Cholesterol med alternatives?

[quarterback]

I bet I have FH - No matter how good I eat and work out my LDL's are way too high.

I still won't take statins though.



Be careful. Side affects may sneak up on you. Then you may have leg cramps for ever..And no way to prove it was the statins that caused it. Statins are very bad IMO

Please elaborate on statins. I take them as well and nothing I've seen mentioned in this thread is a viable alternative. High BP and high cholesterol with flat sneak up on you and either kill you or cause serious damage if not caught beforehand. "The silent killer"....

[HuntForHorns]

I have had high cholesterol for a number of years but my doctor won't put me on cholesterol meds due to my high liver enzymes. He says my liver will kill me way before high cholesterol.

I may try the red yeast rice. Anyone else with high liver enzymes see success with the red yeast rice?

Thanks

[Buzzsaw]

My doc had me on Atorvastatin and I started hurting/aching in my joints

Heard red rice yeast extract and coq10 was similar with no side effects

Been doing that and will know later in the fall when I go in for yearly physical if it is working

I take Atorvastatin too, Not sure if it makes my joints hurt, I take a Meloxicam for all my aches and pains (back)

let us know if the Holistic way, red rice cq10 works

My Prescription Meds are covered through my Silver Script Med coverage $46 a month (i'm 66, on Medicare) I think the red rice and CoQ10 would cost too much.

[rwbrew3]

I bet I have FH - No matter how good I eat and work out my LDL's are way too high.

I still won't take statins though.



Be careful. Side affects may sneak up on you. Then you may have leg cramps for ever..And no way to prove it was the statins that caused it. Statins are very bad IMO

I am on a 5mg dose, zero problems thus far. Have a family member who has been in them for years with zero effects.

[JayB]

Bring this up again....it's been a year. Those on the NoN Prescription methods, how are the results?

.....and God Bless America.

[lovemylegacy]

Whatching close

[TwoHighways]

So much misinformation. LDL-C does not define risk. You need an accurate particle count and look at Trig/HDL ratio. The absolute biggest risk factor for heart disease is your level of insulin resistance. The vast majority of primary care docs have no idea what they are doing and are not current with the literature. It blows my mind how uninformed “smart” people entrusted to care for people are.

All that being said, I’m sure there are a lot of people here that **** sure need to be on a statin. If you wanna know how much damage has been done, have your PCP refer you out to get a coronary CT calcium scan.

[db@100]

So much misinformation. LDL-C does not define risk. You need an accurate particle count and look at Trig/HDL ratio. The absolute biggest risk factor for heart disease is your level of insulin resistance. The vast majority of primary care docs have no idea what they are doing and are not current with the literature. It blows my mind how uninformed “smart” people entrusted to care for people are.

All that being said, I’m sure there are a lot of people here that **** sure need to be on a statin. If you wanna know how much damage has been done, have your PCP refer you out to get a coronary CT calcium scan.

What will the scan tell you?

[Bayouboy]

.

[RiverRat1]

So much misinformation. LDL-C does not define risk. You need an accurate particle count and look at Trig/HDL ratio. The absolute biggest risk factor for heart disease is your level of insulin resistance. The vast majority of primary care docs have no idea what they are doing and are not current with the literature. It blows my mind how uninformed “smart” people entrusted to care for people are.

All that being said, I’m sure there are a lot of people here that **** sure need to be on a statin. If you wanna know how much damage has been done, have your PCP refer you out to get a coronary CT calcium scan.

I had the scan done and they said zero blockage. That was when I was 40ish

Statins mess me up big time. I asked what seemed a logical question which was...Can I stay off statins and pay for a scan once per year until I see at least some blockage? They had no idea how fast blockage would build and told me to stay on statins.

All of my levels (while off statins) are double what they should be BTW I can't lose weight really and I already eat healthy (ish) and exercise.

[JLivi1224]

I’ve taken Lipitor/Atorvistatin for probably a year. Never had any side effects.

[HogHunter34]

I’ll turn 46 in March. My HDL back in Nov was 155. My Dr ordered the calcium CT score test & mine was a 4 which was in the very low end as a marginal risk & just said lifestyle change with diet & exercise was recommended. Even so my Dr wanted to put me on Lipitor & I take 40mg 2x per week. I also take the Qunol ubiquinol daily to just help prevent any muscle/joint aches. So far I’m doing well with it. I did change my lifestyle pretty drastically with exercise & good dieting eating more heart healthy foods. Also eating oatmeal every morning trying to help reduce the LDL.

[TwoHighways]

People also need to find out if they have an oversynthesis problem, a liver reuptake problem, or too much being reabsorbed in the bowel problem (the liver excretes unneeded cholesterol as bile salts/acids. This requires much more advanced testing). You can find out how insulin resistant you are with an oral glucose tolerance test (with c-peptide being looked at as proxy for the amount of insulin being released in response to the glucose challenge).

[cva34]

My doc had me on Atorvastatin and I started hurting/aching in my joints

Heard red rice yeast extract and coq10 was similar with no side effects

Been doing that and will know later in the fall when I go in for yearly physical if it is working

I find if I take Atorvasatatin at night Muscle and Joint pain subside...my BIL told me that years ago and it sure worked for me.

[DNTRanch]

heart calcification tests
calcium CT score test


Ok what are these, do they work, where do you get them done, does insurance cover?? Very curious. My father had a heart attack at about the age I am now, always ask Doc about me and they say well your BP and Cholesterol is OK, (but they do have me on a small dose of something). But I sure would like to know more.