High Cholesterol - why?

[laraline]

Hi please can members advise me what to do! I have just had my blood results back and don't know how to interpret them. I am presently on Levothyroxine 50. I especially dont know what to do next about my high Cholesterol result as I eat so healthily I dont know what to do to bring it down? How is it related to my Thyroid results? Any advice please?

TSH 3.670 (range 0.270-4.200)

Free T4 23.14 (12.00-22)

Free T3 4.3 ( 3.1-6.8)

Cholesterol 6.67 (less than 5.2)

LDL 4.4 (Below 2.5)

HDL 2.02 (female 1.2)

Chol/HDL ratio 3.302 (5 or lower)

TPO - Negative

[Clutter]

Laraline,

You are undermedicated to have TSH 3.67 and that is probably why your cholesterol has become high. It will probably drop once you are optimally dosed.

The goal of Levothyroxine is to restore the patient to euthyroid status. For most patients that will be when TSH is 0.27 - 1.0 with FT4 in the upper range. FT4 needs to be in the upper range in order that sufficient T3 is converted. Read Treatment Options in thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_... Email [e-mail] if you would like a copy of the Pulse article to show your GP.

[greygoose]

High cholesterol is nothing to get in a panic about. It's a hypo symptom, but won't do you any harm. It will not - absolutely not - give you a heart attack or a stroke, I don't care what your doctor says! Resist his urgings to put you on statins.

The body needs cholesterol for many reasons - including the brain! You can't make sex hormones or vit d without cholesterol. And, those with a higher cholesterol tend to live longer than those with high cholesterol.

It has very little to do with your diet. Cholesterol is made in the liver - and it's made in the liver because it's an essential nutrient. The more you eat, the less the liver makes. The less you eat, the more the liver makes. But, you would have your work cut out to eat enough to raise your cholesterol above the limits! So, stop worrying and enjoy your food!

[dina7 in reply to greygoose]

It may not give you a heart attach or stroke, but my husband was warned by his optician that his eyes would be damaged by such high cholesterol. Once he was diagnosed as hypo and on T4/T3 his cholesterol levels were normal.

[greygoose in reply to dina7]

Well, I don't know how high your husbands cholesterol was, so I can't comment. I was commenting on the OP's results. And, as I said, high cholesterol is a symptom of low T3, so not surprising his levels went down when he was on T4/T3 - unless I've completely missed the point you're making?

[maxart in reply to greygoose]

So much this!! 100% agree. Brilliant book: The Great Cholesterol Con by Dr Malcolm Kendrick. And yes, it's a hypo symptom

[greygoose in reply to maxart]

[laraline]

Thank you just got to convince my Doctor now!

[humanbean in reply to laraline]

Your doctor can't twist your arm and force feed you statins. This is also true of any other tests or treatment your doctor ( or any doctor) wants to give you. It is up to you whether you agree.

I've been offered statins twice. I've refused both times. My doctor no longer tests my cholesterol. What would be the point? I won't do what she suggests when the result comes back high, as it always does.

[silverfox7]

Yes the tests above are important as these help conversion do please post results when to get them as they need to be optimal, not just in range and also doctors aren't that good at telling you how to increase.