Thyroid patent requiring cholesterol readings

[Gettingoldnow]

I haveunder active thyroid on 50mg Levo 5 days and 75 2 days .had decided to stop statins and just received results but does anyone know if these are good or bad please Serum HDL 1.82 (0.9-3). Serum cholesterol HDL (xauq) 2.6 Non HDL cholesterol 2.98mml. Serum cholesterol Xe2ED 4.8mm now strangely since stopping statins my blood pressure has stabled any suggestions what might be going on thanks hope someone can help

[greygoose]

You should not have been taking statins in the first place. Statins are just money-makers for Big Pharma, nothing to do with patient health. High cholesterol is not a problem in itself - it doesn't cause heart attacks or strokes - it's an indication that something else is wrong with the body. Usually, it indicates low T3. Have you had your FT3 tested? Given that you're only taking a tiny dose of levo, it's probably very low.

Statins are not recommended for hypos, anyway, nor are they recommended for women. Your doctor was very remiss to have prescribed them for you. I'm glad you've decided to stop taking them.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to greygoose]

Hi greygoose thanks for your input I had decided (after your recent reply) to stop taking them and according to “smallBlueThings answer I have a review at end of month and letting doctor know I do not wish to take them as will try and keep it lower with diet .i have only recently taken control of my own body as don’t trust the nhs much these days thanks again

[greygoose in reply to Gettingoldnow]

Cholesterol levels have very little to do with diet. For goodness sake don't cut down on fat, or something to try and reduce your cholesterol! It's made in the liver, and the more you consume, the less the liver makes; the less you consume, the more the liver makes. You do know that cholesterol is needed to keep your body healthy, don't you? Without cholesterol, your body would fall apart.

And, it doesn't matter if it's high. In fact, people with slightly higher levels live longer.

The reason your cholesterol is high is not because you're eating too much of it, or because your liver is producing too much. It's because your T3 is low so your body cannot process cholesterol correctly, and it builds up in the blood. Forget it. It's not doing you any harm.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to greygoose]

Wow thanks for that information nice to know somebody with a good bit of knowledge .i have just put my trust in doctors what a stupid person I am . keep up the good work on here without this site there would be a lot of sick people.i shall be taking t3 up with docs .on my review thank you

[greygoose in reply to Gettingoldnow]

No, you're not stupid, we're supposed to be able to trust our doctors to know what's best for us. Unfortunately, they don't. All they know is how to look at a computer screen and prescribe drugs. They know nothing about the two basic elements of life: hormones and nutrients. Sad, but true.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to greygoose]

Trouble is greygoose I never got sick until I retired. So just assumed the nhs knew everything haha how silly of me.never mind you good people have given me hope .keep up all the good work .i for one am eternally grateful for advice.the buggers are not going to use me for trialling their drugs .

[greygoose in reply to Gettingoldnow]

Good for you!

[Gettingoldnow in reply to greygoose]

Just looking back on last years blood test and my cholesterol was 4.8 same as this months whilst off the statins so was a waste of time being on them

[greygoose in reply to Gettingoldnow]

Indeed!

[Gettingoldnow in reply to greygoose]

Hi greygoose I have gone from 50 mg 5 days and 75 2 days.after listening to many comments yours included.i have taken it on board to increase to 50 one day and 75 next on thyroxine.my question would be .do you tell the doctor or leave it until yearly test .i am hoping it will increase T3 .enabling my cholesteral to stay within range.as you know I have stopped statins .hoping for your input

[greygoose in reply to Gettingoldnow]

Well, that's not much of an increase, so won't have much effect. But, I don't know what your levels are.

If you have enough levo to last until your next yearly test, I wouldn't bother telling the doctor, if it were me. What does he know, anyway. I bet he's only interested in the TSH.

But, you know, it really doesn't matter if your cholesterol is a little high. It won't do you any harm.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to greygoose]

Hi greygoose only time had FT3 checked was when I was sent to urgent care at hospital on March 2019 they changed my meds from 75 mg Levo to the 50 in week and 75 weekend ,then had blood test in may2019 with result T-SH 3.52 (0.3-5) Ft4 12.8 (7.9-16) .my ft4 had gone over hence their change.was told by nurse in older people they prefer T-SH higher .

[greygoose in reply to Gettingoldnow]

You've given me two FT4 results, there. Which one was over-range?

I cannot think of anything polite to say about that nurse's comment - it is, of course bull****. I wonder how she would like her TSH to be nearly 4 when she gets to be an 'older person'.

There is, of course, a huge misunderstanding about this higher TSH in older people thing - probably deliberate. It has been found that healthy euthyroid 'older people' - that is to say those with good level of FT4/3 and no hypo symptoms - have naturally a higher TSH. But I don't think that means as high as four! But, in any case, they have turned that to their advantage by assuming that that also means 'older people' with a diagnosis of hypo and low FT4/3, and symptoms. They are, of course, wrong. You should never compare a hypo with a euthyroid person. If you felt well on that dose, then you are lucky. But, your cholesterol and TSH were saying it was too low.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to greygoose]

Sorry my FT4 was 17.9 (7.9-16) before reduction of Levo..but understand that there are so many differences quoted by doctors.iam taking on board what messages I get from you good people.sorry so many questions just trying to make sense of it all .so for the time being.def .no statins and will up Levo a little and see how I get on and see if I can get another blood test in 12 weeks time .then adjust if necessary .thank you very much

[greygoose in reply to Gettingoldnow]

oK, but what was your FT3?

