Policosanol - High Cholesterol Message Board

jkhh · 09-17-2006, 10:02 AM

I am age 39 male, 6' 195 lb male with about a five year history of untreated cholesterol >250. My family doctor placed me on Crestor 5 mg about 3 years ago and it brought my cholesterol below 160. At the start of this year, I began feeling the negative effects that many of you have described on your posts (esp. achy knees, calves, hamstrings and just a plain negative thought process). I stopped taking it and supplemented with COQ-10 after stumbling upon such research about it. COQ-10 worked well and I'm feeling much better but I'm still thinking of taking it again because of what I've learned about it. My doctor still wants my total below 200 so he put me on 500 mg Niaspan (prescription Niacin) for 30 days and then 1000 mg. For anyone who has never experienced the true Niacin flush, I certainly hope you don't ever have it! I never saw my labs with Niaspan because I couldn't handle the flushing. I did try Flush-free Niacin 1000 mg a couple of years ago and it did not work (for me).

I have recently begun supplementing with Vitamin C, E a GNC multi-vitamin, flax seed (powder), wheat germ . I have used fish oil tablets and drink a few glasses of red wine per week too. I have been reading more about Policosanol and am wondering if others have successful results with it. Quite frankly, the lab results sound too good to be true (in both reducing bad and increasing good). I do know that there is much criticism of it because many of the studies have come from Cuba and it is a natural byproduct (I think?) of sugar cane. Also, please feel free to offer advise on what I am presently (or not) doing with regards to my cholesterol. If it helps, I take 300 mg/day for high uric acid (pseudo-Gout).

BamaC · 09-17-2006, 03:24 PM

Gee, I hate to hear that the flush-free niacin didn't work for you because I just today started taking it. I'll be working up to 1500 mg. daily. Let's hope it works for me. Re: the policosanol, I took 20mg. daily for 6 mos. and my TC went up 4 points. However, the HDL also increased, triglycerides dropped 40 points and the risk rate fell back into the normal range. All in all, I was very disappointed. Others on this board have had greater success with it. I think someone called Hubble has had good results on it.

Lenin · 09-17-2006, 03:32 PM

judge,

Quote:

If it helps, I take 300 mg/day for high uric acid (pseudo-Gout).

I'm confused by that line. Do you mean to be saying that you take 300 mg. ALLOPURINOL for high uric acid? In any case, pseudo-gout is cause by calcium pyrophosphate and NOT uric acid which is the cause of TRUE Gout.

Or are you taking policosanol, 300 mg. for this condition?????

In any case, I think policosanol is useless in cholesterol control but some people claim benefits. Best you can do is to try it and test your reaction to it. I have never used it becasue most on this forum who have tried it have reported poor results.

p.s. I take either 200 or 300 mg. allopurinol for gout. It works superbly...no attack for almost a decade.

jkhh · 09-17-2006, 04:15 PM

I take the Allopurinol for high uric acid but my symptoms were never in the big toe, per se, but in the ball and arch of my foot and ankle (which I always understood to be psuedo-gout or "gouty like"). Regardless, like you, I haven't had any problems with it while on Allopurinol. Other than my Allegra, it's the one prescription I'm willing to take long term due reward outweighing risk substantially!

jkhh · 09-17-2006, 04:19 PM

I would watch take the Niacin in the evening (as is instructed). When I woke up in the middle of the night with the flushing, my doctor switched me to the evening meal which helped at first but the flushing always seemed to return. Also, try taking it with yogurt (or another low fat snack). Good luck.