Can anyone tell me how my statin drug has helped me?

[valentine21463]

I've been taking Simvastatin for my cholesterol for over 2 years. Before I went on it my total cholesterol was around 240. I see that total number has come down which is good and my LDL is in normal range. But I also see that my HDL is too low and my Triglycerieds are too high. How is that good?

Please, can anyone tell me how this drug has been helping me?

My lab recent lab results...

Cholesterol 183
HDL 36
LDL 105.6
Triglycerieds 207

[valentine21463]

Originally Posted by valentine21463

I've been taking Simvastatin for my cholesterol for over 2 years. Before I went on it my total cholesterol was around 240. I see that total number has come down which is good and my LDL is in normal range. But I also see that my HDL is too low and my Triglycerieds are too high. How is that good?

Please, can anyone tell me how this drug has been helping me?

My lab recent lab results...

Cholesterol 183
HDL 36
LDL 105.6
Triglycerieds 207

Maybe I should reword this.

The above are my lab results on statins. Statins are suppose to help your cholesterol go down. I see that my good (HDL) is too low and my Tri's are too high. How is that suppose to be helpful? I'm just wondering if it's even worth being on this drug.

[becky7474]

I have heard nothing good about statins.

[maizenbluebabe]

I hesitate to jump in here since I have never taken statins (and never will) but I will in just case my personal experience with lipids might encourage you or help in some way.

To begin with Leo41's remark in your earlier thread about the possible value of Omega 3's to you is right on the mark at least in my own personal experience. And the value of Omega 3's is where my comments are headed although keep in mind that this is MY answer to my own unique problem and may not always help others.

My total cholesterol is 240 My doc is just a plain old Family Practitioner, and specialists generally look down on them. BUT...

..When I saw him several months ago, he smiled broadly and said. "Hmm, your total is 240, but your entire lipid profile is great. And your heart risk ratio (at age 78) is so low I wouldnt even dream of mentioning statins to you." He then observed we could make make a fortune if we could sell my total lipid profile and ratio--very low trigs, high HDL and low LDL. (the report is here somewhere but I cannot lay my hands on it at the moment.) He told me to keep on keeping on. (Despite the fact that I still remain 15 pounds over my weight goal.)

Now, HOW did this nice lipid profile happen? About 20 years ago I was doing a lot of primitive rug hooking and that kind of repetitive activity stressed my right thumb joint. It became swollen and sore. As a matter of fact, osteoarthritis "runs in my family" and the knuckles in my hands are all larger than normal but none of them hurt--including my thumb, anymore.

At the same time the problem with my thumb occurred, I stumbled over the abstract of an article from Lancet, the British medical journal. Seems a bunch of docs in northern England had experimentally put groups of patients on Cod Liver Oil for some particular health problem and the result was that the CLO did NOT solve the problem they were looking at, but many patients said. "but me arther-itis is a whole lot better, doc."

So I remembered that my mother had given my brother and me daily CLO when we were growing up (she was an RN) and I thought it couldnt hurt to try the CLO again to see if it would help the probable "arther-itis" in my sore thumb joint. (I never dreamed it would do something even more important for me than help with joint pain...) I began to take about a tablespoon per day of Nordic Naturals Arctic Cod Liver Oil. And have done every day since then. No, even after all these years, it has not damaged my liver or kidneys or any other of my innards. And my joints/bones/back do not ache even though one of my bad habits/hobbies is shoving our furniture around by myself when I get bored (drives my husband nuts when I do that )

My lipid profile is this good despite the fact that we use butter, eggs, cheese, whipping cream and whole milk as well as meat. But VERY LOW CARBS, mainly from green veggies and salad stuff. ( I start every day with 2 boiled eggs and coffee with cream.)

You might prefer to take another form of Omega 3 if you decide to give this a try (and there are a lot of them) But I really agree %100 with those who feel they are a genuine help with lipid profiles and are worth a try. (The CLO brand I use is kind of expensive but I have recently read that many of the less expensive ones are just as good)

[valentine21463]

Originally Posted by maizenbluebabe

I hesitate to jump in here since I have never taken statins (and never will) but I will in just case my personal experience with lipids might encourage you or help in some way.

