Appointment

[Lyngal]

Go to the hospital on Wednesday ( really high cholesterol) I know blood pressure,weight etc will be checked and probably put on statain all of which my GP could have done so why I have to go the hospital only time will tell, if I'd been put on them by the GP and the level was not coming down then I'd understand but I found out middle of August and was given no medication

[sandybrown]

I am confused!, "Did you GP make the hospital referral for you to get the appointment to go to the hospital?"

you need to offer more information on you cholesterol numbers for us to be able to offer any help.

What were your August blood test cholesterol numbers?.

Please write down all the questions you want to ask and the answers for the appointment.

[Lyngal]

Yes she did number was 9.7

[Andyman in reply to Lyngal]

Did you not question your doctor? What did he say? Who are you seeing at the hospital (which Department)?

[Lyngal in reply to Andyman]

I got a phone call from the receptionist a few days later to say I'd been referred, I did talk to the GP and because I eat a low fat/dairy/low sugar diet and family members having heart attacks so early (dad 48 cousin 25 and many more ) brothers also have high cholesterol

[sandybrown in reply to Lyngal]

There is total cholesterol, LDL,HDL, triglyceride and many more. GP can print the blood cholesterol test results. GP can also do JBS2 rick analysis to explain the cholesterol numbers better. If you do not have the numbers now may be can get them at the hospital after your appointment.

Life style change is the starting point before any medication, a GP can explain all this to you., regular exercise, watching out for hidden sugar, free sugar. Food and drinks intake control as well.

You can also check you waist to height ration, there is only one variable, the waist measurement, no man made calculation, more information in Google.

[suki65]

be careful if you take statins if you start to have any side effects stop right away please . I have tried 4 statins being told they just had to find the right ones I had lots of side effects including muscle loss which I am trying to right still after 2 years of not taking statins .

I take 3 plant sterol tablets daily , 1 opti omega daily ,lecithin granules, vitamin D ,llysine tablet these are all daily and I take 1 vitamin k2 mk7 100mcg daily to repair damage to my arm muscle from statins which is nearly 100% back to normal now .

my cholesterol was 12.1 it is now 5.3 without statins ,with all of the above and a low fat low sugar diet

[Lyngal]

Thanks just got back and have been put on 40mg they have found it is in the genes as I have a lot of family history of heart problems in the family Dad died age 48 and a cousin 25 also few more relatives. My good chlorestal is very good so the dr said im following a good healthy lifestyle.thanks again I will keep an eye on things

[babapapa in reply to Lyngal]

Hi Lyngal, have a look at HEART UK - The Cholesterol Charity's website at heartuk.org.uk. They provide information on diet, lifestyle and also inherited high cholesterol conditions which you may find useful.

[sandybrown]

It is imperative to understand the basic and fundamentals in any field engineering or medicine. Can a GP explain everything in 10 minutes?

Do GPs or specialists have the correct answers.?

If life style change can reduce cholesterol by 50% then it is worth to giving it a try.

This may work for some people but not to every one.

Any GP should be able to do a risk analysis with blood test numbers to explain the benefits of life style change. Risk analysis calculators are man made therefore not very accurate.

WE all needs a base line record of cholesterol test results to see how medication is helping us in two or three or six months time, therefore it is important to keep printed blood test results.

[PeterWh]

Bala has made many very valid points there.

I would also add that it is so important to make the lifestyle changes anyway so that if it is found out that you do need a statin a way then the amount of statin that you take is minimised.