LCHF Bloodwork High Cholesterol, High Triglycerides???

angel381

I have read that a temporary spike and cholesterol can be seen in some experiencing weight loss. I started LCHF May 23, 2016, so I am about six months in now. Today marks 30lbs down. I had my annual exam last week and received my results yesterday in the mail, with a prescription for Lipitor to lower my cholesterol.
Here are my numbers, with my numbers from July 2015, when I was eating freely:
Cholesterol - 282 (old 219)
Triglyceride - 224 (old 241)
HDL - 58 (old 56)
LDL - 179 (old 115)
VitD - 20 (old 20.8) Low and was low previously too
TSH (Thyroid) - 4.88 (old 3.48), I have been taking 25mg Levothy for the past year

For the most part until recently (about two weeks) I was pretty strict low carb aiming under 50 carbs per day (under 20 preferably). I started adding a slice of toast with butter to occasional breakfasts, and last week I had a few handfuls of candy corn (like total for the week). I am stunned that my triglycerides are still high.. but maybe it is also important to note that I did not fast prior to the test. It was one of those, didn't know what day of the week it was and then appt popped up on my calendar. Should I stress about this and fill that prescription to start a statin? My sister and brother are on statins... my other plan was to start limiting the heavy cream I use in my coffee and try to figure out which things I am eating that are causing this elevation.. I don't know that 6 months in still counts for a temporary elevation??

Thanks for your help.

KnitOrMiss

My endocrinologist told me that if my TSH wasn't below a 2 (pretty much any adult should be here, he said), I needed to increase my medication. High Trighs, especiall when HDL and LDL are decent is a HUGE sign of thyroid dysfunction. If your doctor doesn't want to increase your Levothy and/or add T3 meds to your regime, I would find a new doctor or get a referral to an endocrinologist. I found that hard edged keto was very bad for my thyroid condition, possibly due solely to nutritional deficiencies. I'm not sure, but I'm about to retest the theory after an appointment at the end of the month. The D deficiency can also indicate significant thyroid issues.

I don't know about you personally, but having a TSH that high - it's happened to me twice now - but I felt like total crap when it was that high.

The Vitamin D tests - if you are not taking D3 with K2 (Life Extension and Jarrow both have good feedback), then you won't absorb it well. I got my numbers up from the 20's to over 100 (and I'm not working to get it back to the 80-100 range to prevent toxicity. I use a combination of liquid D3 and various capsule types, in conjunction with the K2 (and also included the rest of the cellular retention regime - magnesium, potassium, boron, zinc, etc.), and occasional daylight lamp therapy - and my numbers are now good... But the biggest thing there is to make sure you get 100 mcg of K2 (M7 form) for every 10,000 IU of D3 you're taking.

I absolutely would not do the statin unless you have a had a heart attack or surgeries yourself. Check out Cholesterol Clarity by Jimmy Moore and Dr. Eric Westman.

Carbs are what increase Trigs - as well as thyroid dysfunction, so I'd drop that toast and candy like a brick, but I think getting that thyroid handled, combined with your low carb dietary plan (try a substitute or high fiber/low carb bread choice like soul bread or Joseph's Lavash Wraps/Pitas, etc.) - is probably the most important part of this puzzle.

And absolutely, I would fast before your next round of labs. I would probably tell your doctor if questioned about the statins that you are working to modify your diet before getting on long term medication, and you'd like to retest in 6 months. Also, if he pushes the statin and you elect to take one, I would run screaming for Lipitor and request another option. It has really bad reviews and can cause permanent health side effects, particularly for women.

Good luck @angel381 - please let me know if you have more questions.

I have hypothyroidism and D deficiency as well as a few other conditions, so I hope some of this helps.

bametels

I also have hypothyroidism. I'm not a medical professional so the information I am sharing is based on research I've done and personal experience.

First, as you know these labs should have been done fasting. Therefore, I would suggest you have them redone to get a more accurate picture of your lipid levels.

