Cholesterol is now TOO LOW!!!!!

[happybunny]

I was found to have high cholesterol 2 years ago when I started with coronary heart disease symptom of angina. As regards that, I had 3 stents for severe blockages 15 months ago and am doing brilliantly now!

My results 2 years ago were as follows!!!!!
Total 526..........(UK 13.5)
Trigs 715.........(UK 8.03)
LDL not obtainable due to high trigs
HDL 104 .........(UK 2.67)
Ratio Total/HDL 5.06

This was result of genetic high cholesterol as weight/diet/exercise was fine.

My last set of results this month were as follows.
Total 132 ..........(UK 3.4)
Trigs 122 .........(UK 1.38)
LDL 19.5 ........(UK 0.5)
HDL 88 .........(UK 2.26)
Ratio total/HDL 1.5

How about that as a set of results? Actually my consultant says she is uncomfortable with it being so low.

I am on 40 mg lipitor (atorvastatin), 10 mg Ezetimibe (maybe called Zetia in US) and 2 g fish oils a day.
She is stopping the Ezetimibe temporarily to see the effect.

40g Lipitor alone was not enough to bring it down to safe levels, that's why I had to have the Ezetimibe but that seems to be working too well!

I've checked up on the internet and too low a result can give rise to depression, stroke, early death. Seems one can't win! I shall suggest a diet of prescribed chocolate to my consultant, see if that pumps up my cholesterol.

Anyone else had this effect from Ezetimibe? I think it is pretty strong as it sent my liver tests barmy for a few weeks when I started on it, then they settled.

Not been on these boards for a while - see some familiar names still here. Hope you are all doing well.
Annie

[Lenin]

bunny,

Of course, the change in your two sets of readings is remarkable; I've NEVER seen anything like that 19.5 LDL. Has it been cofirmed with another reading in that ballpark?

I'm glad you are feeling good after the stenting.

My doctor gave me two options to get an LDL <70 and they were to go to 40 mg. Lipitor (he thought I was taking 20mg: I was taking 10), or to add Zetia. Since adding Zetia would have amost doubled my cost I opted to double my Lipitor instead, to 20mg., and it worked. Of course my regimen includes fish oil, lecithin, niacin, folic acid, lower fats, hard exercise, etc., etc.

If you are uncomfortable with levels that low (I wouldn't be ) then try taking the Lipitor back to 20 and see what it does with the ezetimibe.

[happybunny]

hi Lenin

Hope you are keeping well. How's that stent?

My last 3 LDL readings, each 3 months apart, were 1.0, 0.9, 0.8 . In American units that is 39, then 35.1, then 31.2 - so coming down steadily and then a drop to the present 0.5 which is 19.5.

My lipid clinic consultant is stopping my Ezetimibe for now to see what happens. She must prefer that to lowering the statin. I have to have a blood test again in 6 weeks. Should be interesting!

Low cholesterol sounds good and IS good, but very low levels (<160) have been linked with increased overall risk for depression, cancer, hemorrhagic stroke, respiratory diseases, and suicide increases. Frying pan into the fire I think! LOL! And we need cholesterol for things like healthy nerve sheaths etc.

I don't know anyone else on Ezetimibe so I wondered if anyone had similar experience.

I just roll along and would be keeping myself generally healthy and fit anyway so ....take it as it comes!

I've got a new puppy since April so maybe I'm just so super happy that it's done the trick!

[ARIZONA73]

Originally Posted by happybunny

Low cholesterol sounds good and IS good, but very low levels (<160) have been linked with increased overall risk for depression, cancer, hemorrhagic stroke, respiratory diseases, and suicide increases. Frying pan into the fire I think! LOL! And we need cholesterol for things like healthy nerve sheaths etc.

An LDL of 19.5 sounds awfully low to me. Also keep in mind that there are important nutrients, such as beta carotene and coenzyme Q10, that are transported to all the cells of your body via LDL. So, can your LDL be too low? I would certainly think so. I've never come across anyone with an LDL as low as yours.

[happybunny]

Originally Posted by ARIZONA73

I've never come across anyone with an LDL as low as yours.

My LDL was 27 at 14 months ago but that was only 2 weeks after my angioplasty. My consultant said that any body trauma/stress like that can give wildly low results for a few weeks so that was not significant. It climbed to 31 then 39 over the following 6 months then started coming down again, 35 then 31 and now 19.5.

I agree with her this is too low. Hopefully stopping the Ezetimibe will lift it a bit.

We are meddling with things we do not know fully about, are we not?