468 cholesterol and 2800 triglycerides - High Cholesterol Message Board

mccoll67 · 09-11-2006, 06:33 PM

this would be a wakeup call, to say the least.

38 y.o. female. Just learned this runs in the family. Also taking Risperidol 1 mg daily which increases cholesterol.

Scared, honestly. Thinking of vegan diet (Dr. McDougall), I also see BUNCH diet, maybe Mediterranean.

I've put on 70 pounds in the last 3 years and have basically given up exercise. I would say I (used to!) eat a lot of ice cream and sugars. Have considered myself as having a compulsive overeating problem.

I really want a good nutritionist to just help me wade through all this. Seems like many different paths and ways to deal with this.

I've just started a 60 minutes per day exercise habit.

I don't drink, don't smoke. Just lots of refined sugars and dairy.

Is there anything that can sure-fire work? Is that 8 week book the best out there? I read that its diet was too severe at 825 calories per day.

Are vegans pretty much guaranteed not to have cholesterol problems?

I see the general practioner tomorrow. I will have a list of questions for her! Do you think they will say drugs for sure?

Thanks!

NHone · 09-11-2006, 11:28 PM

Don't ever start out on drugs. You still have many more options. First try the low carb, no refined sugars diets. You should see a tremendous improvement in your trigs. You low carb and low sugar diet is not that hard to do.. (might be a little harder to stick to)...but its an easy diet. Most nutritionist don't like the low car and no refined sugars diet...why...because they were not taught that way....just as most doctors think all cholesterol is bad. Even if you think you must take cholesterol medication...waiting for a couple months while you try diet and exercise will not make a hill of beans of difference..and don't let your doctor tell you it will. ALso have you had your thyroid checked????

Uff-Da! · 09-11-2006, 11:53 PM

Expect to be on cholesterol-lowering drugs. It is highly unlikely that cholesterol and triglycerides that high comes from diet alone. A vegan diet does not assure a good cholesterol level. The body makes its own cholesterol. (Some people say that on average, only about 20% of cholesterol in the blood comes from diet.) Those whose bodies make some excessive amounts can with appropriate diet, exercise and weight control keep the blood cholesterol level under control anyway. But those whose bodies make really large excessive amounts are likely to need both drugs and lifestyle changes. From the numbers you gave (provided you had fasted for 12-14 hours before the test), my personal guess is that there is about a 90% chance you are in the latter group. (No research to back up that statement, just my impression from reading people's posts on this and other boards over the past couple of years.)

I read the 8-week cholesterol cure book when I first got involved in trying to lower my cholesterol, and think it is a good one. It will provide some good background information for you in understanding the problem. Don't expect that with figures as high as yours, though, that you are really going to cure the problem in eight weeks.

If you did not fast before your test, cut out the sugars and limit refined starches for a couple of weeks, then re-test before you reach a conclusion on what to do. (Don't go truly low-carb, but from what you say, you should be able to cut carbs a lot. Excessive carbs and alcohol send triglycerides soaring.)

ediot · 09-12-2006, 08:13 AM

Whoa, 2800? That is cause for concern. I had a result of 1859 on my TG's and was immediately put on Toprol. When our numbers are that high it is not enough to get them down with diet and excercise only. It is a genetic issue. Get them down as fast as possible, with those TG's up there you run a serious risk of pancreatitis. Did you say that your MD put you on meds? or that you don't want to take them?

mccoll67 · 09-12-2006, 08:58 AM

Hi! Thanks for your posts! I see the doctor at 2:00 today. I received my blood results via computer inbox -- I had them tested this past Friday. So I don't know what they want to do yet.

Maybe they will retest. I had NO IDEA that I had a problem and had been eating a high fat diet. I ate 1 pint of Dreyer's ice cream at 10 pm and had the blood draw at 11:30 a.m. Maybe that wasn't a long enough fast.

I wonder too if the Risperidol has caused some problem. I gained 70 pounds once I started taking Risperidol regularly -- that has been the last 4 years. I've got a lot of questions for the doctor! Hope she has a lot of answers!

Thanks for reading!