mooler
08-23-2006, 12:32 AM
I have been working for a year to get my cholesterol numbers down below 300 and it hasnt worked. I started with 339 and im at 317. i have been trying to avoid the Statin but it seems inevitable.
I'm 25 years old, Male, smoker, drinker and with a history of high cholesterol in the family. Both grandmas and both parents all have cholesterol levels above 240 with my mom being the highest. one grandpa died of a stroke due to diabetes, the other to lung cancer.
I changed my diet and decreased my fat and calorie intake. However, it wasnt enough. I lost 10lbs but my cholesterol didnt really budge. What i did notice is that my Tri are well above 400 because of all the soda i drink to compensate for the energy i lose from usable calories
Test Results (Fasting Lipid Profile with Liver Function)
8/17/05
Total Cholesterol 339
Triglyceride 271
HDL 47
LDL 238
VLDL 54
SGOT 41
SGPT 52
8/15/06 (No Liver Profile)
Total Cholesterol 316
Triglyceride 415
HDL Unreadable
LDL Unreadable
VLDL Unreadable
Doc prescribed me 80mg of Zocor today. It seems high but he seems to think that he will be able to crash my cholesterol quickly and then reduce the dose to allow it to creep up slowly and then level out.
Anybody had bad side effects with 80mg. Im kinda nervous about the muscle damage. Not so much the liver damage considering the liver is the most resilent organ in the human body. Im thinking i may just cut the pill in half and take 40mg a day and see how that works.
any input would be appreciated
I'm 25 years old, Male, smoker, drinker and with a history of high cholesterol in the family. Both grandmas and both parents all have cholesterol levels above 240 with my mom being the highest. one grandpa died of a stroke due to diabetes, the other to lung cancer.
I changed my diet and decreased my fat and calorie intake. However, it wasnt enough. I lost 10lbs but my cholesterol didnt really budge. What i did notice is that my Tri are well above 400 because of all the soda i drink to compensate for the energy i lose from usable calories
Test Results (Fasting Lipid Profile with Liver Function)
8/17/05
Total Cholesterol 339
Triglyceride 271
HDL 47
LDL 238
VLDL 54
SGOT 41
SGPT 52
8/15/06 (No Liver Profile)
Total Cholesterol 316
Triglyceride 415
HDL Unreadable
LDL Unreadable
VLDL Unreadable
Doc prescribed me 80mg of Zocor today. It seems high but he seems to think that he will be able to crash my cholesterol quickly and then reduce the dose to allow it to creep up slowly and then level out.
Anybody had bad side effects with 80mg. Im kinda nervous about the muscle damage. Not so much the liver damage considering the liver is the most resilent organ in the human body. Im thinking i may just cut the pill in half and take 40mg a day and see how that works.
any input would be appreciated
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Mark1e
08-23-2006, 05:35 AM
I'm 25 years old, Male, smoker .... I'm kinda nervous about the muscle damage. ......
At your age you should be doing everything you can to control cholesterol without drugs. You really don't want to be on statins for the next 50+ years. Stopping smoking will reduce your LDL big time. Cutting right back on carbs and alcohol will bring your triglycerides down. I wqould do these two things even before starting with a statin. You may be able to get away on a much lower dose.
Cheers,
Mark
At your age you should be doing everything you can to control cholesterol without drugs. You really don't want to be on statins for the next 50+ years. Stopping smoking will reduce your LDL big time. Cutting right back on carbs and alcohol will bring your triglycerides down. I wqould do these two things even before starting with a statin. You may be able to get away on a much lower dose.
Cheers,
Mark
Lenin
08-23-2006, 08:13 AM
mooler,
I made a couple comments on the same post Under "Freaked Out..."
That soda could be the biggest offender with your triglycerides. The one last thing you can try before the Zocor is replacing ALL your sugar sodas with Diet Soda. Sugar is notorious for raising triglycerides 12 hours later (and thus show up even after a 12 hour fast). The effect is worse even than a high fat meal which causes triglycerides to SOAR in the first couple hours after eating but then levels out. After 30 days, get another retest to check the effect of the soda and if your numbers continue to be miserable, then a statin it is.
I hope eventually the 40 mg. Zocor works for you.
I made a couple comments on the same post Under "Freaked Out..."
That soda could be the biggest offender with your triglycerides. The one last thing you can try before the Zocor is replacing ALL your sugar sodas with Diet Soda. Sugar is notorious for raising triglycerides 12 hours later (and thus show up even after a 12 hour fast). The effect is worse even than a high fat meal which causes triglycerides to SOAR in the first couple hours after eating but then levels out. After 30 days, get another retest to check the effect of the soda and if your numbers continue to be miserable, then a statin it is.
