Calling high cholesterol folks!

AshleyMFitness16

Looking for people battling high cholesterol to answer some questions for me -
Are you currently taking any kind of statin medication to control it? If not, what are you taking? I have been on Simvastatin since February of 2014, September of this year I started getting intense joint pain and muscle soreness. I then found out from an orthopedic doctor I was seeing about it that it's a common side effect of statin medications. I totally unintentionally have forgotten to take my medicine the last couple weeks (I've had a lot going on) and realized I have next to no joint pain! I know I need to get back on medication to control my cholesterol, but I'm just looking for recommendations on something else I can talk to my doctor about taking?

Thank you!

vanmep

You really need to talk to your doctor. People here can give you recommendations but it might not be applicable to how your body works. I have been on statin for 12 years. I also eat a mostly vegetarian low fat diet. My cholesterol levels are very low now. You can only do so much to modify your cholesterol through diet since most of the cholesterol is produced by your own body - hence the statin. I would recommend you have a very thorough discussion with your doctor - do not just carry on with taking a medication that is giving you so many side effects.

GottaBurnEmAll

I have familial high cholesterol, but I've managed to lower mine with a vegetarian low fat diet and losing 94 pounds. No statins.

Oh, and regular exercise. Plenty of exercise.

Madwife2009

My husband suffers with muscle pain as a result of taking statins.

His GP just alternates him between two different types - simvastatin and atorvastatin. He has a few pain free months then the muscle pain begins again so the GP swaps him onto the other one.

Not really curing the issue but my husband can't be bothered to do anything else about it.

AshleyMFitness16

I've lost 30 pounds since I was diagnosed, have a healthy diet and lots of exercise. It's hereditary, nothing more I can naturally do. My doctor had tried to lower my dosage because of how healthy I am otherwise, and it didn't go well.

ronjsteele1

I have familial high cholesterol. My father died at 42 from heart disease and high cholesterol and every extended family member has as well (grandparents, etc). Nothing about statins is going to help you. At 11yrs old my cholesterol was well over 300, nearing 400. The only thing that has ever brought my cholesterol down is a high fat, higher protein, moderate carb diet. I maintain mine now around 199 and have for years eating this way. Your body needs cholesterol. Using statins to lower it is like filling a glass with water that has a hole in the bottom. It's not going to accomplish anything. Over the years I found that the low fat, high carb diet I was eating, was making my cholesterol go higher. While we're all different, I would recommend experimenting with this type of diet (and continuing to lose weight if you need to lose). I tweaked my carbs until I hit the sweet spot where I could figure out how many I could eat while still keeping my cholesterol in check. That number will be different for everyone (and depend on genetics as well). I have my macros at 40%C/40%F/20%P and that works for me. It is not uncommon for me to hit 50% fat in my day. It took about a year of that type of diet to get my cholesterol from the high 300's down to 199. I was about 30 or so when I finally figured that out.

Traveler120

I lowered mine from nearly 300 to ~170 by reducing dietary fat to under 15%. I reduced the amount of eggs, meat, chicken, cheese I was eating and stopped adding oil when cooking, unless I really had to. Majority of my diet is now whole foods plant-based.

ronjsteele1

SmashleyM914 wrote: »

I've lost 30 pounds since I was diagnosed, have a healthy diet and lots of exercise. It's hereditary, nothing more I can naturally do. My doctor had tried to lower my dosage because of how healthy I am otherwise, and it didn't go well.

Lots of people have hereditary high cholesterol and it is manageable with diet and exercise. The key is finding out which foods your body needs to lower it. Some people will need a low fat diet to lower theirs, some people will need a high fat diet (I did). Having your cholesterol be higher for a couple of years while you work through diet is not going to kill a person. Long term it would be a problem, but short term it would not.

kshatriyo

SmashleyM914 wrote: »

Looking for people battling high cholesterol to answer some questions for me -
Are you currently taking any kind of statin medication to control it? If not, what are you taking? I have been on Simvastatin since February of 2014, September of this year I started getting intense joint pain and muscle soreness. I then found out from an orthopedic doctor I was seeing about it that it's a common side effect of statin medications. I totally unintentionally have forgotten to take my medicine the last couple weeks (I've had a lot going on) and realized I have next to no joint pain! I know I need to get back on medication to control my cholesterol, but I'm just looking for recommendations on something else I can talk to my doctor about taking?

Thank you!

Statins are so widely prescribed for something when it is completely needless. Most doctors are very behind on this and let the pharmaceutical companies continue to sell nonsense and misinformation. Below is a link to my doctor and what he says about statins is in his video along with an explanation of how to raise your good cholesterol by changing your fuel from carbs to fat; it changes how to package the fats.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oareFIDrPZs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBsk5bksUzM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCmJNbjBin8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU9YS06NTmM

Traveler120

Yeah, I used to eat high fat too which raised my good cholesterol. Too bad it also raised my bad cholesterol and got me to the highest total cholesterol I've ever had and my doc threatening me with statins. Going low fat lowered HDL but was still in the normal range and LDL and total chol also went down to the normal range.

dtcjem

I had the same issues and take COQ-10 to help with the joint pain and muscle weakness. I was able to lower my medication of Crestor to 5mg M, W, and F. I don't take it any other day. That followed with Red Rice Yeast and Fish Oil and Weight Loss and exercise have brought me down from Mid 300's to 165.

AshleyMFitness16

I'm actually in the process of switching my primary doctor, so I'm going to see what she has to say before I try anything. The thought of diet trial and error kind of terrifies me.

DanyellMcGinnis

I had one high cholesterol reading mostly because of triglycerides (sorry, it's been awhile and I don't remember the exact number). I managed to get it under control in just a couple of months by quitting refined grains (this is what the doctor said to do). I still ate butter and such, and I still ate a ton of bread and pasta, but I switched to whole grain varieties, brown rice, etc. I also take DHA/EPA omega 3 supplements (vegan ones because I'm vegetarian, but fish oil should have the same effect).

That was a few years ago and actually I did not manage to lose any weight at that time, the dietary changes seem to have improved my cholesterol numbers. (LDL and triglycerides went down and HDL went up when I went back for a re-check.) Am going back for another check next month to see what it's like now that I've lost weight (went from a 27+ BMI to around 20). Have seen my dad on statins for years (he tolerates Lipitor well) and my mom trying to avoid them, so I know it may end up being in my genes, but I also think I can potentially change my own outcome by making healthier choices than they did (dad is obese, mom is overweight).