To begin with Leo41's remark in your earlier thread about the possible value of Omega 3's to you is right on the mark at least in my own personal experience. And the value of Omega 3's is where my comments are headed although keep in mind that this is MY answer to my own unique problem and may not always help others.

My total cholesterol is 240 My doc is just a plain old Family Practitioner, and specialists generally look down on them. BUT...

..When I saw him several months ago, he smiled broadly and said. "Hmm, your total is 240, but your entire lipid profile is great. And your heart risk ratio (at age 78) is so low I wouldnt even dream of mentioning statins to you." He then observed we could make make a fortune if we could sell my total lipid profile and ratio--very low trigs, high HDL and low LDL. (the report is here somewhere but I cannot lay my hands on it at the moment.) He told me to keep on keeping on. (Despite the fact that I still remain 15 pounds over my weight goal.)

Now, HOW did this nice lipid profile happen? About 20 years ago I was doing a lot of primitive rug hooking and that kind of repetitive activity stressed my right thumb joint. It became swollen and sore. As a matter of fact, osteoarthritis "runs in my family" and the knuckles in my hands are all larger than normal but none of them hurt--including my thumb, anymore.

At the same time the problem with my thumb occurred, I stumbled over the abstract of an article from Lancet, the British medical journal. Seems a bunch of docs in northern England had experimentally put groups of patients on Cod Liver Oil for some particular health problem and the result was that the CLO did NOT solve the problem they were looking at, but many patients said. "but me arther-itis is a whole lot better, doc."

So I remembered that my mother had given my brother and me daily CLO when we were growing up (she was an RN) and I thought it couldnt hurt to try the CLO again to see if it would help the probable "arther-itis" in my sore thumb joint. (I never dreamed it would do something even more important for me than help with joint pain...) I began to take about a tablespoon per day of Nordic Naturals Arctic Cod Liver Oil. And have done every day since then. No, even after all these years, it has not damaged my liver or kidneys or any other of my innards. And my joints/bones/back do not ache even though one of my bad habits/hobbies is shoving our furniture around by myself when I get bored (drives my husband nuts when I do that )

My lipid profile is this good despite the fact that we use butter, eggs, cheese, whipping cream and whole milk as well as meat. But VERY LOW CARBS, mainly from green veggies and salad stuff. ( I start every day with 2 boiled eggs and coffee with cream.)

You might prefer to take another form of Omega 3 if you decide to give this a try (and there are a lot of them) But I really agree %100 with those who feel they are a genuine help with lipid profiles and are worth a try. (The CLO brand I use is kind of expensive but I have recently read that many of the less expensive ones are just as good)

Thank you! I have arthritis too. I didn't know about CLO. I am taking fish oil already. When you say to take another form of omega 3 are you saying to take both CLO & Fish oil together?

[maizenbluebabe]

Originally Posted by valentine21463

Thank you! I have arthritis too. I didn't know about CLO. I am taking fish oil already. When you say to take another form of omega 3 are you saying to take both CLO & Fish oil together?

No, and I'm sorry I gave you the wrong impression because I am only taking CLO. It works for me but it may not be the best thing for everyone, and perhaps the amount I take would be considered too much for someone else (for instance if they had a liver issue.) . You might find it helpful to talk to a pharmacist about this. I am actually about to cut down to 2 t--one in morning and one at night and see if my lipids remain so well-balanced. (It isnt hard to overdo Vit A and that is not good--I have to admit that my doctor and I keep a close watch on my liver enzymes.)

. Also, you need to be aware that fish oils can contribute to the thinning of some people's blood so that they bleed more easily--it does almost the same thing to blood as aspirin does. (This can become especially important if you are injured in an accident or if you are to have surgery.) For instance, I cannot take a daily baby aspirin because of the CLO I take.

I asked a guy at a "health food shop" one time if there was a difference in CLO and Omega3 FishOil Capsules and he said "they are the same." I am not sure I trust his answer. It would be a good idea to do some Googling to find out if CLO and your Fish Oil contents are the same. You'd need to compare their contents exactly before making a change. I am sorry your physician feels that statins are the only way for you to go but in fact, perhaps in this case they may be best--although I myself will never take them because every one I have ever known who has taken them has had side effects--among others, "arthritic-like symptoms."

