Lowering Cholesterol

[Floozie]

Just thought I'd share an interesting point about lowering cholesterol without the use of drugs. I have familial hyperlipoproteinaemia & have taken therapy for 40 yrs. My latest regime (for quite some years now) is Ezetrol 10mg. + Crestor 40mg daily & my cholesterol has never been less than 4.3 mmol/l. For the past few months I have been taking a Benecol drink each day & my latest blood test (non-fasting) on 5/9/13 revealed a reduction in cholesterol to 3.8 mmol/l & LDL of 1.98 (my LDL is usually elevated). As my diet has not changed (I have never followed a low fat diet as I hate all the things this entails) I can only presume the drop is due to the Benecol.

[GNJanbaz]

Primary objective should be to control triglycerides and Cretenin below 1.5

[Floozie]

Are you sure you are replying to the right post? What you are saying is not relevant to me nor to what I said.

[Penel]

Hi Floozie

I'm pleased to hear that you have found a way of controlling your cholesterol that suits you.

I found this article which I think is very informative on how it works, it suggests that you may have to be careful about not losing out on fat soluble vitamins.

patient.co.uk/doctor/choles...

[Floozie]

Thank you very much for replying to me. I found the article you mention very interesting, especially the comment that any positive effect from stanols would be negated by taking ezetimibe, since the opposite has happened in my case. This drug was added to Crestor to reduce my cholesterol by a further 10%-15% & I seem to remember that this did happen, but it was a few years ago now & I tend not to dwell on my cholesterol level. However, I also have no doubt that since taking Benecol, my cholesterol has reduced quite substantially. It never occurred to me that it might not be entirely safe & this does worry me since it is self-medicated. I have just been reviewed in the Lipid Clinic at Manchester Royal Infirmary & am not due to attend again for another year, so I intend to write to the consultant to ask for his opinion on my continued use of Benecol. My recent blood tests were requested by him, so he will have seen the results. I don't think I told him I was taking Benecol when I saw him on 5th Sept. I presume, had I done so, that I would have remembered what he said. I do have a poor family history of coronary artery disease, but at 68 yrs. am asymptomatic.

[Penel in reply to Floozie]

Writing to your consultant sounds like a good idea. A lot of people take Benecol, so hopefully it will be ok for you. I do think that something which can act on our bodies in such a significant way should be tested like our drugs are tested.

Good luck, I hope you will continue in as good health as possible.

[rogbert]

how far can you go on reducing your readings its taken me over 35 years to get mine down to below 3 yet i still had a heart attack this year i think its a con by drug companies

[Hidden]

Hi Floozie, Interesting post because I've taken myself off statins due to muscle problems. Can I ask when you say you been taking Benecol, is that on top of your drugs or have you stopped the drugs and replaced with Benecol?

Cheers

[Floozie]

Thanks for your reply Koll. I certainly haven't abandoned the medication prescribed at the hospital. I wouldn't think it wise to go against the advice of a consultlant without very good reason. I decided, off my own bat, to try taking Benecol as well as my current therapy, after reading about it in a booklet. I think it was in Heart Matters (free mag from the British Heart Foundation). I don't research information about dietary matters, vitamins, etc. because I just eat what I like & I presumed that, because Benecol is readily available in every supermarket, it would be perfectly safe. I was a bit concerned, therefore, to read the reply from Penel advising me to be careful about not losing out on fat soluble vitamins whilst taking Benecol & you will see that I intend to write to my consultant about this. However, in the meantime I have spoken to my pharmacist, who assures me that I do not need to worry or do anything & can safely carry on with the Benecol. My cholesterol, untreated, would be about 10-12 mmol/l, so with the rosuvastatin + Ezetrol & the recent addition of Benecol it is now down to 3.8 mmol/l. It is not possible to have too low a cholesterol level, as apparently the body does not allow this to happen. I was amazed that Benecol was so effective & wonder why no-one has told me about it before now.

[Penel in reply to Floozie]

Sorry to have alarmed you with the comment on fat soluble vitamins. It was mentioned in the article. If you are not eating a low fat diet I would think you should be fine.

[Hidden]

Thanks Floozie. I'm not bothered whether I take the statins or not because I'm a borderline case. I too do not stick to any fat-free diet, but I do eat a lot of fish and 100% grass-fed meat. I'll be having a blood test before XMas and the GP said she's not bothered about me stopping statins for a while. So I'm going to add the Benecol to my diet and see how it works out. Cheers.

[Floozie]

Thanks again for replying Koll. Did your GP have any opinion on taking Benecol? It has certainly made a significant reduction in cholesterol for me but maybe it does not have the same effect on everyone. There is only one way to find out & that is to try it, so I think you are doing the right thing & by Xmas, when you have your next blood test, you will know.

[Floozie]

Hello Concerned. I didn't know low cholesterol carried an increased risk for cancer. I asked my pharmacist if it was possible to have too low a cholesterol level & he said it was not, because some cholesterol is needed in the body (what exactly for I can't remember as I am not especially clued up on physiology). That was my way of explaining what he had said.

[Penel]

There may be a link between low LDL levels and cancer, but this pre-dates statins, the use of statins does not increase the possibility of cancer. More research is needed. sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

[Hidden]

Yes, that's what I think Floozie, just see what result I get from my blood test this XMas and take it from there.

[Aliwally]

I wonder if Benecol has a different effect on different people. I have tried it and it has made little difference (if any!) to my levels. My GP was a bit scathing and said any difference would be tiny if I continued.

As always, we have to do what works for us.

[sandybrown in reply to Aliwally]

Hello,

Have tried different cholesterol lower products after reading articles from news paper over the last 30 months. I am afraid none on them helped me, where as my wife is still taking them, a slow process. My strong belief is some of the products are to do with age and sex. Now days I am watching my food intake to lower cholesterol, low cab and full fat milk. Only time will tell.

[Floozie]

I am grateful to everyone who has replied to my post about Benecol. It certainly highlights the value of input, with either advice or shared experiences, from others. It also imparts that what works for one person may not do so for another.

[Penel]

There seem to be conflicting reports on this. escardio.org/congresses/esc...

[Clericus]

There is a study into the effects of Benecol on Trust Me I'm A Doctor this week. Interesting!

[Floozie]

Thank you for your information Clericus. I shall certainly watch the programme with interest.

[sandybrown in reply to Floozie]

Hello,

I am afraid what you need is a life style change, food intake and exercise. Please do not spend your money on money making machine products. Advertising wins at the end of the day.

(Crestor 40mg daily & my cholesterol has never been less than 4.3 mmol/l)! Why?

[Floozie in reply to sandybrown]

What works for one person, doesn't necessarily work for another bala. I have hyperbetalipoproteinaemia, which does not respond sufficiently to diet alone. In addition to 40mg. Crestor, I also take Ezetrol, 10mg. daily, which reduces serum cholesterol by an additional 10-15%. I would be very happy with your level of 4.3 mmol/l. To my surprise, my cholesterol level reduced dramatically after taking Benecol & I don't mind paying for it.