I hope eventually the 40 mg. Zocor works for you.
lalab
08-26-2006, 01:20 PM
Hi! By chance did your doctor tell you to take Fish Oil? The Fish Oil has caused dramatic affects in my triglycerides as well as my cholesterol. Just a thought. On top of that we are about the same age.
Dave-K
08-27-2006, 07:41 PM
Dude, can I call you dude? :-)
I was about your age when I had my cholesterol checked at a health fair and my cholesterol was off the chart, the highest reading they had was 279 and the machine just said "high" for my reading.
At that point, I started eating better, I jogged every other day and the days I didn't job, I was at the gym. I got down to 165lbs, I was a lean mean fighting machine... but my cholesterol was still high.
after that, for a straight year I ate oatmeal for breakfast, a salad for lunch and whatever was on the table at dinner time. basically the same results.
I'm not trying to say this will be you, I'm not trying to scare you but it could be the foods your eating, it could be hereditary. I quit smoking about two years ago which which was a big benefit to my health and around the same time I quit drinking. I shouldn't say I quit drinking but haven't drank in two years. With medication, my cholesterol numbers are down but my triglycerides are still up and I drink a ton of soda! which I'm not sure what effect it has but if it is going to raise my triglycerides after 12 hours (as another poster mentioned), I may try to avoid it for a day or so before my next blood test.
I will say one thing. I think that dieting to lower those cholesterol numbers is very important my one caviat is that you need to find the diet that works for you and your own body, I'm still trying to figure mine out so don't get discouraged.
Smoking, I tried to quit many times and finally tried to Commit Lozenges, the worked like a charm.
Dave
I have been working for a year to get my cholesterol numbers down below 300 and it hasnt worked. I started with 339 and im at 317. i have been trying to avoid the Statin but it seems inevitable.
I'm 25 years old, Male, smoker, drinker and with a history of high cholesterol in the family. Both grandmas and both parents all have cholesterol levels above 240 with my mom being the highest. one grandpa died of a stroke due to diabetes, the other to lung cancer.
I changed my diet and decreased my fat and calorie intake. However, it wasnt enough. I lost 10lbs but my cholesterol didnt really budge. What i did notice is that my Tri are well above 400 because of all the soda i drink to compensate for the energy i lose from usable calories
Test Results (Fasting Lipid Profile with Liver Function)
8/17/05
Total Cholesterol 339
Triglyceride 271
HDL 47
LDL 238
VLDL 54
SGOT 41
SGPT 52
8/15/06 (No Liver Profile)
Total Cholesterol 316
Triglyceride 415
HDL Unreadable
LDL Unreadable
VLDL Unreadable
Doc prescribed me 80mg of Zocor today. It seems high but he seems to think that he will be able to crash my cholesterol quickly and then reduce the dose to allow it to creep up slowly and then level out.
Anybody had bad side effects with 80mg. Im kinda nervous about the muscle damage. Not so much the liver damage considering the liver is the most resilent organ in the human body. Im thinking i may just cut the pill in half and take 40mg a day and see how that works.
any input would be appreciated
I was about your age when I had my cholesterol checked at a health fair and my cholesterol was off the chart, the highest reading they had was 279 and the machine just said "high" for my reading.
At that point, I started eating better, I jogged every other day and the days I didn't job, I was at the gym. I got down to 165lbs, I was a lean mean fighting machine... but my cholesterol was still high.
after that, for a straight year I ate oatmeal for breakfast, a salad for lunch and whatever was on the table at dinner time. basically the same results.
I'm not trying to say this will be you, I'm not trying to scare you but it could be the foods your eating, it could be hereditary. I quit smoking about two years ago which which was a big benefit to my health and around the same time I quit drinking. I shouldn't say I quit drinking but haven't drank in two years. With medication, my cholesterol numbers are down but my triglycerides are still up and I drink a ton of soda! which I'm not sure what effect it has but if it is going to raise my triglycerides after 12 hours (as another poster mentioned), I may try to avoid it for a day or so before my next blood test.
I will say one thing. I think that dieting to lower those cholesterol numbers is very important my one caviat is that you need to find the diet that works for you and your own body, I'm still trying to figure mine out so don't get discouraged.
Smoking, I tried to quit many times and finally tried to Commit Lozenges, the worked like a charm.
Dave
I have been working for a year to get my cholesterol numbers down below 300 and it hasnt worked. I started with 339 and im at 317. i have been trying to avoid the Statin but it seems inevitable.
