I have high cholesertol at 23. Why? I just moved to a new state and started with a new doctor. I had blood work done last week and they said I needed to go on medication to lower my cholesterol. I go back to the doctor next week, when I'm going to ask what the numbers were, but for now I'm wondering what would have made my cholesterol so high that I had to go on mediation without trying diet or exercise changes first?

As a second question, I am on Ortho Evra birth control and read that Lipitor (the medication I picked up yesterday but haven't taken yet) can interact with hormonal birth control, including the patch.

Should I take the medication or wait to talk to my doctor?

As a second question, I am on Ortho Evra birth control and read that Lipitor (the medication I picked up yesterday but haven't taken yet) can interact with hormonal birth control, including the patch.

Should I take the medication or wait to talk to my doctor?

I would ask the pharmacist where you had the prescription filled what, if any, interaction there is between the two medications.

Did your physician give you the option of seeing if dietary and lifestyle changes would help before putting you on medication?

I have high cholesertol at 23. Why? I just moved to a new state and started with a new doctor. I had blood work done last week and they said I needed to go on medication to lower my cholesterol. I go back to the doctor next week, when I'm going to ask what the numbers were, but for now I'm wondering what would have made my cholesterol so high that I had to go on mediation without trying diet or exercise changes first?

As a second question, I am on Ortho Evra birth control and read that Lipitor (the medication I picked up yesterday but haven't taken yet) can interact with hormonal birth control, including the patch.

Should I take the medication or wait to talk to my doctor?

No need to be worried or greatly concerned. It is very common and high cholesterol can affect anyone at any age. There are plenty of people younger than you that have high cholesterol. I have had it since my teenage years all genetic. I am 6'0" weigh 195 very fit and the last thing someone would think was that I have high cholesterol and hypertension. I just got the bad genes I guess:D but the good news is that you now know and being proactive about this is the best thing you can do. All the best and hope that everything works out for you. Again no need to be concerned as this is a very common occurrence even in young people. But yes talk to your Doctor.

All the best :cool:

I personally would try the dietary approach first. Remember too, they have been slowly changing what is acceptable over the years, I'm suspect it's because of drug sales. For example, I'm 50 years old and have always had an average blood pressure of 120/60-80 which was always dubbed as "normal".

Now I look at charts these days that say this is in the pre-hypertension catagory. They are slowly changing the rules, I believe, to favor use of medications.

So I would try lifestyle changes first, maybe some nutritional help like fish oil. They even have a natural supplement called red rice yeast, but I'd only use that if my cholesterol was very high and didn't respond to diet, because it has the liver concerns as statins like Lipitor do, although not as bad as the medications.

Most good doctors will give the dietary a try first to see if that can help. It does make a difference in alot of people. I would not start medications unless there was no other way.