I have just been told my cholesterol is 5.5 My Doc says he wants to see me , Am 43 in June

[Jammy6]

I exercise daily , stopped smoking last January 2013 , and Stopped drinking in December i try to eat well but do have some vices ...Biscuites

[suki65]

please be careful if you go on statins i was about the same age as you because my level was 12.1 they told me i would have to be on statins for the rest of my life at 49 now i will never take another statin i went on them and became so ill from them as of today i am still trying to right what damage they have done to my muscles .some people they work for ,but some they dont . i intermittent fast now and take b12 1,000ug a day one tablet and vitamin d with calcium my levels are 5.8 now which is perfect for me .please take care if you go on statins note down any changes that you get eg mood swings ,saddness(depression),pins and needles ,tingly numbness ,headache ,cramp sore upper arms or legs ,sudden osteoarthritis .these are all the troubles i began to have from the statins (i dont smoke ,very healthy ,had 5 children and never been ill before statins )

[suki65 in reply to suki65]

i also take one capsule of opti-omega 3 1,000 TG which is excellent for keeping triglycerides down

[fenbadger in reply to suki65]

So do I, mainly as I cant eat fish.

[Prairie in reply to suki65]

Good advice I should eat fish but I don't eat that much...maybe I should look into this it may help my rheumatoid arthritis too xxxx

[suki65 in reply to Prairie]

they are from healthspan one a day Opti-Omega 3 1,000mg TG I have found if i stop taking them my levels rise x

[Prairie in reply to suki65]

Thank you I will have a look into this....xxx

[suki65 in reply to Prairie]

take care and good luck

[fenbadger]

5.5 doesn't sound massively high TBH. I tried several types before settling down on one that worked without too many side effects. I gather you CAN reverse things with diet so live in hope still. I'm still trying.

[fenbadger in reply to fenbadger]

PS we tried going without statins as part of investigating fibromyalgia, fortunately (!) they weren't responsible for the effects.

[suki65 in reply to fenbadger]

have you tried the intermittent fasting i eat from 11AM -6PM THEN ONLY HAVE WATER THE REST OF THE DAY and take the above my vitamin d was 17 thats why i now take vitamind with calcium and my b12 was only 321 i have been told it bshould be no lower than 500 a great book could it be b12

[Prairie]

Hi I was concerned about my reading at 6.5 I'm 45 I don't drink or smoke I eat an average healthy diet...have the odd cake biscuits...I'm under weight...and until I spoke to my doctor she wasn't concerned at all...she said she wouldn't start me on medication and diet only helps a little...I have a 1% chance of heart attack in the next ten years...and explained that my rheumatoid arthritis could be causing my cholesterol to go high...and said sometimes statins are more trouble for some people....I found it this hard to believe as I really thought I would go on medication....the doctor did say if I was at a 20% risk then she would consider medication.....I find the whole thing confusing....xxxx

[suki65 in reply to Prairie]

I am not a doctor but from my experience from statins i would advise if you take statins be very careful and any difference in your health no matter how small do not have any doubt what is to blame it will be the use of statins . i was told from my specialist statins dont do that i must have something else wrong with me ,after taking 3 different statins and being in so much agony coming off statins after 3 months my health has started to get better no trips to the doctors every week .my reading was 12.1 now 5.8 all i take are opti omega tg 1000 ,b12 1,000ug one a day and vitamin d with calcium .and i intermittent fast eating from 11am -6pm every day with only water the rest of the hours in the day .Dont worry too much about your levels please

[Penel in reply to Prairie]

Rheumatoid arthritis ia an autoimmune disease, it causes inflammation in your joints and your body will produce cholesterol in response to this. RA can sometimes be associated with problems eating gluten. Have you been tested for this, or tried cutting out gluten? My major symptoms of gluten intolerance was joint pain.

