High numbers- Newbie needs expert advice! - High Cholesterol Message Board

vera1 · 03-30-2003, 05:53 PM

Hello Everyone,
I am new to this board and seeking your expert advice. I find all of this information about high cholesterol confusing. I have been on Welchol for several years for genetic predisposition to high cholesterol. I am a 40 something female. My weight is good. My diet is excellent- low fat, high fiber, lots of veggies and fruits. I take several vitamin supplements daily along with Metamucil. I hate to exercise, but I am trying to improve that with pilates and walking. I have had some side effects that I believe may be related to the prescription medication, but I am not sure. I have severe joint pain that started after taking the medication. My doctor diagnosed me with fibromyalgia- a condition that causes pain and stiffness in the connective tissues. I am thinking perhaps that this may be related to the drug. I want to go off the drug and try natural methods, but do not know where to start.
What I need your help with is exactly what I need to take and in what dosages.
Here are my recent numbers while on Welchol:
Total Cholesterol: 240
TRG= 185
HDL= 62
LDL= 141

I'd appreciate any information and guidance. Thanks!

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Vera

midwest1 · 03-30-2003, 09:26 PM

Nice to meet you, Vera.
While I don't consider myself an "expert" by any means, I'd like to offer my insight.

I took a look at a drug information website I use as a reference, and found that WelChol is said to not be absorbed by the body, but works instead by carrying cholesterol from the body by binding to bile acids. Theoretically, it shouldn't cause muscle or joint pain in and of itself. However, the source also mentions that to lower LDL without drugs, it's sometimes sufficient to simply treat an underlying problem such as diabetes, underactive thyroid, kidney disease, or a liver disorder.

My situation sounds similar to yours. Last summer, I saw a doctor for the first time in years, because of chest pressure that couldn't be ignored. Because the chest pressure accompanied chronic heartburn and a "lump in the throat" sensation, it was diagnosed as gastric in origin.
The lipid panel done at the time showed an LDL level of 147. Because I had no other risk factors for CVD, and because I already ate very well, I opted to try a stricter diet and extra exercise to lower the LDL. After making no headway at all in over 8 months of effort, I realized that my failure to lose even 10 pounds in all that time might indicate a problem with low thyroid function. Upon researching low thyroid, I learned that it is the second most common cause of elevated LDL and triglycerides after poor diet - even more common than genetic causes. (It can also cause arthritis-like pain and muscle spasms, BTW.) As it turns out, all of the symptoms I had (and more) are caused by the hypothyroidism I didn't even know I had.

Because you are in the age bracket where hypothyroidism most commonly begins, I suggest you ask your doctor for a screening test, if he hasn't done it already. But make sure he genuinely knows how to interpret the results, because many internists and general practioners are not knowledgeable about thyroid function or diagnosis of its disorders. They often pronounce the lab numbers "normal", when in fact real people don't fit neatly into the brackets of the reference range.

vera1 · 03-31-2003, 07:39 AM

Hello Midwest1,
Thanks for the reply. My doctor did do a thyroid test and pronounced that all was well. I do not know if he himself read the results, or had them sent out to a lab. He is a GP. How do I determine that he is knowledgeable on the subject? Do I take the results to a specialist that can interpret them properly? Who would be the proper physician to interpret those results? I appreciate your input.
Vera

midwest1 · 03-31-2003, 09:06 AM

One other thing I forgot to mention in my first post is that the autoimmune form of hypothyroidism (which is the commonest kind) often goes hand-in-hand with other autoimmune disorders, such as fibromyalgia.

Do you by chance know what your lab number for TSH was, Vera? And were any other tests done, such at T4 or thyroid antibodies?

The test used to screen for thyroid disorders is called TSH. A high reading indicates low thyroid function. The American Assn of Clinical Endocrinologists announced in January '03 that the lab reference range norm should be lowered.
Previously, normal was between 0.5 and 5.0 micro units per milliliter of blood. The new guidelines, however, stipulate normal to be within a much narrower range, between 0.3 and 3.0. Far too many docs think in terms of lab values only, and are not educated enough in thyroid issues to know that most people feel best when their TSH value is between 1-2. Another complicating factor in taking TSH at face value is that it can appear "normal", indicating that thyroid hormone is being produced by the gland, when in fact the body cells may not be absorbing the hormone in a usable way. TSH alone is almost never the only guideline that should be considered in diagnosis.
My own soon-to-be-former PCP thinks that treatment isn't even warranted till the value reaches a whopping 6, which would just about put me in a coma! (No exaggeration; it can really happen!)

If you want to investigate further whether this could be your problem, visit the Thyroid Disorders board here at Healthboards, and do a search to find the thread titled "Information Archive". There's much info there regarding testing, symptoms, and problems with getting a proper diagnosis.

If you're like most women (and myself), you may have symptoms that you've ignored, thinking they weren't bad enough to seek medical help for, or that you thought are primarily cosmetic and related to other things such as aging. The thyroid regulates activity in every cell of the body, and can cause many diverse kinds of symptoms. Some seem minor - like dry, coarse skin; but some - like high cholesterol - can have dire consequences if ignored. It's worth checking out, because if you need treatment, it will reverse the high cholesterol. It could even help tremendously with the fibromyalgia.

vera1 · 03-31-2003, 11:34 AM

Hi Midwest1,
Wow! You are a life saver. I will ask my doctor to go over the results of the tests I had, and tell me exactly which tests he took. I think I will have him retest me again, since these tests were taken about 5 years ago. Since my fibromyalgia diagnosis occured around the same time as my high cholesterol, I seem to think there is a connection. Fortunately, my doctor is very good about listening to what I feel is good for my body. He knows that I don't like taking drugs for treatment,unless absolutely necessary. I am lucky to have a health care professional that I feel I can talk to openly, who listens to me and understands my feelings and concerns. I will talk to him about the hypothyroidism. What are some of the symptoms? Were you diagnosed with this? Thanks so much for your input!
Vera