Second, I agree with Knit or Miss. I felt terrible when my TSH was in the range of your current level (and higher). Everyone is different, but I currently take 75mg of Synthroid (started on 50 mg levo but was still unwell so my PCP sent me to a endo who switched me to Synthroid and increased the dosage). This change brought my TSH level down to about 1.2. It made a world of difference in how I feel and my lipid levels are the best they have been in years - everything in normal ranges. How much of the improved lipid levels is attributable to the thyroid meds and how much to adopting a LCHF diet, I have no way of knowing. I started a LCHF WOE shortly before you did. Regardless, it is important to address your thyroid meds. If your current doctor is not working with you on this ... then move on.

In terms of taking a statin. My doctor had been pushing a statin on me, when my levels were bad. I refused. I knew something else was going on (which turned out to be a failing thyroid) and I suspected whatever was wrong was related to my bad lipids profile and the myriad of other health issues I was dealing with. And, I was right. Everything I've read about statins, particularly for women, says stay away - far away, unless you fall into a very high risk category that cannot be ameliorated through weight loss, exercise, correct levels of thyroid meds, etc.

Take care of yourself, and best wishes for getting your thyroid disease under control and your lipids back to healthy levels. I suspect that if you receive optimal treatment for your thyroid disease, you'll see improvement in your lipids and other health issues.

KnitOrMiss

My thyroid dosage has been increased about every 6 months, even with being low carb for the majority of the past two years - so if yours has not be adjusted at all, I'd look into it. I think I started at 75 mg of Levothyroxine, and I'm up to 122 mg now, but 6-7 months ago we added Liothyronine (T3) medication, and have increased that dosage twice now to space it out, as it has a really short half-life... I'm finally feeling back to as normal of me as I ever remember feeling as an adult.

angel381

Thank you guys so much for the responses! I was definitely alarmed. I found it interesting that the doctor did not comment on the fact that my TSH was 4.88 (I had to look online to see how it was an issue), she noted that my cholesterol was elevated from a year ago and that the prescription for the statin was enclosed. (Again, both my siblings are also on statins and they believe it is a genetic issue). My thyroid med has not be upped from the initial 25mg that I take daily. I left a message with their office to discuss the lab results with me.

T3 and T4 are in normal range...

The high triglycerides really makes no sense because just adding toast to occasional breakfast (like twice per week), and maybe 30 (I'm being generous) pieces of candy corn over a week should not have that big of an impact, I wouldn't think (and I fully expect to continue this WOE while still occasionally enjoying these things). My previous numbers, I was just eating everything in sight... sugar... carbs... whatevs.

I am curious if there may seem to be a greater impact on the fact that I did not fast and I had read somewhere that triglycerides will be up if blood is taken not long after eating.

I have added Centrum Vitamints that say to have Vit D 1,000 IU as well.

angel381

Also, as far as how I am feeling... I have definitely been exhausted and today appear to have developed a chest cold. I have to admit that stress may also have an impact on me right now. I work full-time, have a full-time college schedule, a hubby and five kiddos... it's definitely a stressful time. I did get started on Wellbutrin to calm anxiety and have a .5 xanax to supplement when I feel a panic attack coming on (which has been at least a couple months since I have needed it).

I also haven't been getting enough sleep which I know I need to work on too. I was just very surprised to see the elevation in cholesterol, especially when I have read so often how LCHF is good for getting good panels.

KnitOrMiss

Did you get Free T3 and T4? Those are the numbers that matter. If you don't mind, would you specific what they are? Because like with TSH, there is an optimal range that is tighter but within the lab allowable range. I think Free T4 is supposed to be around a 1.0 and Free T3 2.5 or so? I can't remember exactly offhand.

The fact that your siblings are both on statins could be a genetic THYROID issue rather than a cholesterol issue, too, since this doctor seems to study conventional values of labs, rather than optimum therapeutic levels... Just food for thought.

When your thyroid is not under control, the trigs will be higher NO MATTER WHAT YOU EAT. I don't remember the exact mechanism offhand. Evaluating the impact of those foods on your dietary plan AFTER getting your thyroid managed would be my suggestions.

Not fasting can cause dramatic alterations to your numbers. But the fact that it is as high as it is means that it will still be high, just maybe not AS high, etc.

