Husband cut Vytorin pills in half...surprisingly GREAT results.... - High Cholesterol Message Board

Tenacious · 01-24-2007, 05:04 PM

Husband's cholesterol was 249, tri's was a little over 300 HdL was 41, LDL was 162 , got results after taking Vytorin for 3 months half a pill (we did not listen to Doctor who said not to cut them in half -dosage was 10/20, so in accuallity he was getting 5/10 dosage.) His Cholesterol number went down to 138, Tri's 103, HDL 44, LDL was around 100 I think - results are not in front of me, but all accepted levels. I NEVER dreamed his Number would go THAT low on Half a dose a day!! That is almost too low, He hates taking this stuff to begin with, so now he thinks he will take half a dose every other day and see what happens. Really, isn;t 138 TOOOOO low for cholestoral , that does not seem healthy. I cant imgine how low it would have went at the regular daily dose!

jkhh · 01-24-2007, 07:01 PM

Overrun,

Those numbers are about what I calculated that splitting a vytorin 10/20 would do with my untreated numbers (that is, hypothetically speaking, you never know who is reading these boards

. I calculated that it would be an average 7% difference (above) my numbers with 10/20 thus would justify using less of both the Zetia and Zocor components. The thing that surprises me about your husband's numbers is the total reduction from 249 to 138. That does sound awfully low but I'm no expert

. My total on 10/20 went from 242 down to 157. So, I would think your husband is getting an extra boost by either diet, exercise, etc.

What I do think your husband's results point to is that using a less dose of the Zetia is not a huge deal as some have worried. In other words, we knew that 10 mg of Zocor is effective and 5 mg of Zetia is (still) giving an even better result (probably the equivalent of taking more of a statin alone).

Anyway, thanks for posting his results. I'll try and do the same in April.

NHone · 01-25-2007, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OverRunWithSons

Husband's cholesterol was 249, tri's was a little over 300 HdL was 41, LDL was 162 , got results after taking Vytorin for 3 months half a pill (we did not listen to Doctor who said not to cut them in half -dosage was 10/20, so in accuallity he was getting 5/10 dosage.) His Cholesterol number went down to 138, Tri's 103, HDL 44, LDL was around 100 I think - results are not in front of me, but all accepted levels. I NEVER dreamed his Number would go THAT low on Half a dose a day!! That is almost too low, He hates taking this stuff to begin with, so now he thinks he will take half a dose every other day and see what happens. Really, isn;t 138 TOOOOO low for cholestoral , that does not seem healthy. I cant imgine how low it would have went at the regular daily dose!

Yes, that is too low. WIth a little research you will find that he is at much more risk than he was before he started treatment for cholesterol numbers.

Lenin · 01-25-2007, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Really, isn't 138 TOOOOO low for cholestoral

That reading is just fine and with his 44 HDL and 100 LDL gives him a ratio TC/HDL of 3.2 which is a healthy balance.
IF he had heart disease or a horrible family history of it, I'd say keep going as low as he can get and aim for an LDL in the 60's.

Let us know how he does with a half pill every second day...I think the results will prove very disappointing because the Zetia will be down to 2.5 mg./day.

NHone · 01-25-2007, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lenin

That reading is just fine and with his 44 HDL and 100 LDL gives him a ratio TC/HDL of 3.2 which is a healthy balance.
IF he had heart disease or a horrible family history of it, I'd say keep going as low as he can get and aim for an LDL in the 60's.

Let us know how he does with a half pill every second day...I think the results will prove very disappointing because the Zetia will be down to 2.5 mg./day.

Again 138 is TOO Low!!!!