[Gettingoldnow in reply to greygoose]

March 2019 FT3 4.4 (3.8-6.1)

[greygoose in reply to Gettingoldnow]

OK, so your FT3 is not even mid-range. That's too low for most hypos, which is why your cholesterol is high. And, as your FT4 was over-range, that means you're a poor converter.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to greygoose]

Ah thank you so does that mean I need T3 because that is a no no with nhs.or a higher amount of Levo

[greygoose in reply to Gettingoldnow]

Oh, not a higher dose of levo. I know of the difficulties in getting T3 on the NHS, but have you never thought of buying your own?

Although, frankly, if you feel well, just leave things as they are. The higher cholesterol is really not a problem you need to worry about.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to greygoose]

Shall I increase Levo from 50 in week And 75 weekend to 50 one day and 75 alternate days or leave as things are as feel ok .

[greygoose in reply to Gettingoldnow]

I think you should get labs on your present dose before changing anything.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to greygoose]

Ok thank you

[greygoose in reply to Gettingoldnow]

You're welcome.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to greygoose]

Should have said I have felt ok on 50 in week and 75 weekends

[Rachel1958 in reply to greygoose]

I couldn't agree more. My cholesterol is sky high but no way will i take statins my GP keeps trying to force on me.

I now think my high cholesterol is because I'm hypothyroid so now that it is being treated, it'll be interesting to see if it goes down!

[Gettingoldnow in reply to Rachel1958]

Interesting keep us posted

[Rachel1958 in reply to Gettingoldnow]

I will! x

[greygoose in reply to Rachel1958]

I'm certain that your high cholesterol is because you're hypo.

[Rachel1958 in reply to greygoose]

Yeah me too!

And my GP, of course, says nothing is wrong with me.

I'm sure my unexplained low ferritin is because i'm hypothyroid too.

[greygoose in reply to Rachel1958]

I'm sure it is.

[Rachel1958 in reply to greygoose]

Hoping it'll sort itself out once i stabilise a bit.

[SmallBlueThing]

The last number, total cholesterol, is lower than the government recommendation of 5 mmol/L, and the UK average of about 5.7 mmol/L. Your non-HDL cholesterol of 2.98 mmol/L is lower than the recommended 4 mmol/L.

I have similar results, yet a lipidologist wrote that "according to the levels of cholesterol it will be decided whether to increase the dose of statin", without realising I've not taken one for four years.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to SmallBlueThing]

Thank you so much that has just given me hope at last .i Intend not to go back on them and try and keep it down with diet .have a great day

[SlowDragon Administrator]

nhs.uk/conditions/statins/c...

Even NHS says avoid statins when hypothyroid

[Gettingoldnow in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you for that link very informative .thank god for this forum

[GiantSchnoodle]

I'm in the US so our ranges are different but I was on Synthroid for more than a year and my tsh dropped from 7 to 1-2 on various checks but my symptoms didn't change. My tryglicerides and HDL we're good but my LDL and Total cholesterol were high. My doctor wanted me on a statin and I said no way. I had read thyroid treatment might improve cholesterol but mine didn't budge. Long story short, I went to a different doctor in April who was willing to try me on Armour Thyroid just because, while my tsh was normal, I was freezing all the time. I have been on Armour 3 months and had labs Monday and my total cholesterol dropped from 236 to 146 and LDL from 181 to 89. Dramatic changes! My diet and exercise has been the same so I suspect it is the Armour. My T3 and reverseT3 were not good on Synthroid and are gradually improving on Armour so I think it is the natural thyroid works better for me. My old doctor would never believe it but I might get labs again in a few months and then go back and show him if my cholesterol stays normal. He was such a jerk about Armour and so convinced Synthroid is all anyone needs and that the tsh is the gold standard.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to GiantSchnoodle]

Wow that’s interesting well done to you .i will be keeping an eye on my cholesterol to see what happens now I have stopped statins.

[GiantSchnoodle in reply to Gettingoldnow]

Thanks! Like others here, I wasn't worried about it being high...statins worried me way more! It was just interesting to me how much it dropped without statins. It could be a fluke but that would surprise me since it dropped so much. The only advantage I see to it being lowered is I look more "normal" on paper.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to GiantSchnoodle]

Very strange but it’s all in your favour now .its an interesting topic I wonder how many people are now walking away from statins

[GiantSchnoodle in reply to Gettingoldnow]

I think a lot of people who actually research their health but a lot of people just do what the doctor says. There are plenty of MDs online or in books plus a few I have actually visited that won't or rarely prescribe statins. Of course, my doctor says these other doctors just want to sell books but, considering how few people actually read health books, I doubt these doctors get rich as authors. Plus,I can read studies online and the absolute benefit to statins is maybe 1 percent with potentially bad side effects over years of use. My doctor quotes the marketing department's "35% improvement" but that is relative risk which is a way to skew results and he hated when I pointed that out and told him 1% benefit isn't worth it. He is a nice guy but just hates to be challenged like so many doctors. Funny thing is my cardiologist understands why I won't take a statin.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to GiantSchnoodle]

Good on you for reading up on things.i have only just started on my journey regarding reading literature on statins.it is all confusing .i get a lot of advice on here from more educated and experienced ladies which is a godsend to me.some doctors say it’s better than a heart attack but I am reasonably fit and healthy 72 year old still excercise so think I will take my chances .done with having muscle pains because of statins

[Rachel1958 in reply to GiantSchnoodle]

Yes, i want them to stop nagging me to go on statins!

