My cholesterol is so high I may have actual lard in my veins

[MWOS]

certain birth control pills can raise your cholesterol

[jaylea]

Sounds like you have a hereditary issue, and meds are likely to be the fix if you are doing everything else right. What does the doc say?

[orangeglow]

Come join me my friend!  Mine is almost 400 (397 last check).  I took high dose lipitor for 6 months in a study.  It went down.  In the next six months (still high dose) it slowly climbed back up.  Is yours genetic (other people in the family have it)?  

I gave up and I just figure it's part of my uniqueness.

[madringal]

Mine is just like yours when I'm on birth control. Off it and I'm totally normal. Talk to your ob maybe? But mine stayed the same on the ring and the patch.

[bab]

Geez sounds hereditary. My H is going through this. He's in good shape, never overweight in his life. He was in the 280's and has been on Lipitor for about 4 months. He got it down to 199 last blood check (maybe a month ago). Good luck. I know this is frustrating.

[MWOS]

Aug 6, 2014 16:34:19 GMT -5 @stpete said:

Aug 6, 2014 16:31:41 GMT -5 MWOS said:

certain birth control pills can raise your cholesterol

I have a murina iud.


I was just thinking I should have tagged you.

damn. I was hoping it'd be something a simple as a pill switch. 

[cville]

My friend has the same, and she's like maybe 90 lbs. soaking wet. I can't remember what it was, but she had to go on some drug that was not as commonly used for cholesterol and give up red meat, shrimp, and cheese (CHEESE), plus I'm sure some other stuff. I'm so helpful here, I know.

[orangeglow]

Aug 6, 2014 16:35:24 GMT -5 @stpete said:

I'm adopted si I don't have a family medication history.

With that I'm going to say you do.  And there isn't a damn thing you can do.  So enjoy your non-pregnant body and your cheese!

[Booze Raccoon]

your body just may manufacture it like mine.  for me it's genetic.  is there a history of high cholesterol in your family?  nevermind, I just saw you say you're adopted.

PS - This year I started no* fat diet.  *White meat chicken and egg whites only.  No other animal products.  I lost 20lbs and lowered my cholesterol by 67 points.  

[sparkythelawyer]

I have had high cholesterol my entire freaking life. Eight years old, four feet tal, 48 pounds, skinny as a rail, cholesterol of 255.

Mofongo is on to something with the HDL's and the genes.  My HDL's are awesome, which is why my doctor freaks slightly less when he sees my through the roof cholesterol.  Also, my mom had ridiculous cholesterol and when they did an angiogram on her for other thigns they came back and let her know they could drive boats through her arteries.  Some people just are genetically prone to high cholesterol.

If you have no other indicators for heart disease (family history, smoking, etc) then you probably won't be put on statins. My doctor told me last year that he realized statins were all the rage, so to speak, but that it made little sense to put you on drugs when you had no other indicators lending you towards heart disease. They may just monitor you.

[Marle]

Holy crap! I'm sure your dr will give you some medication.

[FastHands]

I don't know the specifics for gender and age groups, but I do know that statins are being approved for larger and larger groups because they are so well-tolerated. So it's definitely worth revisiting the info that's available today. Good luck!

[my4girls]

Fellow high cholesterol checking in. Though mine is 'only' 303. No matter what I do I can't seem to get it lower :/

[lilafowler]

MIL is in a similar boat-she's not overweight and she eats pretty healthy-it's shit genetics. She also has high blood pressure and never smoked and was pretty active until she got put on a million medications.

[wambam]

Some of the new cholesterol research is correlating very high cholesterol with increased life span, so there's that.

ETA: From what I've read, the ratios between the numbers (LDL, HDL, trigs) is more important in determining heart disease risk.

[orangeglow]

Aug 8, 2014 10:54:23 GMT -5 wambam said:

Some of the new cholesterol research is correlating very high cholesterol with increased life span, so there's that.

ETA: From what I've read, the ratios between the numbers (LDL, HDL, trigs) is more important in determining heart disease risk.

I want to follow up on this. I was part of a study and never got to phase 2. A factor was the HDL size. There is a specialized and expensive test that can determine the size of the HDL. The number could be high, but if the size of each HDL is very small the risk of blockage and problems is much much smaller. I think the blanket statement of "high cholesterol is bad" is holding less and less truth as more studies are done.

[Kore]

It's so heavily influenced by genetics. Mine stays in the 125-130 range. I'm obese and pretty sedentary. My dad ate butter & bologna sandwiches, and his was never above 150

[wambam]

Aug 8, 2014 11:29:00 GMT -5 orangeglow said:

Aug 8, 2014 10:54:23 GMT -5 wambam said:

Some of the new cholesterol research is correlating very high cholesterol with increased life span, so there's that.

ETA: From what I've read, the ratios between the numbers (LDL, HDL, trigs) is more important in determining heart disease risk.