I'm 25 years old, Male, smoker, drinker and with a history of high cholesterol in the family. Both grandmas and both parents all have cholesterol levels above 240 with my mom being the highest. one grandpa died of a stroke due to diabetes, the other to lung cancer.
I changed my diet and decreased my fat and calorie intake. However, it wasnt enough. I lost 10lbs but my cholesterol didnt really budge. What i did notice is that my Tri are well above 400 because of all the soda i drink to compensate for the energy i lose from usable calories
Test Results (Fasting Lipid Profile with Liver Function)
8/17/05
Total Cholesterol 339
Triglyceride 271
HDL 47
LDL 238
VLDL 54
SGOT 41
SGPT 52
8/15/06 (No Liver Profile)
Total Cholesterol 316
Triglyceride 415
HDL Unreadable
LDL Unreadable
VLDL Unreadable
Doc prescribed me 80mg of Zocor today. It seems high but he seems to think that he will be able to crash my cholesterol quickly and then reduce the dose to allow it to creep up slowly and then level out.
Anybody had bad side effects with 80mg. Im kinda nervous about the muscle damage. Not so much the liver damage considering the liver is the most resilent organ in the human body. Im thinking i may just cut the pill in half and take 40mg a day and see how that works.
any input would be appreciated
edkal
08-29-2006, 02:10 AM
Mooler,
Right, you are too young to have that high chol
First of all, let me tell you that I have had very bad side effects from Satins and have been off them for over 7 months.
I take Beta Sitosterol, niacin, and Red yeast rice, which has helped me get my numbers down to 200 at my last blood work up. Any of these are available at your health food stores. And one last thing --- STOP SMOKING and cut back on the booze, and you will help yourself trermendously.
My numberes were were over two hundred years ago.
Good luck
Right, you are too young to have that high chol
First of all, let me tell you that I have had very bad side effects from Satins and have been off them for over 7 months.
I take Beta Sitosterol, niacin, and Red yeast rice, which has helped me get my numbers down to 200 at my last blood work up. Any of these are available at your health food stores. And one last thing --- STOP SMOKING and cut back on the booze, and you will help yourself trermendously.
My numberes were were over two hundred years ago.
Good luck
BioAdoptMom3
08-30-2006, 01:09 AM
I didn't read the other posts so I may be repeating, but here goes.
Definately try to quit smoking. It does have a negative effect on cholesterol levels. You may also want to exercise regularly if you aren't already doing that. That alone can lower it by 10% or more.
If you do need to start on cholesterol drugs, ask for the lowest dose possible. I have read posts on here where people have been started out on like 40 or 80 mg. of Lipitor. I am in my 40s and my cholesterol was 287 the first time it was checked. 5 mg. of Lipitor per day brought it down to 197 in just six weeks!
Nancy
Definately try to quit smoking. It does have a negative effect on cholesterol levels. You may also want to exercise regularly if you aren't already doing that. That alone can lower it by 10% or more.
If you do need to start on cholesterol drugs, ask for the lowest dose possible. I have read posts on here where people have been started out on like 40 or 80 mg. of Lipitor. I am in my 40s and my cholesterol was 287 the first time it was checked. 5 mg. of Lipitor per day brought it down to 197 in just six weeks!
Nancy
edkal
08-31-2006, 10:58 PM
I didn't read the other posts so I may be repeating, but here goes.
Definately try to quit smoking. It does have a negative effect on cholesterol levels. You may also want to exercise regularly if you aren't already doing that. That alone can lower it by 10% or more.
If you do need to start on cholesterol drugs, ask for the lowest dose possible. I have read posts on here where people have been started out on like 40 or 80 mg. of Lipitor. I am in my 40s and my cholesterol was 287 the first time it was checked. 5 mg. of Lipitor per day brought it down to 197 in just six weeks!
Nancy
You are the eceptional one. Good for you !!
Dr's started me with 10mg-followed with 15, 20, 40. Couldn't take them anymore. Too much damage to my system.
Your the lucky one,
Definately try to quit smoking. It does have a negative effect on cholesterol levels. You may also want to exercise regularly if you aren't already doing that. That alone can lower it by 10% or more.
If you do need to start on cholesterol drugs, ask for the lowest dose possible. I have read posts on here where people have been started out on like 40 or 80 mg. of Lipitor. I am in my 40s and my cholesterol was 287 the first time it was checked. 5 mg. of Lipitor per day brought it down to 197 in just six weeks!
Nancy
You are the eceptional one. Good for you !!
Dr's started me with 10mg-followed with 15, 20, 40. Couldn't take them anymore. Too much damage to my system.
Your the lucky one,