Questioning Statin advice

Bring it on · 02-01-2009, 11:58 AM

I had my cholesterol checked 3 months after I started Atkins.

total 237

hdl 48
ldl 172
trig 87

cholesterol ldl ratio= 4.9

My doctor says that my LDL is horrible and wants me to start Zocor.
Any thoughts?

Leo41 · 02-01-2009, 01:05 PM

First, keep in mind that Dr. Atkins suggests 6 months on low carb before you'll see significant blood changes. That said, I also need to admit that I'm biased against cholesterol meds.

My own LDL was that high for quite a while (menopause and hypothyroid) but my HDL was much higher than yours. Nevertheless, three of my doctors suggested statins, and I argued them out of it (I note that they give up very easily suggesting to me that they're just spouting what they've been told by the drug companies).

In the meantime, I supplemented with fish oil capsules (mainly for my arthritis) and ate a lot of fish (my major protein source). My latest blood work last week, my LDL was 103. I'd try the fish oil and continued LC for a few more months. By the way, my LDL came down very slowly (like my weight:-).

Your triglycerides are fine, so you don't have the "metabolic syndrome" that everyone refers to in relation to heart problems.

Do you eat beef? I'd suggest avoiding it or ONLY totally grass fed (I buy mine online). The other thing you might consider (and I know this goes against the standard LC opinion on these boards) is switching to egg whites (like EggBeaters). I did that because of my arthritis as well (yolks are inflammatory), and I think it helped.

It may also be that you just need another 3 months as Dr. A advised.

In any case, I would not take the meds NOW.

inacarr57 · 02-01-2009, 03:34 PM

Leo, how long were you on a low carb diet when you took that last blood test? And what was your initial ldl before low carbing?

Leo41 · 02-02-2009, 08:50 AM

I've been low carbing for several years (about 5), both for weight loss and health. It's hard to judge my cholesterol "before" because before low carbing consistently, it was also pre-menopause and pre-hypothyroid--the two things that elevated my cholesterol. I know that my eating is affecting my cholesterol levels because (as I reported on these boards a while ago), consuming coconut oil raised my LDL about 50 points in 4 months. When I eliminated it, I "lost" those 50 points in another 4 months. (My endo does blood work every four months to check my meds.) In other words, I truly believe that my low carb, anti-inflammatory woe is lowering my LDL.

If it's at all helpful, in the 1970s when I was considerably younger, I lost weight with Atkins (when he first became popular), and since I was a poor graduate student, I ate mainly tuna and eggs--tons of eggs. My cholesterol was optimal when I began and was checked after about a year of eating this way, and it was still optimal, despite the high cholesterol "diet" I was consuming.

Bring it on · 02-03-2009, 01:18 PM

Thanks Leo.

MACXXX · 02-05-2009, 03:40 AM

Your doctor is following standard medical practice and appears to know nothing about LDL particle size. LDL by itself is a meaningless number. Ask him to give you a test to measure LDL particle size. See if he even knows what that is. My guess is he has no clue. The only things that really matter are HDL and TGs (triglyerides) and yours are fine. These doctors are all statin happy these days. They even want to give kids statins these days. Idiotic.

02-01-2009, 11:58 AM	#1
Bring it on MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 1,553 Gallery: Bring it on Stats: Too much/Much Better/ Lean and Muscular WOE: Carb Rotations Start Date: November 2008	Questioning Statin advice I had my cholesterol checked 3 months after I started Atkins. total 237 hdl 48 ldl 172 trig 87 cholesterol ldl ratio= 4.9 My doctor says that my LDL is horrible and wants me to start Zocor. Any thoughts?

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

02-01-2009, 01:05 PM	#2
Leo41 MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,446 Gallery: Leo41	First, keep in mind that Dr. Atkins suggests 6 months on low carb before you'll see significant blood changes. That said, I also need to admit that I'm biased against cholesterol meds. My own LDL was that high for quite a while (menopause and hypothyroid) but my HDL was much higher than yours. Nevertheless, three of my doctors suggested statins, and I argued them out of it (I note that they give up very easily suggesting to me that they're just spouting what they've been told by the drug companies). In the meantime, I supplemented with fish oil capsules (mainly for my arthritis) and ate a lot of fish (my major protein source). My latest blood work last week, my LDL was 103. I'd try the fish oil and continued LC for a few more months. By the way, my LDL came down very slowly (like my weight:-). Your triglycerides are fine, so you don't have the "metabolic syndrome" that everyone refers to in relation to heart problems. Do you eat beef? I'd suggest avoiding it or ONLY totally grass fed (I buy mine online). The other thing you might consider (and I know this goes against the standard LC opinion on these boards) is switching to egg whites (like EggBeaters). I did that because of my arthritis as well (yolks are inflammatory), and I think it helped. It may also be that you just need another 3 months as Dr. A advised. In any case, I would not take the meds NOW.

02-01-2009, 03:34 PM	#3
inacarr57 Junior LCF Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Oak Park, MI Posts: 6 Gallery: inacarr57 Stats: 220.4/210.2/150 Highest weight was 233 in 07/07! WOE: Atkins Start Date: 1/2/09	Leo, how long were you on a low carb diet when you took that last blood test? And what was your initial ldl before low carbing?

02-02-2009, 08:50 AM	#4
Leo41 MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,446 Gallery: Leo41	I've been low carbing for several years (about 5), both for weight loss and health. It's hard to judge my cholesterol "before" because before low carbing consistently, it was also pre-menopause and pre-hypothyroid--the two things that elevated my cholesterol. I know that my eating is affecting my cholesterol levels because (as I reported on these boards a while ago), consuming coconut oil raised my LDL about 50 points in 4 months. When I eliminated it, I "lost" those 50 points in another 4 months. (My endo does blood work every four months to check my meds.) In other words, I truly believe that my low carb, anti-inflammatory woe is lowering my LDL. If it's at all helpful, in the 1970s when I was considerably younger, I lost weight with Atkins (when he first became popular), and since I was a poor graduate student, I ate mainly tuna and eggs--tons of eggs. My cholesterol was optimal when I began and was checked after about a year of eating this way, and it was still optimal, despite the high cholesterol "diet" I was consuming.

02-03-2009, 01:18 PM	#5
Bring it on MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 1,553 Gallery: Bring it on Stats: Too much/Much Better/ Lean and Muscular WOE: Carb Rotations Start Date: November 2008	Thanks Leo.

02-05-2009, 03:40 AM	#6
MACXXX Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: CA Posts: 408 Gallery: MACXXX WOE: Atkins	Your doctor is following standard medical practice and appears to know nothing about LDL particle size. LDL by itself is a meaningless number. Ask him to give you a test to measure LDL particle size. See if he even knows what that is. My guess is he has no clue. The only things that really matter are HDL and TGs (triglyerides) and yours are fine. These doctors are all statin happy these days. They even want to give kids statins these days. Idiotic.