My blood test shows high Cholesterol – Looking for advice - Drugs / Diet .

[Sheryl]

5 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

I'm not a doctor but you'd be surprised how much a strict diet and a reasonable amount of exercise can improve your health.

 

This is from personal experience.

It will do him all manner of good to lose 5-10 kg and be more active. But it will not necessarily reduce his LDL by much. 

[sirineou]

12 hours ago, tomgreen said:

So it seems that I may have made a mistake by accepting the hospital doctors choice to stop taking the Atorvastatin on the 19th of September 2023 ( B ) when in reality I should have just continued to take the 20 mg of Atorvastatin on a daily basis . 

Absolutely right!!

Not sure why the doctor would tell you to stop taking the medication? It makes no sense. 

If the medication was working and you had concerns about the dosage, he should have told you to cut it in half, and have another test a month later, 

If your cholesterol went up after a month then go back to full dosage, if it remained the same. then the next step if you so desired would be to further reduce the dosage or frequency and see how that worked out after a month.

That's what my heart doctor did with my PVC medication,(No not plastic LOL) 

we reduced to half and since I had no PVC episodes we reduced it to every other day, next month if I still have no PVC episodes I will stop taking it.  If the episones return after I stop taking it , I will go to every other day again. 

[pub2022]

11 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

I'm not a doctor but you'd be surprised how much a strict diet and a reasonable amount of exercise can improve your health.

 

This is from personal experience.

 

It's mostly (around 60-70%) genetic. If controlling food and exercise was for you enough, it means you didn't have serious problems with cholesterol. And I'm not a doctor.

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, tomgreen said:

 

At home use an Omron HEM 1730 model blood pressure monitor . At my age ( 74 ) I'm amazed that my blood pressure numbers are always within the general '' Normal '' range.

 

Ive tested the same Omron HEM 1730 model blood pressure monitor on family members , and those results were all different ( which I expected ) . When I go to Hospital for a blood test , my blood pressure is always shown as a bit higher than taken at home. 

 

. 

I use Omron HEM 7121 every morning after 10 minutes deep breathing, and have averaged 124/75/50 over three months but take 10mg Amlodepine and Doxadozin each day. Going to see Cardiac Doctor at local Govt Hospital next week for Annual check-up. I think I will survive.

At the hospital they have many 'stick your arm in' type BP measuring thingies, but I get different higher readings from all of them. I simply show them the latest one on my phone app and it is usually accepted.

[tomgreen]

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

Absolutely right!!

Not sure why the doctor would tell you to stop taking the medication? It makes no sense. 

If the medication was working and you had concerns about the dosage, he should have told you to cut it in half, and have another test a month later, 

If your cholesterol went up after a month then go back to full dosage, if it remained the same. then the next step if you so desired would be to further reduce the dosage or frequency and see how that worked out after a month.

That's what my heart doctor did with my PVC medication,(No not plastic LOL) 

we reduced to half and since I had no PVC episodes we reduced it to every other day, next month if I still have no PVC episodes I will stop taking it.  If the episones return after I stop taking it , I will go to every other day again. 

 

Yes its a mystery as to why the hospital doctor gave ‘’ Me ‘’ the choice about taking the prescribed drug . I had to Google the … PVC medication . I learn some thing new every day . 

 

As Mr Spock likes to say  , live long and prosper.

 

 

Tom

 

.

[Travis179]

Have you considered a CAC scan? A few years back my cholesterol was sky high (mostly LDL, the rest was in the normal range). My PCP was aggressively pushing statins, but I was concerned about the potential side effects. I subsequently got the scan in Pattaya, reviewed the results with the attending cardiologist, who informed me my score was zero. He told me to forget about the medication, and just continue what I was doing (ketovore diet). After that, my PCP didn't mention it again. Not medical advice of course, I'm not a doc, just something for you to consider.

[tomgreen]

38 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

I use Omron HEM 7121 every morning after 10 minutes deep breathing, and have averaged 124/75/50 over three months but take 10mg Amlodepine and Doxadozin each day. Going to see Cardiac Doctor at local Govt Hospital next week for Annual check-up. I think I will survive.

At the hospital they have many 'stick your arm in' type BP measuring thingies, but I get different higher readings from all of them. I simply show them the latest one on my phone app and it is usually accepted.

 

Its interesting to see you comment that you are going to see a Cardiac Doctor at the local Government Hospital , from my past experiences relating to local Government Hospitals the experience has not been that encouraging . 

 

 

Tom

 

. 

[john donson]

? high?

 

at your age up to 250-300 is normal

 

MD want to sell services and overpriced medicine

[PJ71]

1 hour ago, pub2022 said:

 

It's mostly (around 60-70%) genetic. If controlling food and exercise was for you enough, it means you didn't have serious problems with cholesterol. And I'm not a doctor.