I want to follow up on this. I was part of a study and never got to phase 2. A factor was the HDL size. There is a specialized and expensive test that can determine the size of the HDL. The number could be high, but if the size of each HDL is very small the risk of blockage and problems is much much smaller. I think the blanket statement of "high cholesterol is bad" is holding less and less truth as more studies are done.

Particle size is definitely a factor, but like you said, the test is very expensive. That's why a lot of practitioners who are up on the most recent literature will use the ratios I mentioned. 

[kristie]

Did you know half the people who have heart attacks do not have high cholesterol? I have very strong opinions on this subject, and they are not the norm. I would not take a statin, and I would urge my family members not to. This is not medical advice, but yeah....

[elleblue]

Aug 8, 2014 12:09:35 GMT -5 kristie said:

Did you know half the people who have heart attacks do not have high cholesterol? I have very strong opinions on this subject, and they are not the norm. I would not take a statin, and I would urge my family members not to. This is not medical advice, but yeah....

Yeah statins are no bueno. 

*not a doctor, nor do I play one on tv

[Kore]

Aug 8, 2014 12:05:18 GMT -5 @stpete said:

Aug 8, 2014 11:31:04 GMT -5 Kore said:

It's so heavily influenced by genetics. Mine stays in the 125-130 range. I'm obese and pretty sedentary. My dad ate butter & bologna sandwiches, and his was never above 150

I don't think of you as heavy. I picture you as Ke$ha. 

Bar selfie from this weekend woot! Still morbidly obese :-(

Really, just AWing this badass Old Navy skirt.

[FastHands]

Aug 8, 2014 12:09:35 GMT -5 kristie said:

I would not take a statin, and I would urge my family members not to.

Why?

[Deleted]

This is shocking, @stpete!

You are quite fit.

I think these numbers are, sadly, genetic.  My father eats like a monk and has sky-high cholesterol.  My mother eats anything she likes and has low cholesterol.  Thankfully, in this regard, I take after mom.

Ugh.  I haz sads for you.

[Deleted]

This sounds like me with blood pressure. I've had high BP since my 20s. It's on both sides of the family. I am taking Diovan and would be in trouble without it. But it sounds like statins have a bad rep. Best of luck!

[Kore]

Aug 8, 2014 12:40:28 GMT -5 @stpete said:

Kore you are full of shit. You are no where close to morbidly obese. Either you have body dysmorphia or I am also morbidly obese. (hint, I'm not)

I have a scale & the NIH BMI calculator. Haha. BMI is like 36.

Seriously, though. Everybody needs this skirt.

Time for more adderall. I'm so off topic & hijacking!

[my4girls]

Someone tell us why statins are bad! Please! I go back to my doc in December for a 6 month recheck of my levels and she's talking about a statin if they don't significantly improve

[FastHands]

Aug 8, 2014 12:45:07 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Aug 8, 2014 12:43:13 GMT -5 FastHands said:

Why?

Not to pull an AutumnRose25 , but my H is a physician and he takes Lipitor.

That's why I'm curious about her reasoning. I know she's in the medical field so likely to at least have some sound/researched opinions on it, but I've always heard such wonderful things about how effective and well-tolerated statins are.

[NewOrleans]

Aug 8, 2014 12:50:26 GMT -5 my4girls said:

Someone tell us why statins are bad! Please! I go back to my doc in December for a 6 month recheck of my levels and she's talking about a statin if they don't significantly improve

this one isn't about badness, per se: www.nytimes.com/2013/11/13/health/new-guidelines-redefine-use-of-statins.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&emc=edit_na_20131112&

this one covers why they are very bad for women: www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/women-cholesterol-medication_b_1219496.html

this one covers how drugs have not been tested adequately on women so you are fucked: www.nytimes.com/2014/05/15/health/nih-tells-researchers-to-end-sex-bias-in-early-studies.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0

[kristie]

Aug 8, 2014 12:45:07 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Aug 8, 2014 12:43:13 GMT -5 FastHands said:

Why?

Not to pull an AutumnRose25 , but my H is a physician and he takes Lipitor.

And that is why I stated it is not medical advice. I know a lot of physicians that still recommend them. I have also worked with many that are very against them. This was when I worked in a cardiovascular unit not L&D. Lol

Because I think the risks outweigh the benefits. I don't think cholesterol is the bad guy, our bodies need it, and there are a lot of newer studies that have shown that high cholesterol is not the threat we have long assumed it was. I have high cholesterol, always have. They wanted to put me on medicine, and my mom has the same situation. I consider myself to be a healthy person and well within a normal weight range. I felt very comfortable saying hell no.

[Deleted]

Aug 8, 2014 12:09:35 GMT -5 kristie said:

Did you know half the people who have heart attacks do not have high cholesterol? I have very strong opinions on this subject, and they are not the norm. I would not take a statin, and I would urge my family members not to. This is not medical advice, but yeah....

So there is no circumstance in which you would ever take a statin or feel ok for a family member to take one?

I guess I feel like that's why they pay doctors to think critically to make those decisions based on comorbid conditions and risk stratification. You have to look at primary and secondary prevention. 

I think it's interesting that you have such opposition to statins in all circumstances.