Cholesterol

[Lightning McQueen]

What happened LM ?
Did you drop your levels from 9.5 ?
Are you taking medications ?

QUESTION
Once someone starts taking the tablets , can they come of them if the levels drop

Lightning Mc has a 9.4 level
If he took a medication and reduced his level to about 3
Can he come of that medication safely ?

Shit, 12 months later, to tell you the truth I never went back, a bit naive but my life is too busy and I've felt in good health. Perhaps I'm in the "rather not know" category and will worry about it if I start feeling crap again.

[Hondo]

LM, you should definitely go back

I left it for 6 months or so as my prescription ran out. Went for a check up and, yep, I was right back up at alarm bell levels like I had never been on the tablets at all.

My grandfather died at age 39 of a heart attack.

[Lightning McQueen]

Yeah, I know, I should be getting a few things checked out. I've whacked on a few kilo's over the break and I'm working on getting rid of them now, I've been cutting back on the things that aren't good for me.
I will book in soon.

[mal]

IF LM is still about 9.0
How long would a medication such as Lipitor take to get his levels down by half to say 4.5 ?
Does his diet also contribute greatly whilst on the medication ?

[Hondo]

Mal

In a lot of cases, including mine, diet has very little to do with your cholesterol level. My problem is a genetic one inherited from my parents and the doctor said even if I ate basically no fat at all I would still have high cholesterol.

On Lipitor, I saw results within a few short months. I wasn't quite at 9.0 but it dropped to 4.5 pretty quickly. Lipitor is a drug that does what it says it will do on the packet.

[Alaska]

Spot on Hondo I started at 13 went onto Lipitor 15 years ago and every six months it is 4.5 or lower once we adjusted the dose. Again mine is genetic my mother was also 13. On top of this I had a 225 over 185 blood pressure but one tablet a day has controlled that to 135 over 75. Again genetic no male on my fathers side survives past 70 most had there first heart attack in their 50s.

[The Apostle]

I'm joining the club...

[Sky Pilot]

If you get put on Lipitor make sure you have a blood test (liver function) every five or six months because it can play merry hell with your liver. It doesn't affect everyone, just some. Crestor is the better anti cholesterol drug to take if you are a drinker according to my GP.

[The Apostle]

Crestor

I'm on this now. I had multiple bloods tests over a year or so and my Cholestrol level was consistently around 7-8 so the doctor put me on it.

[Psyber]

Crestor

I'm on this now. I had multiple bloods tests over a year or so and my Cholestrol level was consistently around 7-8 so the doctor put me on it.

Interestingly, in the late 1980's my Cholesterol was 7.2 which neither my GP nor the Life Assurance company saw as being of any concern, back then. I've always been intrigued that "ideal" Cholesterol levels came down as more and more lipid lowering drugs came on to the market, just as ideal weights did as more diet pills were released.

My Cholesterol is currently 5.2 without medication, since I've had my Sleep Apnoea treated with CPAP, and my BP, which had started to go up, has normalised. At this stage, and that level, I'm not looking to start a lipid lowering drug.

Sleep Apnoea is one of those things that can drive up Cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, and your blood pressure, and is something GPs tend not to think of unless you mention snoring badly and/or daytime tiredness. As a consultant, I've seen a lot of people on multiple medications for high BP, high cholesterol, and high sugar levels, who possibly wouldn't have needed any of it had they been checked for Sleep Apnoea and had it treated.

So, if your partner says you snore see a Respiratory Physician.
I was constantly suggesting that to people's GPs after I reviewed them.

[kickinit]

Interestingly, in the late 1980's my Cholesterol was 7.2 which neither my GP nor the Life Assurance company saw as being of any concern, back then. I've always been intrigued that "ideal" Cholesterol levels came down as more and more lipid lowering drugs came on to the market, just as ideal weights did as more diet pills were released.

My Cholesterol is currently 5.2 without medication, since I've had my Sleep Apnoea treated with CPAP, and my BP, which had started to go up, has normalised. At this stage, and that level, I'm not looking to start a lipid lowering drug.