Yes, correct.

 

My main aim was to be strong for recovery before i had an operation.

[Eaglekott]

14 hours ago, tomgreen said:

Any advice , suggestions or recommendations very welcome. 

My suggestion would be to replace the Astorvastatin 20mg with Simvastatin 10 or 20 mg for some time and then check cholesterol levels again. You will save a lot of money changing to Simvastatin. I know many doctors and hospitals try to sell the most expensive tablets even if there is others that cost a fraction of the price.

[tomgreen]

7 minutes ago, Travis179 said:

Have you considered a CAC scan? A few years back my cholesterol was sky high (mostly LDL, the rest was in the normal range). My PCP was aggressively pushing statins, but I was concerned about the potential side effects. I subsequently got the scan in Pattaya, reviewed the results with the attending cardiologist, who informed me my score was zero. He told me to forget about the medication, and just continue what I was doing (ketovore diet). After that, my PCP didn't mention it again. Not medical advice of course, I'm not a doc, just something for you to consider.

 

Thanks for the suggestion 

 

I had to Google ….. CAC scan

 

[ What is a CAC scan?

What does a coronary calcium scan do? The scan provides images of your coronary arteries that show existing calcium deposits. Called calcifications, these deposits are an early sign of coronary artery disease.]

 

That CAC scan procedure sounds like it would be worth doing '

 

 

Tom

 

.
 

[CFCol]

14 hours ago, tomgreen said:

So over time I have had 3 blood tests all at the same Thai hospital ( different doctors ) 

 

1. Blood test was on 12th December 2022       ( A ) 
2. Blood test was on 19th of September 2023  ( B ) 
3. Blood test was on 5th of March 2024           ( C ) 

 

The first blood test done on 12th December 2022 ( A ) showed that I had high numbers in several areas , so the hospital doctor prescribed 20 mg of Atorvastatin , once a day and made a new blood test appointment for the 19th of September 2023 ( B ) .

 

The second Blood test was done on the 19th of September 2023 ( B ) , and the results from that blood test showed that my previous high numbers had now come down , due to me taking 20 mg of Atorvastatin , once a day . On seeing the reduced numbers in that blood test the hospital doctor said to me that I could stop taking the Atorvastatin if I wanted to , so I made the decision to completely stop taking the Atorvastatin. The hospital doctor then made a new appointment for a blood test for 5th of March 2024 ( C ) 

 

The Third blood test was recently done on the 5th of March 2024 ( C ) and the test results showed that my numbers had gone way back up. On seeing those blood test results the doctor prescribed 40 mg of Atorvastatin , once a day . And a new blood test appointment was made for the coming 28th of May 2024 .

 

The blood test results are shown as screen shots – A / B / C .

 

So it seems that I may have made a mistake by accepting the hospital doctors choice to stop taking the Atorvastatin on the 19th of September 2023 ( B ) when in reality I should have just continued to take the 20 mg of Atorvastatin on a daily basis . 

 

During all the previous times I was taking the 20 mg of Atorvastatin I did not alter my diet or life style, but the doctor who looked at my recent blood test results on the 5th of March 2024 ( C )  did say that I should look at altering my diet .I’m 74 years old , Five feet Seven inches tall , my weight is 79.1 Kg , my blood pressure is 117 / 71 / 65 , a non smoker / non alcohol drinker . I am not really physically active . ( Lazy ) 

 

So looking back at my past blood test results , there could now be a possibility that I may have to take the prescribed drug Atorvastatin for the rest of my life . 

 

I’m now wondering if any one here has had a blood test done and the results showed a high level of LDL cholesterol , and if so did you rely on drugs to lower the high  LDL cholesterol number or a combination of diet + drugs .

 

Any advice , suggestions or recommendations very welcome. 

 

 

Thanks - Tom 

 

.

 

 

 

I had the same problem years ago but did not want to take drugs and so changed my diet instead.

Ie no butter, no prawns,, (one of the foods with the highest cholesterol), and no fatty snacks like crisps, salted peanuts and fried chips, no full fat milk. My cholesterol improved drastically but I was very active and still am. It's all common sense really.

[newbee2022]

Good decision to continue taking those statins. You take it in the evening before sleeping? Also change your habits of eating. Probably your doctor told you already what to eat and what to avoid. Avoid the alc of course/beer. And....start for exercise at least 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes.

Statins are known for minor side effects only. (Pain in legs/bones. Therefore administer at the night)

[Ben Zioner]

9 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Move to a better diet, it can improve cholesterol, of course people prefer drugs because they don't have self control

Sex isn't the only thing in our lives, good sauerkraut with knuckle and sausages are very fulfilling too.

