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05-26-2018, 09:16 PM
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#61
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Diablo Valley (SF Bay Area)
Posts: 2,705
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I went vegetarian and discovered I LOVE oatmeal. Cutting stain in 1/2 (splitting 20mg in 2). Pharmacy is 'concerned' but primary knows what I'm doing and lab values are borderline low
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05-27-2018, 09:00 AM
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#62
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Miami
Posts: 337
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Once my cholesterol hit 250 I started on statins. Now it is down to about 180. A good friend of mine has had 2 heart attacks and is now taking his statins. Have you seen someone in the hospital with open heart surgery. Think carefully about the risks you are taking if your cholesterol is above 250.
__________________
FIRE July 2015
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05-27-2018, 11:40 AM
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#63
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 729
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OP here. My father died of a heart attack at 56, and all siblings have high cholesterol so I could say it "runs in the family"; one had a heart attack in his early 60s, one had emergency bypass surgery at 65, so when my cholesterol rose to 258 that definitely got my attention. If dietary changes & exercise hadn't lowered it for me, I probably would have started statins. The stories posted here about bad side effects are sobering, but I know many who have taken statins for years with no apparent problems.
Since his heart attack 5 years ago my brother has been the poster boy for healthy lifestyle changes - he gradually lost 60 pounds, eats well & goes to the gym every single day. My sister, who had surgery around the same time, has made no apparent changes.
Making healthy changes gives me the illusion of having some control; plus, I feel good, physically & mentally. Even if it's an illusion, for me doing nothing is not an option.
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05-27-2018, 03:04 PM
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#64
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Western US
Posts: 1,205
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lucky penny
OP here. My father died of a heart attack at 56, and all siblings have high cholesterol so I could say it "runs in the family"; one had a heart attack in his early 60s, one had emergency bypass surgery at 65, so when my cholesterol rose to 258 that definitely got my attention. If dietary changes & exercise hadn't lowered it for me, I probably would have started statins. The stories posted here about bad side effects are sobering, but I know many who have taken statins for years with no apparent problems.
Since his heart attack 5 years ago my brother has been the poster boy for healthy lifestyle changes - he gradually lost 60 pounds, eats well & goes to the gym every single day. My sister, who had surgery around the same time, has made no apparent changes.
Making healthy changes gives me the illusion of having some control; plus, I feel good, physically & mentally. Even if it's an illusion, for me doing nothing is not an option.
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With your family history, I recommend reading this article. Kind of an eye opener.
Quote:
If you have had a heart attack at an early age or one of your parents did but your standard risk factors for coronary heart disease are normal you should consider getting tested for Lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a).
The standard lipid profile that most patients get checks LDL (bad) HDL (good) and total cholesterol along with triglycerides. While these are useful, I have many patients who have normal standard values but have developed advanced coronary heart disease at an early age despite following a perfect lifestyle (not smoking, regular aerobic exercise, healthy diet.)
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https://theskepticalcardiologist.com...t-attack-risk/
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05-31-2018, 12:33 PM
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#65
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Confused about dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 8
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Being able to reduce statin use through lifestyle changes is great! Statins can lower CoQ10 levels, so it's a good idea to supplement if you are still on statins. CoQ10 helps our mitochondria make energy (the "powerhouse of the cell" if you remember from biology). This is potentially why statins lead to certain side effects like muscle pain.
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05-31-2018, 01:06 PM
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#66
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Colorado Mountains
Posts: 3,165
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I take a low dose of statin. Have now for several years. Doc said my triglycerides were a bit high. She told me to take fish oil supplements. After a couple of days, I had a severe case of diarrhea. I stopped taking the fish oil. I would rather kick the bucket than live the rest of my life with diarrhea.
A little more background:
Last January, my pharmacy switched a second cholesterol medicine to a generic and I had diarrhea of three months before I figured out what changed. I stopped taking that medicine and felt great. The doc said that medicine was probably not necessary and agreed with me discontinuing it.
Bottom line: I have no clue what should work and what doesn't. If I can't get thing right with Dr. consultations, why would I want the self-prescribe more stuff?
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05-31-2018, 01:51 PM
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#67
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 751
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Well it could have been the brand of fish oil. Quality seems to vary a lot, and rancidity can be hard to tell since fish oil smells regardless, and with my allergies my sense of smell is not so good anyway.
However, I have found that Kroger brand fish oil (I buy the kind that gives almost 1000 mg of EPA and DHA in only one capsule and I take one twice per day) has not caused me any gastrointestinal problems. What it has done is allowed me to back off on some of my pain meds for my knees, which were ruined by statins.
I have no experience with CoQ10, or if it even can be absorbed through the stomach (vaguely recall reading something back when I was suffering with statins that absorption of CoQ10 orally is very poor).
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05-31-2018, 02:01 PM
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#68
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Limerick
Posts: 5,637
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Be careful with the fish oil. My cardiologist told me to stop because some recent studies have found a correlation with fish oil and prostate cancer.
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05-31-2018, 02:08 PM
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#69
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,002
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Blueskies123
Once my cholesterol hit 250 I started on statins. Now it is down to about 180. A good friend of mine has had 2 heart attacks and is now taking his statins. Have you seen someone in the hospital with open heart surgery. Think carefully about the risks you are taking if your cholesterol is above 250.
