obviously DO have a genetic element playing into your high cholesterol readings. I don't believe, however, that MOST people NEED it. Whew! Rant over. :blush: You stay healthy!

Edit for typo.