At my last doctor's visit my lab results came back with the following levels:
I was put on Lopid (600 mg - 2x/day) but this lasted only a few months due to adverse side affects. My numbers did improve significantly, however, I started to breakout with itchy, red, scaly lesions all over my body. My doctor then put me on Niacin. I was to start at 100 mg/day and increase the dosage by 100 mg each week for the next six weeks. However, I was overwhelmed by the "hot flashes" after a few weeks and stopped taking the niacin.
I am not overweight (165 lbs. and 5' 10"). I do realize that a low fat diet and exercise would help my situation. Do you have any other suggestions?
Reply ++++++++++++++++++++++
My first suggestion is to repeat the fasting lipid blood test. Make sure you have not eaten anything or drunk anything except water for fourteen hours before the test.
Next, put things in perspective. Cholesterol is not the only thing that determines risk for heart disease. Smoking is at least as important, if not more so. Stop smoking if you smoke. Get high blood pressure treated aggressively with medications that don't raise cholesterol. Get checked for diabetes, since high triglycerides can be associated with diabetes. Low thyroid can cause high cholesterol, but not usually high triglycerides.
Diet is your key to success. You must learn to adjust your taste buds gradually. Eventually you will need to cut out cheese, fast food, fried foods, beef, pork, and the skin of poultry. You might need to eat a completely vegetarian diet to do the trick.
The -statin medications generally don't help as much for high triglycerides, but if your other risk factors for heart disease warrant it, your doc might recommend you try one of them. They can irritate the liver, but often have few noticable side effects.
--
P. H. MD Family Physician Correspondent for General Medical Clinic Organization For Community Networks
NOTICE: OFCN is not engaged in the rendering of professional medical services. The information contained on this system or any other OFCN system should not supplant individual professional consultation. It is offered exclusively as a community education service. Advice on individual problems must be obtained directly from a professional.
Click here to review
previous General Medicine Clinic consultations