Hi all, i posted a few weeks ago about high cholesterol ..after a fasting blood test cholesterol is still high doctor has given me statins ...i have read about the side effects and i continue to be confused ... should i take them or not ?? I spent years in pain and still suffer now .. doctor explains nothing !!! I would love some advice
thank you
wendy
High cholesterol is a symptom of hypothyroidism.
Do you have a diagnosis of hypothyroidism?
Are you on thyroid hormone replacement?
If so, how much do you take and what are your latest test results so that we can see if you are optimally medicated:
TSH
FT4
FT3
Thyroid antibodies
plus vitamins:
Vit D
B12
Folate
Ferritin
Ultimately the decision to take statins has to be yours, but statins aren't recommended for females.
Reading through some past posts on statins may help you:
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
hi susie i have GD I am 3 years post radioactive iodine up take i now take 125 of levothyroxine every day plus vit d .. my last throidd blood test was as follows..I take vit d every day also
tsh-- 0,89 (1-9)
t4 - 17
(9-19)
t3 - 3.05 ( 2-7)
I am confused because te octor just gave me them and said nothing about side effects ?
any advice would br great
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You aren't optimally treated for your hypothyroidism.
tsh-- 0,89 (1-9)
t4 - 17 (9-19)
t3 - 3.05 (2-7)
I don't know what country you're in but that is not a TSH range we normally see, it's usually around 0.2-4.2 or maybe 5 at the upper end.
I'm assuming T4 and T3 are Free T4/Free T3.
The aim of a treated hypo patient generally is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it needs to be for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their reference ranges, if that is where you feel well. Your TSH would appear to be fine, as does your FT4 but your FT3 is way too low at only 21% through range. FT4 and FT3 should be in balance. It would appear that you don't convert T4 to T3 well enough and it's low T3 that gives us symptoms.
So your conversion of T4 to T3 needs improving. Having optimal nutrient levels can help and the tests needed were mentioned above so ask your GP to do the ones you don't already have results for. If GP wont do them then consider private testing (easy enough in the UK).
What is your current Vit D level and how much D3 are you taking? There are important cofactors needed when taking D3 (magnesium and Vit K2) which your GP wont know about and wont prescribe:
D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems such as hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, etc.
D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds if taking tablets/capsules/softgels, no necessity if using an oral spray
Magnesium helps D3 to work. We need Magnesium so that the body utilises D3, it's required to convert Vit D into it's active form. So it's important we ensure we take magnesium when supplementing with D3.
Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds if taking tablets/capsules, no necessity if using topical forms of magnesium.
naturalnews.com/046401_magn...
drjockers.com/best-magnesiu...
Check out the other cofactors too (some of which can be obtained from food).
Optimal nutrient levels are:
Vit D - 100-150nmol/L (40-60ng/ml) according to the Vit D Council/Vit D Society
B12 - top of range for Total B12, for Active B12 anything below 70 suggests testing for B12 deficiency, over 100 would be OK
Folate - at least half way through range
Ferritin - It's said that for thyroid hormone to work properly (that's our own as well as replacement hormone) ferritin needs to be at least 70, preferably half way through range.
So testing and optimising nutrient levels is a first step.
Supplementing with selenium and zinc can help conversion (some people prefer to test before supplementing).
If all this doesn't improve your conversion and FT3 remains low whilst FT4 is high, then the addition of T3 to your Levo should be considered.
I can't find a recent post of yours (I've checked your profile and it only shows one other post on a different forum 4 years ago) so I don't know what your symptoms are when you mention "I spent years in pain and still suffer now ". Is this possibly related to underactive thyroid?
Doctors don't like explaining things to us, it's up to us to be proactive and ask questions. You can look into the reasons why statins aren't recommended for females and go back and discuss this with your GP if you want. Don't be bullied into taking something that you may not need and that has the capacity of causing more problems than you already have.
we have spoken many times susie on here ..for some reason all my posts have gone . I dont convert t3 wll and suffer from pain tiredness and foggy mind .. but its the statin question now ? I just dont now what to do
but its the statin question now ? I just dont now what to do
I think you need to read through previous posts with information about statins that I linked to and it has to be your decision, no-one here can decide for you. If it was me with your results I'd be looking to optimise my thyroid results because you're obviously having symptoms of hypothyroidism due to your low FT3 and I would refuse statins for the reasons given why they're not suitable for females. In particular I would follow the link to Dr Malcolm Kendrick's blog.
If your thyroid is treated properly your cholesterol will likely reduce.