Sleep Apnoea is one of those things that can drive up Cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, and your blood pressure, and is something GPs tend not to think of unless you mention snoring badly and/or daytime tiredness. As a consultant, I've seen a lot of people on multiple medications for high BP, high cholesterol, and high sugar levels, who possibly wouldn't have needed any of it had they been checked for Sleep Apnoea and had it treated.

So, if your partner says you snore see a Respiratory Physician.
I was constantly suggesting that to people's GPs after I reviewed them.

while I can't comment on cholesterol itself as i've never had any experienced or really done any research on the matter, i can say what psyber has said is correct. A guy a work had sleep apnoea and also had high blood pressure type 2 diabetes and even had a heart attack 2 years ago. But in saying that a lot of his issues where caused by his weight (i'm not saying your's are just his). Mainly because of his heart condition the doctor has suggested that he stay away from the weights and really he's in his late 50's and has no desire too. But i did get him to the gym with me and does 30mins of cardio on the treadmill, he has dropped some of his weight with a diet from his nutritionist and the cardio and is looking a lot better his diabetes is a lot more stable his sleep apnoea is a lot better then it was, and even though he will always have the risk of another heart attack his doctor has said it he is at a lower risk then he was before.

[The Apostle]

Cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, and your blood pressure

Cholesterol is 7-8, my blood sugar level is normal despite drinking heaps of Coke but my blood pressure is weird. I'm not sure on the exact figures but it's something like 80-160 or thereabouts. Also my heartrate when last checked was 54bpm. I'm a known snorer but my sleeping is fine.

[Psyber]

While in general sleep apnoea is a disease of middle aged overweight men, young, slim, people can get it if their muscle tone is not good and their fibrous tissues are a bit sloppy. Genetics can be a factor. (I do fit the common picture.)

[The Apostle]

It's been nearly 60 days since my last blood test. Time for another one!

[Keefy]

After turning 40 late last year, thought it was time to get off my bum and go get a blood test taken to check my cholestrol and all that.

Cholestrol came back at 4.9
HDL was 1.3
LDL was 3.1

[The Apostle]

I got the results back. I've gone done from 7.6 to 4.6 in just over two months.

Is 87/150 a good blood pressure?

[MW]

I got the results back. I've gone done from 7.6 to 4.6 in just over two months.

Is 87/150 a good blood pressure?

120/80 or 130/80 is ideal i think...so you might be slightly high

[Keefy]

I got the results back. I've gone done from 7.6 to 4.6 in just over two months.

Is 87/150 a good blood pressure?

120/80 or 130/80 is ideal i think...so you might be slightly high

Anything close to 120/80 they say is good.

Sounds like yours is slightly high. May want to ask about it

[Psyber]

140/90 used to be the marginal point at which treatment was initiated, but it is possible a lower level may be worth treating if it is sustained.
A one-off high reading is only an indication to re-check it regularly for a while.

My GP got worried when I scored a 145/85 recently, and although I explained (with a grin) that I was in the middle of a very busy day, and had more to do, and then got tense because I had to wait 34 minutes because he was late, he insisted I take a monitor home. I averaged 104/68 for the rest of the week.
Some people get "white coat fever" - their BP is only up when a doctor takes it.

[The Apostle]

140/90 used to be the marginal point at which treatment was initiated, but it is possible a lower level may be worth treating if it is sustained.
A one-off high reading is only an indication to re-check it regularly for a while.

My GP got worried when I scored a 145/85 recently, and although I explained (with a grin) that I was in the middle of a very busy day, and had more to do, and then got tense because I had to wait 34 minutes because he was late, he insisted I take a monitor home. I averaged 104/68 for the rest of the week.
Some people get "white coat fever" - their BP is only up when a doctor takes it.

The doctor said that whenever I come in to see a doctor (whether him or someone else) to have my BP tested and recorded in my file so they get a better picture of what my BP is like.