Normal Test Numbers - High Cholesterol Message Board

Diane720 · 09-08-2006, 07:57 AM

Does anyone know what cholesterol numbers should be?? I was on 40mg of Zocor for 3 months and my number went from 250 down to 130 but then he upped my meds to 80mg....and said they like it to be below 100. I thought I read somewhere that you really dont want it below 150. Can your cholesterol be "too low" ??? What happens if it is??

Diane

chj · 09-08-2006, 08:32 AM

Hi Diane- Does these numbers refer to total cholesterol or LDL? If it is for LDL I can understand that he perhaps want it to be around 100. Even so it seems a bit drastic to increase the dose to 80mg which is very high. Do you suffer from heart desease? The guideline for someone without heart desease or other risk factors is set at 200 for total cholesterol, which in the opinion of others are very low. There is much debate going on regarding the numbers of cholesterol, who sets the guide lines, vested interests and on what grounds have they arrived at them. In my opinion nobody knows the exact answers to cholesterol and the guide lines should be taken with a pinch of salt. I would go back to your doctor and ask him and get a second opinion from another.

Diane720 · 09-08-2006, 08:46 AM

Im not sure if its LDL....and he hasn't come out and said I have heart disease. I just know my cholesterol was high...but has come down....and I'm on 5mg of blood pressure meds...and on iron pills for anemia. I get scared to death almost every day over my heart.....cause I have panic/anxiety disorder....which makes me think I have everything anyway.

What exactly defines heart disease?? I haven't had a heart attack or anything.

Thanks
Diane

chj · 09-08-2006, 09:33 AM

Hi Diane, Don´t be scared and worried.Your doctor would have told you if anything was wrong with your heart. When I saw my doctor three years ago and had my cholesterol checked and was told it was sky high, he scared me half to death and I too got terrible panic attacks after being given Zocor. I don´t know if it was side effects from Zocor that gave me these attacks or just the worry and thought that I was just about to have a heart attack! I had not anything else wrong with me apart from elevated choleserol numbers.So please don´t panic. Panic attacks can often lead to palpitations and even chest pains which has nothing to do with heart problems and the more you worry the worse it gets.So stop worrying

mmvic · 09-08-2006, 08:46 PM

Get your doctor to explain his thinking and rationale. He seems to be blindly following protocols.If not, get an independent opinion. The dosage he suggests is extremely high without underlying disease or high risk factors.