If you have a 20 level of vitamin D and are only taking 1000 IU daily, it will probably take you a long time to get your numbers up. To get mine up, I was pairing 40,000 IU with 400 mcg of K2, split in half, twice a day. Plus using a daylight lamp. And making sure to get the magnesium, et al package deal. But without that K2, the D3 will absorb calcium and just sit there. A small percentage might make it to it's location, but the majority needs a map or a bus driver, and that is K2... The magnesium/potassium are like the passport to get the nutrients in the cell, and the zinc/boron are like the wardens that keep them there, where they need to be. @angel381

Sadly, the thyroid dysfunction will have to be addressed before you can clearly see ANY of the other factors, and it's all interrelated.

You might also be insulin resistant. This can be caused by having high blood glucose that causes a chain reaction, but it can equally be caused by cellular energy overload, which means more grams of carbs/glucose, fat/ketones, and protein than it can use, so it just shuts the doors and rejects EVERYTHING. That means that the body has to make extra "transporters" to get this energy off to be used where possible or stored. Cholesterol is what takes the glucose from your bloodstream to your brain. So more glucose - or excess anything else transformed to glucose equals more cholesterol, period...

angel381

Thanks again! I will post my T3 and T4 numbers tomorrow. I was reading that weight loss can also elevate these numbers as well, that it is better to evaluate ur numbers once weight has stabilized because fat cells and the triglycerides within are being burned and going into the bloodstream. Admittedly I would love to believe that's what is going on here, but that's the reason I want to ask fellow low carbers, people experiences means a lot.

The doc office did not call me back today so I will call and leave another message tomorrow. My immediate concern will be about my thyroid.

RalfLott

I think it is important not to react too hastily to the lipid part of your labs. Not only will weight loss skew your numbers, but eating LCHF will do it, too - and not for bad reasons. Here's Steven Phinney's explanation.

(BTW, I have had no problems with Crestor, even though Lipitor gave me leg cramps at night. There are certain risk profiles for which statins make sense - something to quiz your MD about, if you're concerned he's working off crude guidelines.)

Reason for LDL Increase for Some on a Low Carb Diet

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

angel381

T3 = 109
T4 = 1.15

Thanks for the video! Definitely what I was looking for because that's what I was thinking. Between the weight loss and the high TSH.

KnitOrMiss

Test Lab Low Optimal Range Lab High
TSH 0.5 / 1.3-1.8 / 5.0
Free T4 0.8 / 1.2-1.3 / 1.8
Free T3 230 / 320-330 / 420
Free T3* 2.3 / 3.2-3.3 / 4.2

*Some labs divide FT3 results by 100 thus 230 is the same as 2.3, etc.

In the cases of Free T4 (FT4) and Free T3 (FT3), the optimal zone is roughly half way between the usual lab normal Low-High values. Note that the normal range for these hormones may change a bit from lab to lab. In the case of TSH, the optimal zone is skewed far toward the low end of the standard lab Low-High range.

TO me, that says T4, T3 are low, TSH is high, and that tells me you need to increase your medication, and if you have any difficulties converting (a Reverse T3 taken at that same time as the others is the clearest way to diagnose that - or if your T4 numbers get better, but you don't feel better, that's another sign).

Since you are on a low dose, I would request to either be changed over to a NDT (naturally dessicated thyroid) medication, since it has both T3 and T4, or if that isn't what you prefer, increasing the T4 medication, and considering adding a T3 medication, though that can be tricky, as it has about a 4 hour window, and some folks have been known to have a crash after that. There is no good extended release of T3 on the market yet.

Good luck, @angel381... Getting that thyroid handled will definitely help get the trigs number to come down...and the rest you're already working on.

TheAncientMariner

I always do it fasted. Also remember that broken down fat also releases cholesterol into the bloodstream, which your body will take care of. Once you start getting into maintenance, get another test done and see if the results haven't yet normalized. It may mean you're just a fat burnin', butter churnin' machine! I'm no doctor, but there is sound research backing that up! I think you're fine though! KCKO! http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/06/i-lost-weight-and-my-cholesterol-went-up/

82jeh

Your cholesterol numbers will be different depending on whether you do fasting or nonfasting labs. Before you take the meds I would ask your doctor if you could redo the labs and make sure that you are fasting when they are done.

KnitOrMiss

Remember, too, that cholesterol tests are only a snapshot. For a true picture, you'd need several tests to average out.