I'm not sure if this is the right place to post, but my dad has extremely out of control high triglyceride levels and he has diabetes. His actual cholesterol level is ok. He really needs to get his triglycerides down, but isn't sure how. Any thoughts? He has been taking some medication for it, but his doctor says he is on the maximum dose he can take...I would really like to help him, but don't know how. Thanks!

I have high triglycerides, LDL and total cholesterol. I am taking Vytorin which is a combination of Zocor and Zeita. My doctor said that Zeita is for lowering my triglycerides and it did, in two months. See my thread:

http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=288125

Blessings,
Linda

Rorie...What meds. is your dad on for his Trigs.? Usually folks with diabetes do seem to have high Trigs, my hubby has both also. He was on Lipitor for years, but it did nothing for his Trigs., and like your dad, his TC was fine at 202. He had a lousy reaction to Lipitor and other statin drugs, so now he tries to control his numbers with diet and exercise. They are coming down, but slowly.

Does your dad eat alot of carbs. and processed foods, if so, that is very bad for Trigs. There are folks here who have battled high Trigs., so I am sure they will try to give you some helpful advise. Is your dad able to exercise, as that will also help bring down his numbers.

Hope U get some good advice, and good luck to your dad... :)

I did a websearch on triglycerides and what caused high numbers and then I lowered my triglycerides from 290 to 74 by eliminating foods high in sugar and unhealthy fats. I switched to olive oil for cooking, no fried foods, fatty meats, margarines or store-bought desserts.

I mainly eat fresh veggies, raw or steamed, whole fresh fruits, lean protein meats, mainly chicken, turkey, fish, especially salmon, and only a little lean beef, whole grains and nuts. If you eat too much sugar your body will turn it into stored fat. My doctor gave me 6 months to get my triglycerides down to normal before she insisted that I take meds, and I took the challenge and successfully lowered mine.

Wow...thanks for the replies. I am very worried about my dad. His triglycerides are in the 400's. His doctor says because he is a diabetic he can't put him on triglyceride medication unless he puts him on insulin shots. Right now my dad takes amaril for his diabetes, which works well for that. The problem with my dad going on insulin shots is that he is a truck driver, and his doctor says he may lose his CDL truck drivers license if he is on shots. Any other diabetics out there using triglyceride medciation?

Rorie, your right, if he goes on insulin he will lose his CDL license, as hubby was a truck driver also. Is your dad type 2 diabetic? I believe Niaspan can be used for type 2, as that is what hubby's cardio man wanted to put him on.

Hubby's Trigs. were always around 400+ also, but he has been cutting way back on breads, potatoes, pasta and all other sorts of starchy stuff, so last time they were close to 300. Over the last month he has cut back even further, so hopefully they will be much better on his next test.

Definitely have him stop eating any fried stuff, and limit his red meats. If he can, have him eat alot of fish, especially salmon and tuna, they are high in Omega fats, the good ones. I think if he makes a new diet change, and tries to get in some exercise, he just might beable to get those numbers down. Now that the nice weather is here, even some nice walks would help, and have him add more fruits and veggies to his diet. Do a web search for low glycemic foods, that will definitely help. Also do a search for low carb foods, that is very important. Foods high in carbs. rasie havoc with cholesterol, especially Trigs., and are not good for diabetics.

Best wishes, and keep us posted how it goes.... :wave: