New member - High Cholesterol Message Board

Ward · 01-19-2005, 01:45 PM

Hi y'all! I'm a new member and here are my statistics:

TG 188
TC 306
HDL 62
LDL 206
Ratio 4.9
CRP 1.9

My mum had very high cholesterol. Mine has been stable at around 200-220 until a check-up last month which came back with the above numbers. My internist started me on 20mg Lipitor. I went in for a blood draw yesterday and am awaiting the results. Only one side effect so far but quite embarassing - foul-smelling gas. I am an otherwise very healthy 53 year old female. I walk vigorously an hour every day, yoga 1 1/2 hours once a week. Diet healthy. Lots of oat bran. A drink or two a day. The usual multi-vitamin supplements with extra calcium, glucosamine chondroitin, B-Complex, iron, 100mg niacin, garlic oil, aspirin 325. I take Triamterene, a diuretic, for high blood pressure which was also discovered at the check-up last month. My blood pressure is now normal.

The docs response to my report of the gas was to switch me to Vytorin. I was surprised, I thought he might just suggest a lower dose of Lipitor. I am considering whether or not to do this.

After my mum died and I was cleaning out her flat (in England), I found a closet almost floor to ceiling with boxes of Questran. This was the cholesterol medication she was on (this is a few years ago). She had complained of bad gas with it and instead of telling the doc she wouldn't take it, just stashed it away in the closet!

Advice greatly appreciated.

NineLives · 01-19-2005, 08:55 PM

Your ratio isn't really bad but anything above 4 needs to be treated with diet and exercise and possibly cholesterol meds. It sounds like you are already doing some good things with your diet and you are active so the meds sound like a good idea. Are you using olive oil? The oat bran is good. Are you drinking red wine?

vinny1957 · 01-20-2005, 07:40 AM

Welcome to the boards! I don't take the medication you do but I'm sure someone does here. Just wanted to say hi and a warm welcome.

Lenin · 01-20-2005, 08:19 AM

Hi Ward,

An ODD response from your doctor; if anything Vytorin (statin with ezetimibe) will be MORE likely to produce gas than the single statin, Lipitor. Maybe the doctor got an inducement to push the VYTORIN?

If I read you right, you are awaiting the results of a month's trial on 20 mg.Lipitor. I anticipate the results will be startlingly good.
I HOPE the results aren't after having switched to the VYTORIN because then you won't know which did which.

Good Luck and make sure you report your results as soon as you get them. I for one am very curious...and curiosity killed the cat!

Ward · 01-20-2005, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lenin

Hi Ward,

An ODD response from your doctor; if anything Vytorin (statin with ezetimibe) will be MORE likely to produce gas than the single statin, Lipitor. Maybe the doctor got an inducement to push the VYTORIN?

I did notice several boxes of Vytorin-emblazoned tissues in the waiting room on my way out.

A correction: I have been taking 40mg of Lipitor not 20mg as I previously stated. I am continuing with the Lipitor until I see what the new results are.

I did come across my last, previous bloodwork done in 1997. In the intervening period I quit smoking and started exercising, no other changes.

5/1997
TG 272
TC 263
HDL 53
LDL 156
Ratio 5.0

12/2004
TG 188
TC 306
HDL 62
LDL 206
Ratio 4.9

Any idea what would account for the decline in triglycerides but a rise in LDL?

My mum had high cholesterol, and a first heart attack at 62. She died of another heart attack at age 80. My dad died of a stroke at 60. Unknown cholesterol but high blood pressure.

Thanks for your response. I will post my latest results as soon as I get them.