My CLO contains Vits A,D, and E in certain amounts. The oils most important in fish oil are the EPA's and DHA's and any other Omega 3's so do check what it says on the label of your fish oil. And I would sure Google any supplement for possible side effects to make sure you are not doing more harm than good.

Taking any supplement can be a tricky thing and I apologize for making it sound so simple and also for not explaining that there are also cautions about taking CLO or fish oils; even something which has been as helpful to me as CLO so far.

PS--I have read that Statins actually do not benefit women but you should also Google this information before you make any changes. I make use of Google hundreds of times per week and have come across some very useful health/medical information that way. (Just be cynical if you go to a link that is selling some supplement or another--a lot of them try to appear like they are part of a medical practice or type of medline and will extol the virtues of what they are selling whether it is actually beneficial or not.)

[valentine21463]

Originally Posted by maizenbluebabe

No, and I'm sorry I gave you the wrong impression because I am only taking CLO. It works for me but it may not be the best thing for everyone, and perhaps the amount I take would be considered too much for someone else (for instance if they had a liver issue.) . You might find it helpful to talk to a pharmacist about this. I am actually about to cut down to 2 t--one in morning and one at night and see if my lipids remain so well-balanced. (It isnt hard to overdo Vit A and that is not good--I have to admit that my doctor and I keep a close watch on my liver enzymes.)

. Also, you need to be aware that fish oils can contribute to the thinning of some people's blood so that they bleed more easily--it does almost the same thing to blood as aspirin does. (This can become especially important if you are injured in an accident or if you are to have surgery.) For instance, I cannot take a daily baby aspirin because of the CLO I take.

I asked a guy at a "health food shop" one time if there was a difference in CLO and Omega3 FishOil Capsules and he said "they are the same." I am not sure I trust his answer. It would be a good idea to do some Googling to find out if CLO and your Fish Oil contents are the same. You'd need to compare their contents exactly before making a change. I am sorry your physician feels that statins are the only way for you to go but in fact, perhaps in this case they may be best--although I myself will never take them because every one I have ever known who has taken them has had side effects--among others, "arthritic-like symptoms."

My CLO contains Vits A,D, and E in certain amounts. The oils most important in fish oil are the EPA's and DHA's and any other Omega 3's so do check what it says on the label of your fish oil. And I would sure Google any supplement for possible side effects to make sure you are not doing more harm than good.

Taking any supplement can be a tricky thing and I apologize for making it sound so simple and also for not explaining that there are also cautions about taking CLO or fish oils; even something which has been as helpful to me as CLO so far.

PS--I have read that Statins actually do not benefit women but you should also Google this information before you make any changes. I make use of Google hundreds of times per week and have come across some very useful health/medical information that way. (Just be cynical if you go to a link that is selling some supplement or another--a lot of them try to appear like they are part of a medical practice or type of medline and will extol the virtues of what they are selling whether it is actually beneficial or not.)

Thank you again, I'll do some research. I'm not going back on statins I've already made up my mind. I do have side effects from taking it and the arthritic symptoms is one of them.

[ravenrose]

triglycerides are a function of carb intake. cut carbs to cut triglycerides.

[maizenbluebabe]

Originally Posted by ravenrose

triglycerides are a function of carb intake. cut carbs to cut triglycerides.

AMEN! Thanks for bringing this up and reminding me, ravenrose!

Valentine 21463, She's right--low carb eating is the real reason my triglycerides are so good--the CLO helps with the other stuff but yes, this is something I ought to have pointed out--staying on a low carb diet has really kept my trigs low--and I am sure it has also contributed to my other good results and gets the credit for my nice fasting blood sugar of 88.

And I am glad to hear you are going to try avoiding the statins. It may take a little time and research and work, but the results will be worth it.

Be sure to let us know how things go. We will all be thinking of you and cheering you on.

[Meek75]

I keep taking the CLO advice for granted. I purchased lots of CLO and only took it once. As of tomorrow, I am including it in my diet! I've increased my carbs and now my trigs are off the chart, and my HDL has decreased too.

I'm going back to low carbs...PERIOD!

Thanks ladies.