[SmallBlueThing in reply to GiantSchnoodle]

GiantSchnoodle's numbers:

236 mg/dL total cholesterol = 6.1 mmol/L

146 mg/dL total cholesterol = 3.8 mmol/L

181 mg/dL LDL = 4.7 mmol/L

89 mg/dL LDL = 2.3 mmol/L

Conversions made at: unitslab.com/node/58

[Hidden]

Coronary artery disease can run in families. Atherosclerosis where fat plaque with calcium starts to clog the arteries. Advice to take stations was not ignored but due to muscular weakness and feeling unwell my husband stopped his. Having type two diabetes my cholesterol went off the Richter scale. I cut down on fats and savoury biscuits and it went down. As I have dairy egg and multigrain intolerance not linked to gluten I did not fit into any thyroid or colon disease. After problems with weight gain and digestive problems I found out from a private food intolerance what was raising my blood sugar and cholesterol. My BP has gone down sixty points and sugar is normal. Cholesterol is raised slightly but my weight has gone down after removing the intolerances which have not been officially labelled as celiac disease. I tend to act cautiously due to drug and hypersensitivities . Hope you continue to feel better. A further link to hypercalcaemia came from dentist. I then found out that vitamin k and d control calcium levels and calcification of arteries may be due to lack of vitamin k and d working to control calcium. As my gut was fragile from food intolerances somehow my blood tests were showing me how family predisposition to arterial disease were affecting me. I thank the diabetic nurse who helped me.

[Gettingoldnow]

How very interesting never had all these food intolerances years ago .i swear it’s chemicals sprayed on crops etc .glad you have got it sorted

[Angel_of_the_North]

Your cholesterol is quite low and you need it to make hormones. Statins are a complete red herring. High cholesterol (which you don't have) is a symptom of illness (not a cause) and was used in the past to diagnose hypothyroidism. There is no scientific evidence that they give longer life to anyone, especially women, but they do impair quality of life and one of their side effects is heart attacks (as they cause muscle wasting and the heart is a muscle) . Older people live longer when their cholesterol is higher. Some good reading at drmalcolmkendrick.org (He is in the UK not American).

[Gettingoldnow in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Thank you for that very informative read,very interesting reading

[Gettingoldnow]

Oh thank you for that.will have a look later as off to a funeral (cancer)

[humanbean]

If you want to know about the effects of different levels of (total) cholesterol on heart disease and overall mortality for men and women this article from Dr Kendrick is worth reading. The graphs are the best bit (in my opinion) :

drmalcolmkendrick.org/2012/...

The article is old now, but still worth reading as an easy to understand example of why cholesterol levels as low as those recommended by government and many doctors are so absurd.

Another comment I want to make is that if you do any reading on the subject of any treatment for any medical condition, if the paper says something like "taking pill X will lower your risk of dying from condition A" then take note of what happens to overall mortality. If the paper doesn't mention it then you know that overall mortality wasn't affected by taking pill X. If overall mortality was reduced it would be trumpeted from the rooftops and would be mentioned in any research paper, but since they don't mention it you know it was unchanged.

If overall mortality is unaffected but pill X lowers your risk of dying from condition A then people need to know what condition gets worse by taking pill A.

In the case of statins we know that people end up with a greater risk of heart failure, worsening of atherosclerosis, greater risk of diabetes, rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown - and the heart is a muscle), cataracts, Parkinson's Disease, dementia, various cancers and no doubt some other things that I've forgotten too. Many of the conditions I've listed are potential killers. And you have to ask yourself - which would I prefer? Dying of heart disease or dying of dementia or cancer or the other conditions I listed?

[Gettingoldnow]

Thank you for that very interesting read and was rather surprised at the findings .i think I have more chance of getting run over by a bus .

[Gettingoldnow]

A friend of mine has just had stents put in due to heart attack he had been on 20mg for years now they have put him on 80mg avorstatin.so I agree with reading up on them.not worth the risk .

[Angelic69]

This is what ive just read in The 17 day plan to stop ageing by Dr mike Moreno. Page 31_32. For those of us that can not tolerate statins, eg high cholestrol patients only take 250mg Niacin, 3 grammes fish oil, 1tbsp flaxseed oil, 500mg l_carnitine twice a day 1000 in total, co enzyme q10 50mg twice daily 100 total, vit c 1000 mg.

[Gettingoldnow in reply to Angelic69]

Thank you for that information