ZUZU.. just got my number in.. - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

hpbguyfromca · 10-07-2003, 01:48 PM

about my cholesterol that is.. BP is sitting tight at about 125/75.. my BPM have gotten elevated a bit but i think it's because i am still kicking this toprol out of my system.. only been 3-4 days..

In any case.. i can safely say that Atkins works.. I am on a light atkins diet 60 carbs per day and run 3.5 miles p/day.

I started atkins on 6/1/03... take a look at these numbers..

DATE: 2/1/01 6/1/03 10/1/03
HDL 38 35 46
LDL 203 177 160
Tri 258 254 232
Total 270 263 242

Ratio 180.4 177.2 149.6

Ratio calc: LDL= TC-HDL-(Trigs/5)

I am on my way to a better Cholesterol level WITHOUT drugs.. Atkins is a permanent part of my life.

thank god, i was SO SCARED of having to get on a statin or zetia or anything else..

feeling better about this situation.. even if it is a small step..

F.

Sillyme03 · 10-07-2003, 02:37 PM

Watch out for Atkins. My hubby who has a normal BP and pulse and always has, went on Atkins for a few weeks. Had a routine physical in the middle of it. His blood pressure was very high. Went off atkins and has normal blood pressure since. BP went down after he got off the atkins. So watch out!

zuzu8 · 10-08-2003, 02:57 AM

Flamaest-
So happy you BP is holding beautifully and fingers crossed to 160mg Diovan continues to do the job.

The Atkin's diet has definitely improved your cholesterol #s significantly, although there is still a way to go. I'm not a cholesterol "buff" (where's Moxie these days?) but do you have any concerns about the lack of fiber and what it could do to a body in the long run after many years? So much controversy reeling about this diet, and I know very little....
Still, I know you want to avoid Zetia et al like the plague, so if your #s continue to improve and check-ups with your doctor continue to indicate no negative "fallout" far be it from me to say stop!

Can you set me straight on something? I keep reading conflicting "norms" for HDL and LDL. Is the normal reference range for HDL approx 40-85 mg/dl...
And for LDL, 65-130? And one lab I've been to says triglycerides should be 10-190 but another says 50-200....Different labs seem to have diff. criteria.

zuzu xxx

[This message has been edited by zuzu8 (edited 10-08-2003).]

Catalina_FLA · 10-08-2003, 11:36 AM

The measurement for cholesterol seem to vary by who you talk to. I was told that the ratio is what is important. The higher your HDL the better. In fact, there is a theory now that if your HDL is 90, you are 'bulletproof' (as the doctor put it) because the good cholesterol is high enough to cause the bad cholesterol not to stick at all. Since my HDL is very high, I like this theory.

hpbguyfromca · 10-10-2003, 09:48 AM

still kicking this toprol out of my system..

the main effect of Toprol is to lower your HR.. So it has been 6 days that I have stopped/weened off the Toprol and My HR is ok when I am at rest (60-80)..

but if i get up to simply walk to the restroom or the kitchen, my HR goes up significantly (90-110) and I get a little dizzy.. this happens more in the morning than in the afternoon.

I will give the toprol another few days to exit my system.. but after that, shouldn't I think about using it if I can't seem to keep my HR down? Stoping a med often produces the opposite effect and I am concerned that it is my body wanted this drug which I am not providing anymore..

BTW.. I believe my HR started jumping like this soon after I started the diovan 80mg a long time ago.. is this a side effect of the drug..?

Worst case, I will take 12mg of toprol instead of the 25mg which seemed to keep me stable without causing any side effects..

F.

[This message has been edited by flamaest (edited 10-10-2003).]