High cholesterol question

[Pushrod]

I just read an article yesterday where the FDA is reversing its stance on high cholesterol foods. The report cites studies that reducing these foods (egg yokes, red meat, etc...) does not significantly reduce blood cholesterol levels as the main driving force is genetics, not the food you eat. Something to take into consideration if you like eating what you presently consume.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/10/feds-poised-to-withdraw-longstanding-warnings-about-dietary-cholesterol/

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Yes of course, the ONLY reason a doctor prescribes medication is because s/he gets a kick back from the drug company. There is no other possible rationale is there?

No doctor in the history of time has ever provided any necessary service that helped anyone and no drug every in the history of time has done anything to make anyone's life any better. Every decision every doctor has ever made was based solely on an analysis of the profit potential, right?

Take the pill or don't take the pill. Its your damn choice to make...but don't blame anyone but yourself if you choose not to follow the doctor's advice.

Of course, if you don't follow the advice, why do you even have a doctor?

Do you know Doctors only have a single class oh pharmaceducals? The same one that nurses also take. They rely on what drug salesmen tell them. A lot of what they do is simply trial an error, here take this medicine to see if it does anything, oh it makes you feel like crap and gives you chronic diarrhea well take this one instead. You are chemically altering your body so you should question any medicines that you will be taking daily for the rest of your life.

 

[vraiblonde]

Yes of course, the ONLY reason a doctor prescribes medication is because s/he gets a kick back from the drug company. There is no other possible rationale is there?

No doctor in the history of time has ever provided any necessary service that helped anyone and no drug every in the history of time has done anything to make anyone's life any better. Every decision every doctor has ever made was based solely on an analysis of the profit potential, right?

Take the pill or don't take the pill. Its your damn choice to make...but don't blame anyone but yourself if you choose not to follow the doctor's advice.

Of course, if you don't follow the advice, why do you even have a doctor?

You are so angry. Have you had your blood pressure checked lately?

 

[somdfunguy]

The car salesmen do that - reduce everything down to it's LCD to manipulate you. "Don't think of it as $50,000 - think of it as $14 a day (for 10 years). Is the safety of your children not worth $14?"

Taking a pill every day isn't terrible at all. But spending $50 per month for something that I can perhaps do for free is dumb. And then you have to wonder if the pills are even necessary, or if it's the doctor in cahoots with the drug companies to make mo' money. Then there are the possible side-effects...

Living to be only 80 instead of 82 isn't that frightening to me.

$50 a month is great, a friends pill (Crestor) is $120 a month and that's with insurance and a coupon from the maker of the drug. He was also over 300 and it brought him to the 170s in 6 months.

 

[Misfit]

Monellos cooking is slowly killing vrai.

 

[itsbob]

I will say over 300 seems VERY high, I don't think any ONE thing is not going to fix it..

In the end you'll end up (if you want to fix it) taking the pills, dieting AND exercising.. and this would have to be forever, not just until your numbers are better.

 

[frequentflier]

Monellos cooking is slowly killing vrai.

Vrai is also an excellent cook.

They are both killing Vrai



Seriously, a family history of heart disease and high cholesterol would worry me. Since I have already had issues with my heart, I take a tiny pill every day; though my cholesterol wasn't off the charts. Sad to say, it is easier than changing my entire diet!

 

[vraiblonde]

Seriously, a family history of heart disease and high cholesterol would worry me. Since I have already had issues with my heart, I take a tiny pill every day; though my cholesterol wasn't off the charts. Sad to say, it is easier than changing my entire diet!

And what's ignorant is that, for me, it's easier to overhaul my diet than take one little teeny tiny pill every day. I swear I am mental. It's one of those weird aversion things that I can't explain.

My big deal is eggs - I love them and eat them daily. But I also love steel cut oatmeal with apples and nuts, so there's no reason why I can't make that transition. I rarely eat fish, even though I like it, so there's a swap. There are a lot of things I could be doing different that I'll actually enjoy. Rather than taking one little pill a day. How messed up is that?

 

[SG_Player1974]

In the end you'll end up (if you want to fix it) taking the pills, dieting AND exercising.. and this would have to be forever, not just until your numbers are better.

Well... we know that the "taking the pills" part will happen. I doubt the rest.

 

[lucky_bee]

And what's ignorant is that, for me, it's easier to overhaul my diet than take one little teeny tiny pill every day. I swear I am mental. It's one of those weird aversion things that I can't explain.

My big deal is eggs - I love them and eat them daily. But I also love steel cut oatmeal with apples and nuts, so there's no reason why I can't make that transition. I rarely eat fish, even though I like it, so there's a swap. There are a lot of things I could be doing different that I'll actually enjoy. Rather than taking one little pill a day. How messed up is that?

