General Chat

My doctor told me I had high cholesterol and took a novel approach-
Instead of giving me drugs (that made me sick as a dog last time I took them), he gave me thyroid hormones to speed up my thyroid gland (which burns up the chol faster).
Fantastic! I feel 20 years younger!
I eat more - but still loose weight!
I sleep less - but never feel tired!
I feel like chasing girls again - lol!

xxx mick

You naughty boy Mick lol

I think porridge oats help lower cholestrol so might be worth adding to your diets if you don't already eat them.
Lizx

Your GP should give you a list of do and don't eats to help. I take some natural tablets which seem to help "Red Yeast Rice & Gugulipid" tablets are available from herbal shops.

Liz, I eat rolled oats for breakfast and for desert with low fat milk and it didnt lower mine. I was also adding a tbsp of oat bran to it, but no go.

Now I am on the tablets, dont know if it has lowered the cholesterol as havent been tested lately, but I felt I had to do something so I could care for my OH as his Alzheimers gets worse.

My bro-in-law had a reading in double figures and had a heart attack, or was it a stroke? He now exercises more and has lost some weight.

Huia.

Hi Roxanne, I am not going to ask a lady's age but the passing of the years has a lot to do with it.
I was 65, did not smoke, drank very little, (odd beer or glass of wine socially), never ate fried foods or fat and I exercised regularly. But a blood test showed I had high chloreserol.
I was put on a low dose statin and everything has been fine since then, my statin levels are about 4 - 4.5 which my doc is happy with. Evidently the age of 50 is when these high levels begin to occur.

Even if you are only 21 - Go and see your doctor.

ps. The only drawback to taking statins is that you must not eat grapefruit, and I love them but heyho, i also want to live.

Good luck.

Roxanne, they swear by cider vinegar here, table spoon a day. Last time mine was tested it was 4.7.

Rosalind

I take Atorvastatin,which keeps my cholesterol down.
I have been on this since the 90's.
It wasn't diagnosed in this country,but in Spain,when we lived there most of the time,and had to have private insurance.
They didn't seem to look for it here,but it was a matter of course there.I think it may be a bit different now.
What annoys me is when insurance companies,ask....Did your parents suffer with high cholesterol?
How would we know,as they weren't tested! It wasn't until quite recently that it has become an issue.
Thank goodness for that! Keep taking the pills!!!!
Maybe that is why some of our ancestors died quite young!!!!

I'm on Atorvastatin too - used to be on Simvastatin but for some reason GP changed it - I'm fine while taking the tablets - due for bloods in April so will see how things are going then!

Ann,
There was a thing last year about GP's giving Simvastatin,instead of Atorvastatin.Apparently the Sim one is a cheaper version,and not as good as the more expensive one,so they were told to change.

couldn't agree more Stan.I eat butter because I don't like spreads.
My mum had butter,dripping ,lard,chips in those fats,and although she'd had a bad heart since her early 20's,she lived till 92.
Enjoy the things you like,and stop worrying,it could be the worrying that kills you!!!

exactly Stan and Brenda - as you say, when we go we'll be going happy. By the way Stan, it ain't "if" - we are deffo going!! See you there some time

Ann XX

Thanks for all your replies.

I think As someone said age has something to do with it.
its only the past 3 years I have had a problem.

Will try the Cider Vinegar,thanks.

Ive just started eating raw garlic again,so will see how that workslol

Im not too concerned yet,Doctor said I should start Drinking morelol ,Im not a big fan of alcohol but do like the odd glass of red wine.

I guess its just one of those things:-)

Man of Kent, thanks for adding the info re grapefruit, I meant to put that in and forgot.


Hi Huia, shame the oats didn't work for you. Hope you are ok - am enjoying the new pic on my calender - February one.
Lizx

It seems to be a well known fact that you shouldn't eat grapefruit or juice etc if you are on medication for cholesterol.
I just typed in grapefruit and medication and got several sites explaining why you shouldn't mix the too, apparently it can be quite dangerous.
Will leave it to you to look at and decide.
Lizxx

From the medical profession who said:

Dangerous mix of cholesterol drugs and grapefruit
-January 2, 2006

While the risk has been known for some time, British officials announced again last week that consuming grapefruit or its juice while taking cholesterol-lowering drugs like Crestor, Lipitor, or Zocor can greatly increase one's risk of developing a serious and potentially fatal muscle disease. According to British officials, people taking Merck's Zocor or Pfizer's Lipitor were at the greatest risk of developing rhabdomyolysis.

The chemical mix of grapefruit and cholesterol lowering medications triggers this serious side effect, which can lead to kidney failure and death. Grapefruit contains a chemical that inactivates a liver enzyme responsible for metabolizing certain medications. Consumption of grapefruit juice while taking drugs like Lipitor can allow excessive amounts of the drug to enter the blood.

Stan - up not down mate!! with regard to grapefruit, I shall be having a word with my lovely GP next time I see him - he never mentioned grapefruit to me!! d'you think he's trying to get shot of me?

I know an elderly lady who wasn't told about this either, and she is still eating grapefruit but has cut cheese and eggs completely from her diet for the past five years due to being on cholesterol tablets. GPs should make things clearer to their patients, especially those who don't have access to internet and are the kind who don't talk to others much about such things.
Lizx

i have high cholestrol but gp says its due to my thyroid problem
did put me on statins but they played havoc with my legs (restless leg syndrome0
the leaflet that comes with the tablets warns about avoiding grapefruit
Love Jackie

Reading the sites on grapefruit on the web it is not all cholesterol medication that reacts badly with grapefruit. Ann, maybe ask your pharmacist to clarify, probably better than the doctor.

ann
Glos