OT : Anyone taking Crestor for cholesterol?

[LouC]

I do 10 mg every other day. I went through 4 different statins before I settled on Crestor. Two made my arms like lead, the third (generic) was a much higher dose. I went on these because of a heart issue 9 years ago. Never went off. My last panel was 104, with nice high/low ratios. My doc said I could go off if I wanted, but 20 year studies have shown very low levels can actually help "scour" plaque. If you are having issues, try some of the other brand names. I think these drugs are like CPAP masks -- gotta find the one right for you.

[Muse-Inc]

...Did you mean to type nobel-prize winner Linus Pauling?

Ohmigod....yes, yes, yes (can I claim apnea-induced brain-memory damage? *sigh*). Salk--safe polio vaccine and Pauling--vitamin C and plaque...got it (how embarassing!).

[Muse-Inc]

...my friend's husband lost 50 pounds on a low-carb diet, not watching his fat intake at all, really, and his cholesterol went down by a good bit. And he wasn't exercising very much because of some mobility issues he has...

The real benefit of cutting carbs drastically is normalized lipids (and getting to eat small amts of dk chocolate), the wt loss isn't bad either . In fact, triglyceride levels are a good indicator of how well your body is handling the amt of carbs you are eating, ie, if not close to 100 or below, your body is not handling carbs well. Oh, the 1st 2 wks as your body adjusts its enzymes to burn fats instead of sugars, your total cholesterol will likely rise before dropping. Then, as TC drops and HDL rises, your LDL might rise...don't panic (and don't let your doc panic, my endo is right now & nagging statin), it's now the safe big, fluffy particles instead of the formerly small, dense particles. Have it tested if necessary for assurance. Call Lab Corp and have it done outside of Doc & insurance and it costs about $80...or several hundred if thru doc IF your doc will even order (most won't). This info is not popularized 'cause big pharma pays for the studies and pays for publication and pays everyone to keep this bit of healthy news from us folks.

Great post, Muse-Inc.

Thanks Pam! Reading about nutrition is a passion as is improving mine & mom's & friend's

[Kiralynx]

Reading about nutrition is a passion as is improving mine & mom's & friend's

Likewise! <g> You posted what I was about to post!

Drives my docs crazy -- I've dealt with obesity for some years -- and never had high cholesterol. In November of 2007, my cholesterol went up, for the first time, into the "abnormally high" range.

Three months later, I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer.

My cholesterol, as of seven months after the surgery, was dropping nicely, though not yet back into the normal range.

I swear my (now former) PCP was disappointed.

Moral: if the cholesterol goes up, look for what else is wrong before blaming the cholesterol.

[El Pap]

In fact, triglyceride levels are a good indicator of how well your body is handling the amt of carbs you are eating, ie, if now close to 100 or below, you body is not handling carbs well.

Do you have this backwards? I always thought the lower the triglyceride number, the better, <150 is normal, <100 is great.

[Muse-Inc]

...Moral: if the cholesterol goes up, look for what else is wrong before blaming the cholesterol.

Hear, hear! I agree.

TIP: one thing to have checked if your cholesterol level begins to rise is your thyroid hormones: TSH, free T4, free T3, thyroid antibodies at a minimum. The higher the TSH, the more your brain is telling your thyroid gland to produce MORE hormones because body cells are starved for thyroid hormones. About 75-95% of what is produced is T4, the rest is T3. T3 is the active form while T4 may be appropriately thought of as the storage form which our body cells use to create T3; the numbers indicate the number of iodine-based side groups in the molecule...that's why iodine is essential for a properly functioning thyroid system. As your metabolism slows (from low thyroid function, thyroid hormones are used to create fuel within each cell), your cholesterol rises esp the LDL fraction...not good. Fluxuations in estrogen levels (synthetic or endogenous[produced by body]) cause fluxuations in thyroid...not good.

[Muse-Inc]

Do you have this backwards? I always thought the lower the triglyceride number, the better, <150 is normal, <100 is great.

Yes wil correct post...thanks!!!

[2flamingos]

I have been on Crestor for several years (and was on Lipitor before that) - started Crestor at 10 mg and then increased to 20 mg 2-3 years ago with absolutely no problems. Liver function is always in range and cholesterol has been hanging in the 140 range. Good and bad ratio is fine, and triglycerides are usually in the 60's (which surprises the heck outta me 'coz I like my beer and red wine).

Cardiologists bumped me up to 120 as aggressive therapy - to keep numbers good and hopefully reduce plaque. So far - no problems.

[WearyOne]

I was just speaking with my friend, the one whose husband eats fats pretty much as he wishes and eats very low carbs, and lost 50 pounds. Just found out his cholesterol is now 118, although he does need to raise the HDL somewhat.

Also, most of you probably know about this, but it's a way it get blood work done if your doc won't order them.

http://www.healthcheckusa.com/

Then you can take the results back to him/her (or a new doc ).

Pam

[jdm2857]

I believe that in NJ, diagnostic tests cannot be performed without a prescription. Period.

[timbalionguy]

Very interesting, especially what Muse, Inc. has to report. I have been a firm believer in low carb for many years, and when I can do it, it has worked wonders for me. Things have been too 'strange' lately to do it, but I am hoping to resume when I get back from a trip I am about to take. One person mentined eating like a Neandrathal. For me, it is like eating like a lion The biggest benefit of a low carb diet though, is the balancing out of your blood sugar regulating mechanism.

'Protein Power' by the Eades, explains how cholesterol metabolism works, in terms most people can understand. It is backwards from what most people have been led to believe. Dietary cholesterol has just a little to do with blood cholesterol. In addition to what has already been mentioned, cholesterol is an important part of the cell membranes of animals. This is why it is only found in animal products.

I would love to see my CRP go down as a result of CPAP!

Panthiene. Now that is interesting. Panthiene is the active form of Panthothenic Acid, and is the direct precursor to Coenzyme A. CoA is the most important factor in lipid metabolism.

I used to take Crestor, until my insurance company refused to pay for it. It is a very effective statin, and at lower doses than most other statins. Now, i take Lovastatin. As far as I can tell, there are no side effects for me, and it is working.