No, I'd feel the same way. I also have an aversion to all medication. If there's a natural remedy, I'd rather try that first. I'd rather not take it unless I absolutely have to. Even cold meds...I avoid them unless I'm desperate. Birth Control pills freaked me out, as soon as I found an alternative, I did. I'd much rather see if altering a few things naturally would work first before picking up a prescription. My mother feels the same way and she's a nurse. In fact she too has high cholesterol even though she's a fit and healthy woman of 56. She switched her diet up some and exercised more...made a big difference. It's still a little high, but she's not interested in getting pills for that just yet.


Also...I'm just terrible at remembering to take pills. I'd be better off switching around my diet bc the chances of me remembering to take a pill or two every day? slim. Unfortunately this includes multi-vitamins. My NYE resolution every year, never lasts longer than a day or two :shrug:

 

[MMDad]

I've had great success with my cholesterol by limiting carbs. You don't have to be drastic about it, but skipping the bread, potatoes, pasta, and sweets can be enough.

Remember, your body makes cholesterol itself. If a totally cholesterol free diet was effective then beef would have no cholesterol since they eat grass. But the cow makes cholesterol just like we do.

 

[Lilypad]

Damn it!!! I had a complete blood work thing done for my health insurance company and the lab called - my cholesterol is high (in the low 300s) and she has called in a prescription for some medication that I am to start taking right away.

I don't want to take this medication. Or any medication.

There are a number of things I could be doing to lower my cholesterol naturally. I could lose weight, I could give up eating animal things, I could get more exercise, I could eat oatmeal every morning for breakfast. And yes, I would rather do those things than take a pill every day. Plus I've been wanting to do those things anyway (except the eating animals part) but haven't really been that motivated. But I am motivated now.

So what I'm going to do is blow off getting the prescription filled. I see the doc again on Thursday anyway and will just explain to her that I'm not going to die in the next month, so I'm going to try to get rid of the bad stuff without pharmaceuticals. If I can't get my numbers lowered within a month, then I'll consider the med option.

Is this too reckless and I should do what they say and not what I think is best? I admit to being an insufferable know-it-all, but I think doctors rely too much on pills. Plus I'm not interested in the crazy side-effects that go along with statin drugs.

Any advice?

Did your Doc break down the levels in the test-HDL, LDL and Triglycerides? The "total numbers" are what you really need to know. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute notes that less than 100 mg of cholesterol per 1 dL of blood is optimal; 160 to 189 mg is high, and 190 mg and above is very high. Girlfriend you can fix this!

 

[Monello]

Monello's cooking is slowly killing vrai.

:fixeded:

Actually I need to cook more for her. Make her all the yummy, good things she craves. Probably just need to cut back on the cheese, meat & eggs. I know she likes steel cut oats, so make a bunch of different fruit infused oatmeals for breakfast.

 

[MADPEBS1]

I take Pravastatin and no side effects for me... Was 260+ down to 160.... Like $8 for a fill.

 

[Dakota]

I haven't read all the responses but take the fricken pill... do all those other things and eventually wing yourself off the drug with the doctor. That pill will actually help you meet your goals sooner, like it or not.

 

[libertytyranny]

Interestingly, statins haven't been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke in healthy patients without a history of heart disease, and there have been some links with new onset diabetes. So it is very prudent if you are healthy and have no history of heart disease to use lifestyle factors to lower your cholesterol rather than unproven medications.

 

[frequentflier]

And what's ignorant is that, for me, it's easier to overhaul my diet than take one little teeny tiny pill every day. I swear I am mental. It's one of those weird aversion things that I can't explain.

My big deal is eggs - I love them and eat them daily. But I also love steel cut oatmeal with apples and nuts, so there's no reason why I can't make that transition. I rarely eat fish, even though I like it, so there's a swap. There are a lot of things I could be doing different that I'll actually enjoy. Rather than taking one little pill a day. How messed up is that?

You are a lot more health conscience than I am and I think it is great! It is not ignorant at all! Back in the day, I used to take much better care of myself...I used to take a lot more time prepping fresh foods and eating well.
I, too, like eggs and cheese and do not eat fish, other than tuna out of a can. Many years ago, I ate grouper in FL and I guess I liked the way it was prepared.

 

[Vince]

I have to eat more fish. My cholesterol is around 180, but the bad stuff is high. Doc said eat more fish....and I love fish. Don't know why I don't eat more of it. :shrug:

 

[migtig]

We average fish, or seafood, twice a week, and I'll tell you why you all don't cook it more - because it stinks up your kitchen and your trash. I try and make it close to trash day so any food waste, plastic wrap, etc. isn't sitting in my house for days.

 

[Vince]

We average fish, or seafood, twice a week, and I'll tell you why you all don't cook it more - because it stinks up your kitchen and your trash. I try and make it close to trash day so any food waste, plastic wrap, etc. isn't sitting in my house for days.

Yeah, there's that.