[tomgreen]

4 minutes ago, Eaglekott said:

My suggestion would be to replace the Astorvastatin 20mg with Simvastatin 10 or 20 mg for some time and then check cholesterol levels again. You will save a lot of money changing to Simvastatin. I know many doctors and hospitals try to sell the most expensive tablets even if there is others that cost a fraction of the price.

Thanks , its funny that you mentioned that some doctors try to sell the most expensive tablets , I did ask the doctor , how much will the Atorvastatin tablets cost ?. The doctor looked the Atorvastatin cost up on her hospital screen computer . The cost for the 3 months supply of  Atorvastatin would have been over 2,000 Baht . I told the hospital doctor that I would buy the same 3 months supply of Atorvastatin from a large local pharmacy , which I did at a cost of 1,300 Baht .

 

Tom

 

.

[sirineou]

3 minutes ago, tomgreen said:

 

Yes its a mystery as to why the hospital doctor gave ‘’ Me ‘’ the choice about taking the prescribed drug . I had to Google the … PVC medication . I learn some thing new every day . 

 

As Mr Spock likes to say  , live long and prosper.

 

 

Tom

 

.

Except when Captain Kirk got on his nerves when he would say "Live long and suffer" 

Yea sorry PVC ,( Premature ventricular contractions). out of the blue I started getting dizzy, went to the doctor , and I was diagnosed with the condition, I told the doctor. If it came all of a sudden, could it also go away all of the sudden ? and how would we know it went away if I am on medication. 

Thats where he suggested that I cut it in half and see if the symptoms increased or decreased, if they did not increase keep reducing the dosage and and see how it goes,

I think you might want to do something similar and see what dosage  works best for you.  

I also have high cholesterol, 

I tried the diet method to the point where I consumed almost zero cholesterol.

No Change!!

I am 5:10'  166 lbs , so weight is not the problem, I get plenty of exercise. 

No change!

  So what's the deal?

The deal is that it could be genetic. Your body produces cholesterol naturally in the liver. 

Food contributes to cholesterol only by a  a small degree , I think 20%, and eating healthy could help reduce it by that percentage, but if your body is producing cholesterol on overdrive, then all the dieting in the world can only have a marginal affects. 

I am also on Atorvastatin 40 mg , I had gone down to 20mg  but then my overall went to 180 so i went back to 40mg . I don't seem to have any side effects at 40 mg . so it's ok. 

Also keep in mind that the proportion  of "good cholesterol  HDL"  to "Bad cholesterol LDL" is just as important as the overall  cholesterol number. .

At least that's my understanding.  

 

[KannikaP]

22 minutes ago, tomgreen said:

 

Its interesting to see you comment that you are going to see a Cardiac Doctor at the local Government Hospital , from my past experiences relating to local Government Hospitals the experience has not been that encouraging . 

 

 

Tom

 

. 

How many have you been to.?

Nauresun University Hospital in Phitsanulok has got a very good reputation............and it's the only one I can afford!

[Eaglekott]

6 minutes ago, tomgreen said:

Thanks , its funny that you mentioned that some doctors try to sell the most expensive tablets , I did ask the doctor , how much will the Atorvastatin tablets cost ?. The doctor looked the Atorvastatin cost up on her hospital screen computer . The cost for the 3 months supply of  Atorvastatin would have been over 2,000 Baht . I told the hospital doctor that I would buy the same 3 months supply of Atorvastatin from a large local pharmacy , which I did at a cost of 1,300 Baht .

 

Tom

 

.

 

Yes much cheaper at local pharmacy, I have to verify the Simvastatin price I just remember it was much cheaper than Atorvastatin at my local pharmacy.

[JackGats]

My cholesterol turned out sky-high over a decade ago, with the "bad" cholesterol dwarfing the "good" one. I chose to stop taking statins two weeks after initiating them. What I gathered from my research and short-lived experience: statins not only are bad for body-building and for testosterone but they increase the risk of diabetes by one third.

 

Now unexpectedly my latest blood test showed a substantial decrease (-25%). No idea what may have caused the decrease. I haven't changed my habits. I have taken supplements but none acting on cholesterol. I keep my fingers crossed it will stay that way.

 

Note that a sudden collapse of cholesterol is often a sign of some serious disease like cancer.

 

[tomgreen]

7 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

How many have you been to.?

Nauresun University Hospital in Phitsanulok has got a very good reputation............and it's the only one I can afford!

 

Over the 20 years that Ive been living in Thailand , I would guess may be 6 Thai government hospitals . I live in a small rural town and the Thai government hospital here is best avoided for any thing other than a cut finger .

 

Tom

 

.