[Prairie in reply to Penel]

Interesting post thanks.....I did have a blood test a long time ago for celiac disease...and came back negative....if this is the same as having a gluten intolerance.,.maybe I should give it a go....thanks xxxx

[Penel in reply to Prairie]

Yes, coeliac disease is the proper name! Unfortunately it is possible to test negative for coeliac but still have a have a problem with gluten. You could cut it out for a month, to see if it helps, and monitor how you feel if you reintroduce it. Perhaps have a look at the Paleo diet too.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Prairie in reply to Penel]

Thank you for advice I will give it a go and see how I am....xxx

[suki65 in reply to Penel]

coq10 is good for joint pain as well as the opti omega capsules

[sandybrown in reply to Prairie]

Hello,

Computer calculations on % is very confusing! Do you know how your GP got 1 % and 20 % calculation? It is worth considering a life style change to reduce cholesterol numbers. Do you have any eye problem because of this rheumatoid arthritis? I take it you are not on NHS.

[Prairie in reply to sandybrown]

Hi there im not quite sure on the percentage myself...maybe I should ask doctor...I'm on NHS...and yes I do suffer chronic eye disease...I have lots of medical issues with my eyes...I see a professor who looks after me with an appointment every 3 month...

[sandybrown in reply to Prairie]

Hello,

Moving from cholesterol to eye problem!

I asked about the eye problem because of my wife's eye problem due to "rheumatoid arthritis". The will go to red in colour and then bad pain, visit to eye casualty will end up in eye drops starting with every hour and then reducing to one a day for three months. My wife have had this problem over three years, once a year. Blood tests had not given any indication to the problem. Any offer of help will be appreciated. Thanks.

[Prairie in reply to sandybrown]

With me I have the rheumatoid arthritis and maybe secondary sjorgrens syndrome which can cause severe dry eyes with as i have no tears as the glands in my eyes don't work properly...however with RA this too can cause red dry eyes as it been a inflammatory condition. I'm on numerous drops every day/night and a steroid eye drop for couple of years now... I go every few months and then I get cornea ulcers which are immediately treated with antibiotics....they leave scarring but I'm lucky not to lose my vision as the ulcers appear on the outer part of the cornea...there's no cure...I can sympathise with your wife it's very uncomfortable having eye problems...if your wife's on medication for R A this may help a little...xxxx

[patch14 in reply to Prairie]

Hello Prairie, you have got a gem of a Dr there! Do exactly as you are doing and stay off any medication as long as possible.

[suki65]

its vitamin d with calcium tablet form

[suki65]

thank you for this i will check with my doctor at my next visit on monday

[ursa]

You do NOT have to take statins; at the moment GP's are urged by the NHS overlords to 'push them down people's throat.

I declined them after I realised that some of the adverse symptomes I felt were most likely due to the statins prescribed to me.

[Prairie in reply to ursa]

I agree....both my parents are on statins my mothers was 8.5 and she's 70 and my fathers was below 5 and he's 72 a very fit man other than he's smoked since 15...and he too was given statins... My mother said I wonder if people over a certain age are prescribed them regardless of their health...

[Prairie]

I totally agree....I've never had sweet potato....maybe I should try it...xxx

[ursa]

bigleg; I seriously are thinking of taking this statins confusion to a global audience. The UK NHS is wrong about them, in my opinion.

[Hidden]

My level was 5.9 and as a result I was called for an NHS health check where they found hypertension [3 years earlier I'd asked for a cholesterol test and it was 6.4 and then all they did was give me bossy healthy eating advice] After some time went on to pills for hypertension but no mention was made of statins. I was 70 at the time so age automatically pushes up your 'risk'. Other than saying the cholesterol level was borderline high my doc says she wouldn't put me on statins. Just as well as I don't think I'd take them just on a computer assessment say-so. I think the NHS is quite wrong to shove them down everyone's throat like smarties.

[sandybrown]

Hello,

What about other cholesterol numbers, general health, BP and blood sugar? I am afraid you have to take all into consideration before any medication for cholesterol! Life style change can also help, which has helped me at the age of 66!!

[patch14]

Hello Jammy6, Don't assume that as your Dr has recalled you that he is going to automatically put you on statins! Perhaps you could ask for a dietician to give advice and read the forums on here to guide you. All the best.

[sandybrown]

All,

It appears the server has gone to sleep and not responding! Cholesterol? Blood pressure? Blood sugar? High temperature? High BPM? and many mote?

[sanddancer]

Is that a recent photo?