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Huh? Half the folks who get heart attacks have normal “healthy” cholesterol numbers.
And taking statins is not risk free.
__________________
Retired since summer 1999.
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05-31-2018, 02:14 PM
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#70
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 11,078
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dash man
Be careful with the fish oil. My cardiologist told me to stop because some recent studies have found a correlation with fish oil and prostate cancer.
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I just eat salmon. Works well. Bears eat them and they don't have heart issues.
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05-31-2018, 02:49 PM
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#71
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 751
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dash man
Be careful with the fish oil. My cardiologist told me to stop because some recent studies have found a correlation with fish oil and prostate cancer.
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Interesting, especially since the doctor who I got the fish oil dose recommendation and caution about quality from, is you guessed it, a cardiologist. Oh well you makes your choices and takes your chances. Quality of life is a big plus for me, with the fish oil, and there is this study:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12540506
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05-31-2018, 02:58 PM
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#72
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,002
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In Spain people drizzle high quality extra virgin olive oil on everything. I’m adopting that practice!
__________________
Retired since summer 1999.
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05-31-2018, 03:50 PM
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#73
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,322
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Quote:
Originally Posted by audreyh1
Huh? Half the folks who get heart attacks have normal “healthy” cholesterol numbers.
And taking statins is not risk free.
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A neighbor who had a heart attack has total cholesterol at a level low enough to impress his doctors (I forget the exact number). Unfortunately, his HDL (good cholesterol) level was zero.
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05-31-2018, 05:09 PM
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#74
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Midwest
Posts: 2,962
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My HDLs went to near zero because of statins
Here's my latest. Old doctor, and most of the ones I've had the past 20 yrs, thought triglycerides were important. One only after they started advertising a pill to lower them. Before that he didn't care.The new guy I just picked up 2 weeks ago? "Triglycerides don't matter"
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05-31-2018, 05:31 PM
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#75
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: West of the Mississippi
Posts: 17,169
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Quote:
Originally Posted by razztazz
My HDLs went to near zero because of statins
Here's my latest. Old doctor, and most of the ones I've had the past 20 yrs, thought triglycerides were important. One only after they started advertising a pill to lower them. Before that he didn't care.The new guy I just picked up 2 weeks ago? "Triglycerides don't matter"
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Well that just adds to the confusion.
My understanding is that the HDL/trig ratio is more important than total cholesterol. Who knows for sure?
__________________
Comparison is the thief of joy
The worst decisions are usually made in times of anger and impatience.
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05-31-2018, 05:49 PM
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#76
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Midwest
Posts: 2,962
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuckanut
Well that just adds to the confusion.
My understanding is that the HDL/trig ratio is more important than total cholesterol. Who knows for sure?
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No matter what you've come to "understand" it's true. According to someone somewhere. But unless and until these things are universally known and understood the same way to the same extent by all practitioners, in every human specimen (As a rule) they cannot count.
There are too many differing opinions, too many disagreeing doctors, and too many studies that "suggest" and "indicate" some conclusion that none of them can be taken seriously. And then, of course, even they keep changing.
Sounds more like religion and what one chooses to believe or which "Book" one perceives has having primacy, than science. Or maybe more like sports fans. I like the Fish team best. No, the bird team is best! Why? Because
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06-01-2018, 12:02 PM
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#77
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Confused about dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mamadogmamacat
Well it could have been the brand of fish oil. Quality seems to vary a lot, and rancidity can be hard to tell since fish oil smells regardless, and with my allergies my sense of smell is not so good anyway.
However, I have found that Kroger brand fish oil (I buy the kind that gives almost 1000 mg of EPA and DHA in only one capsule and I take one twice per day) has not caused me any gastrointestinal problems. What it has done is allowed me to back off on some of my pain meds for my knees, which were ruined by statins.
I have no experience with CoQ10, or if it even can be absorbed through the stomach (vaguely recall reading something back when I was suffering with statins that absorption of CoQ10 orally is very poor).
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Great to hear your positive experience with fish oil! Finding a high quality version is key. I've had some in the past that gave me the worst fish burps.
Regular CoQ10 has poor absorption because it's a huge molecule and doesn't dissolve very well. I take a water and fat-soluble form for better absorption. There are actually clinical trials which showed that it is able to get into the blood stream.
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06-01-2018, 12:08 PM
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#78
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Limerick
Posts: 5,637
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https://www.webmd.com/prostate-cance...isk-study-says
Here’s a snippet:
Eating a lot of oily fish or taking potent fish oil supplements may increase a man's risk of developing prostate cancer, new research suggests.
Moreover, marine sources of omega-3 fatty acids may also raise the risk for aggressive prostate cancer, according to the study by scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
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06-01-2018, 02:09 PM
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#79
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 751
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to each his own as I said and not interested in getting into a "study war", but I'm also not a big fan of webMD, as others have also indicated they are not as well. WebMD still pushes, last I looked, the standard low fat high carb (and therefore almost inevitably high processed) diet. Would suggest you dig into the sources of the WebMD study, looking at number of participants, how long they were studied, what if any controls there were for their having other conditions which would have an overwhelming effect on their cancer susceptibility, etc. IIRC, the one i posted was directly from a medical school, Harvard I believe and had a large number of participants.
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