Have been diagnosed with high Cholesterol

Marie5656

Marie5656

SF VIP
Location
Batavia, NY
A couple weeks back I went for a CT scan. That and other tests showed a result of high cholesterol. So, time for some dietary changes...hopefully to manage my weight too,
I have been researching foods to eat, and refrain from. I got prescribed two new medications as well. So, I start the New Year New Me thing a couple weeks early. I am glad to read that many approved foods are foods I like anyway. Pistacios and almonds are on the list. Have to make some lists
 

Marie5656 said:
Rosuvastatin Calcium AKA Crestor
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I found out mine was high 27 years ago when I was 50. I tried controlling it with diet. Basicly ate beans and rice for a couple of months after which my numbers got even worse. My overall chloresterol went down slightly, but my good (HDL) chloresterol went down a lot and made my ratio much worse. Add to that my Trigylcerides went through the roof. It seems that for many of us if we don't eat chloresterol our bodies make up for it by producing more anyway. However after trying a number of meds I've found that 10mg of Crestor and 145 mg of Tricor does the trick. Now I eat whatever I feel like, which is a lot of good old greasy meat and my lipid profile stays within normal limits.
 
Marie, you are one of the oldest members in this forum. How did you become so old? In former times only cholesterol over 300 mg/dl was seen as a risk. The new level of 200 mg/dl made millions of people sick, who are not. One of my professors at the university had for some time 600 mg/dl. He died at 82 years but not of high cholesterol.
I have for decades 240 mg/dl and do NOTHING.
 
George1959 said:
Marie, you are one of the oldest members in this forum. How did you become so old? In former times only cholesterol over 300 mg/dl was seen as a risk. The new level of 200 mg/dl made millions of people sick, who are not. One of my professors at the university had for some time 600 mg/dl. He died at 82 years but not of high cholesterol.
I have for decades 240 mg/dl and do NOTHING.
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George...faux pas...Marie is most certainly not one of the oldest members of the forum. Marie and I are the same age... she won't thank you for thinking she's much older... :eek:
 
Whether you do the pharmaceutical route or not I think it’s important to Eat Real Food. That is the best medicine, IMO. By real food I mean food that is as close to natural as is possible. So, I would eat baked chicken instead of chicken nuggets from a box in the freezer section, baked potatoes rather than potato crinkles from a can, a whole apple or pear rather than fruit leathers, etc. Avoid fruit juices They are sugar bombs without the protective fiber found in whole fruit. Limit sugar as much as possible. Also limit highly processed foods. You'll have to be your own judge on how much processing is too much. It varies by individual.

I strongly recommend the book Always Hungry for a good explaination and some tasty recipes. You can get it for free from the public library.

Good luck and good health.
 
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I am not old..I am aged to perfection.
Anyway, I have already been looking up foods to eat. I will be fine. Rice? I can have rice? OK, many of the foods I should cut from my diet are OK...often do not eat them. I will have to learn to like avocados

I always take the fat off my chicken and other meats, and do need to eat more fresh veggies, but I can do that. I am gonna cut back on sodas, I already drink a lot of water.
 
My cholesterol has always been too high, like everyone else in my family...it is hereditary. I refuse to take statins bc of the things I've heard about them. I eat as much unprocessed as possible plus a few things I probably shouldn't. Maybe I'm suicidal, but I cannot live in fear of or in relation to something I cannot see and don't understand (cool).
 
I am seeing some concerns about statins here. I have a friend who is an LPN coming over tomorrow...going to chat with her about my options here. I will take the meds "for now" and weigh my options
 
hollydolly said:
George...faux pas...Marie is most certainly not one of the oldest members of the forum. Marie and I are the same age... she won't thank you for thinking she's much older... :eek:
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Oh, that's really a faux pas. Marie, I am sorry, I apologize for my mistake and hope that you accept it.

But I'd never take any medication to lower cholesterol because of the side effects.
 
I've taken Atorvastatin for a couple of years. No side-effects, and my cardiologist said "You don't need to be here" after about a year and a half. I'll go back after a year to be checked, but he thinks I have things under control and that'll be my last visit.
 
I had high cholesterol about 25 years, and my doctor prescribed lipitor (atorvastatin). It really did nothing. About 4 years later, another doctor added niaspan to the list. It worked wonders. However, around 2008... a cardiologist told me to stop taking niaspan, as it was dangerous. She told me to take a 1400mg fish-oil + 1000mg of omega 3... twice a day. Of course, the niaspan was covered by insurance and the fish-oil/omega 3 is over the counter.

I thought she was crazy, but here I am all these years later, and cholesterol is about the only thing that isn't a problem.
 
Marie5656 said:
I am seeing some concerns about statins here. I have a friend who is an LPN coming over tomorrow...going to chat with her about my options here. I will take the meds "for now" and weigh my options
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Many people take statins with no issues.

Most common side effect is joint/ muscle aches

I would give it a trial and if you have no side effects continue it.

And also adjust your diet - mainly avoid foods high in saturated fats.
Rice should be fine
And work on weight loss and increasing exercise if those are issues for you.
 
I am already having joint and muscle aches...so I know that. I am already walking more. I walk the halls in my building. Walking outside when I can....parking further away .
I am going to learn to like apples...they are on the yes list for fruits..as well as strawberries and blueberries. I have rice on hand already. Going to buy some potatoes.
No butter...which is fine with me. But I can use the alternative product called I Can't Believe its Not Butter. Funny thing....my friend the nurse told me to switch from that to butter...before I knew about cholesterol.
 
I've been diagnosed with high cholesterol for many years, although not dangerously high. My doctor recommended I take Red Yeast Rice. It hasn't significantly lowered my cholesterol but then it hasn't gone up either. No side effects that I can tell. You may want to ask your doctor if it might be right for you.
 
Just got the results of my blood work. To me numbers seem within normal limits, according to the chart. But will of course wait to hear what dr says
 

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