 

 

[Sheryl]

34 minutes ago, Eaglekott said:

My suggestion would be to replace the Astorvastatin 20mg with Simvastatin 10 or 20 mg for some time and then check cholesterol levels again. You will save a lot of money changing to Simvastatin. I know many doctors and hospitals try to sell the most expensive tablets even if there is others that cost a fraction of the price.

There are advantafes to atorvastatin over Simvastatin if he can afford it.

 

If for cost reasons he has to switch the simvastatin equivalent to 20 mg tirvastatin would be 40 mg not 10 or 20. 

 

 

[Eaglekott]

Just now, Sheryl said:

If for cost reasons he has to switch the simvastatin equivalent to 20 mg tirvastatin would be 40 mg not 10 or 20. 

 

True and that why I told him to check after a few months if he change, it might be enough with 10mg Simvastatin. Im my case the doctor gave me Atorvastatin 40mg, and after 6 months I was cholesterol free, Then I first lowered to 20mg Astorvastatin, then 10mg, then change to Simvastatin 10mg an everything seams perfect with no changed in diet when I checked 2 more times. With that said it was almost a year since I checked last time so maybe i need to change.

 

The only advantage I found with Astorvastatin is that is was totally tasteless while Simvastatin can have a small taste if not swollen directly, Astorvastatin is also easier to swallow. But since I have no problems to swallow tablets even with out water i do not care about that.

[Eaglekott]

 

40 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Good decision to continue taking those statins.

 

I believe you are correct. I have a friend that is 96 years old, every one of his relatives, dad uncle etc has died before 60 years of age and when asked how he can be so old his answer is simple... "Statins, Statins and Statins."

 

By the way we is also a medical doctor by profession.

[tomgreen]

37 minutes ago, JackGats said:

My cholesterol turned out sky-high over a decade ago, with the "bad" cholesterol dwarfing the "good" one. I chose to stop taking statins two weeks after initiating them. What I gathered from my research and short-lived experience: statins not only are bad for body-building and for testosterone but they increase the risk of diabetes by one third.

 

Now unexpectedly my latest blood test showed a substantial decrease (-25%). No idea what may have caused the decrease. I haven't changed my habits. I have taken supplements but none acting on cholesterol. I keep my fingers crossed it will stay that way.

 

Note that a sudden collapse of cholesterol is often a sign of some serious disease like cancer.

 

 

Thats interesting , so basically have I got this right . You were originally taking statins ,but stopped taking them after two weeks , now your last blood test results has shown a decrease in your cholesterol numbers ( - 25 % ) and you have made no lifestyle changes other than taking non cholesterol acting supplements .

 

 

Tom

 

.
 

 

[moe666]

Statins are the drug of choice for cholestrol even when people have normal cholestrol. They do have side affects that you may want to avoid. Check out Dr. Sten Ekberg on Utube he has very good info about cholestrol and treating it . 

[Sheryl]

46 minutes ago, JackGats said:

My cholesterol turned out sky-high over a decade ago, with the "bad" cholesterol dwarfing the "good" one. I chose to stop taking statins two weeks after initiating them. What I gathered from my research and short-lived experience: statins not only are bad for body-building and for testosterone but they increase the risk of diabetes by one third.

 

Now unexpectedly my latest blood test showed a substantial decrease (-25%). No idea what may have caused the decrease. I haven't changed my habits. 

 

Whenever there is a one time lab result that seens odd/inconsistent, you should repeat it. Lab errors are far from unknown. 

[Chris BKK]

Try no margarine, it is a poison, use extra virgin olive oil on sandwiches and toast and salads. a tablespoon of olive oil daily will bring down bad cholesterol. Statins can make the old fellow not work so well, I tried with old fellow less willing to work, so stopped right away then back to normal. Agree with comments above re fish oil or oily fish

[Eaglekott]

1 hour ago, JackGats said:

What I gathered from my research and short-lived experience: statins not only are bad for body-building and for testosterone but they increase the risk of diabetes by one third.

 

Wow, I'm impressed you could conclude that after only 2 weeks on Statins. I believe it takes some months for them to start show any type of effect.

[newbee2022]

44 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Whenever there is a one time lab result that seens odd/inconsistent, you should repeat it. Lab errors are far from unknown. 

Maybe in your area? Nowadays labs are working fully automatic, just to avoid misreadings or misinterpretation or other mistakes. But I admit mistakes could happen where human beings are at work.

[Sheryl]

2 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Maybe in your area? Nowadays labs are working fully automatic, just to avoid misreadings or misinterpretation or other mistakes. But I admit mistakes could happen where human beings are at work.

These automatic machines have to be properly maintained and regularly calibrated. A step ofen omitted. Reagent solutions/kits need to be properlly stored and not used beyond expiration (ditto).

 

And samples have to be correctly  labelled and correct patient name entered. 

 

Mixing up of patient results is something I have encountered several  times including at major, ISO certified hospitals.