Great info. I am hypothyroidism due to Radiation - no Thyroid since, am on 100mcg of Wochardt levothyroxine, am allergic to the cheap brands. Have been advised by an Advanced Nurse Practitioner to take 4200iu = 1mg of Calcium plus 300mg of Ferrous Gluconate daily for 10 weeks from my FBC. I always request a copy. She said I will feel better and I could not believe the difference in my health. Doctors I feel are 'incomplete' and this Nurse was open, honest and a breath of fresh air. Am looking at going back cycling! I have researched this subject for 2years cos few practitioners give adequate responses or sit at silence! Also I take Apple Cider Vinegar, excellent, decreased BP, I reduced my BP med to half.
Useful calculator for working out where results are within range
Your FT4 is 80% through range
FT3 only 21%
NHS guidelines on Thyroid and statins
nhs.uk/conditions/statins/c...
If you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), treatment may be delayed until this problem is treated. This is because having an underactive thyroid can lead to an increased cholesterol level, and treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins. Statins are also more likely to cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid.
When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 last tested?
What vitamin supplements do you currently take?
Research shows 20% Patients with no thyroid can not regain full health on just Levothyroxine
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
Email Dionne at Thyroid Uk for list of recommended thyroid specialists who will prescribe T3
My Cardiologist (private) put me on statins a few years ago. My cholesterol was not too high - it is a precautionary measure. At the time many Cardiologists were recommending them for this reason.
My cholesterol is always well within the recommended range now.
I have never had any real issues with them - a few leg aches and one or two other pains at times, but they pass. I really cannot identify any side effects now.
There are some good links and advice here for you but no one can tell you if taking statins is the right choice for you. It has to be your decision. I would read all the posts and then decide. Good luck.
I am a great example of high cholesterol caused by hypothyroidism. Before I knew I was hypothyroid my LDL and total cholesterol (TC) figures more than doubled. LDL went up from 3.2mmol/l to 8.6, TC from 5.8mmol to 12. My GP suggested statins which I immediately refused. Like others on here, I follow Dr Malcolm Kendrick's fantastic blog and have read his books, so I knew statins were not the answer.
After only 2 months on NDT my figures were back down to LDL 3.9mmol/l and TC 6.5. My GP was gobsmacked. She didn't believe I was hypothyroid in the first place, and I'd gone ahead and self medicated with NDT from Thailand, and my FT3 is now towards the top of the range.
If you can get your FT3 level much further up in the range, your lipid/cholesterol figures should hopefully improve massively too (and get your GP off your back at the same time!).
In brief, right to be confused on this medical subject (and there are others!). A quick check of "why no statins for females" via a search engine eg Duck Duck Go, confirms the confusion - and I suspect similar results for men. On 1st page, there's a similar number in favour to those against (Ive saved 4 - split evenly - if anyone wants them). Hence the "decide for yourself" advice after considering all factors relevant to you eg family history....... If you prefer more guidance on that, you could have a CVD risk evaluation checked vs time by your GP and/or online (if you dont already) and consider/follow the advice from that.
I understand the main advice on this thread of "optimise your thyroid instead". Personally (as one very much against all medication including statins), I'd suggest a slightly different response of "optimise your overal health/wellbeing instead" via a natural approach.
Have you changed your account name?
There is an account name of "wendypartridge" on here, whereas you are logged in as "wendypartridgewendy".
To see the posts and replies for the "wendypartidge" account :
I’m not sure what your diet is like. I have elevated cholesterol even though I eat a plant based diet and exercise. Helpful supplements and diet choices for me include garlic, red rice yeast, fiber, veggie omega, and I take Plexus Vital Biome (a veggie probiotic). My doctor said the benefits of not having a heart attack outweigh the risk of side effects of statins. Problem is I have arthritis and FM.
Met someone with bad arthritis, she started taking Apple Cider Vinegar, one dessertspoon in 200ml water. Her Dr could not believe that she was the same person. Me, taking it now for 3weeks has reduced my BP. Also I believe it is excellent for high cholesterol, I don't have a cholesterol problem, this stuff is the best!!
Hi wendy
Try sterols, weight losss, vegan diet (which has no cholesterol) exercise etc
Don't try statins as they cause muscle aches, which, in 1% of people that take them, never go away, even after stopping them
Good luck!
Alps holiday
I was also recommended statins but after research decided not to. In a nutshell 1) most of the research was carried out on males ..2) not enough convincing evidence it extends your life by that much longer and 3) although diet and exercise may be hard I hate the easy fix solution of pill taking which mainly benefits the drug companies.
I made simple changes to my diet and no longer take Omeprazole so no doubt can do same for cholesterol.
At the end of the day only you can decide but don’t be rushed into this by doctors.
Honestly, I wouldn't take the statins. The latest information I get is that high cholesterol is not nearly as dangerous and they want to make you believe. In any case, treating your thyroid properly is far more important.
Hi Wendy I take the supplement plant sterols and my cholesterol levels are fine.
Cholesterol high want me to take statins. 
Statins 
Hypothyroidism and Statins
Statins
High cholesterol and Statins? 
