high cholesterol meds?

[jk the sooner fan]

anybody here on any of the meds for high cholesterol?

once your cholesterol level is down, do you feel any noticeable difference in your overall health?

[usmc-sooner]

anybody here on any of the meds for high cholesterol?

once your cholesterol level is down, do you feel any noticeable difference in your overall health?

I think they prescribe lipitor, but it may be hard on your liver. I doubt if you feel any better, isn't high cholesterol -the silent killer--meaning you don't know you have it unless you get checked.

[jk the sooner fan]

they gave me crestor

[usmc-sooner]

they gave me crestor

that I believe is a little better for your liver although both can damage it. Did they give you a diet or certain foods to help.

[olevetonahill]

The VA has me on Lovastatin
No special diet . they just said cut out cheese and eggs and stuff like that . I said Yea right. Colesterol is way down now . I cant tell a difference

[Beef]

I'm on Vytorin and Niaspan. The Vytorin to lower my bad cholesterol and the Niaspan to raise my good cholesterol. Seems to be working. My cholesterol pre-meds was around 300 and it's 114 now. I can't tell a difference in how I feel, though.

[jk the sooner fan]

I can't tell a difference in how I feel, though.

thats pretty much what i was thinking, which is kinda weird.....you're taking a drug to reduce a "number" that you cant feel one way or the other

[OklahomaRed]

Why Crestor instead of Lipitor, or better yet, generic Zocor (simvistatin). They are all working basically the same way (HMACoA-Reductase Inhibitors), but Crestor actually has a little higher incidence of rhabdomyolysis (sp). Usually the difference is no big deal unless you get to the higher doses, but there is much more data and Lipitor and Zocor have both been on the market longer, so better safety profile. Also, Vytorin is nothing more than Zocor + Zetia in one pill. One inhibits the liver's synthesis of cholesterol (Zocor) and the other inhibits the absorption from the GI tract (Zetia). Do you get any flushing from the Niaspan? You must have some serious high cholesterol to be on all 3?

[OklahomaRed]

No, you want be able to feel a difference, but statins (Lipitor, Zocor, Pravachol, Crestor) have been shown to actually reverse some atherosclerotic plaques, and they have been implicated in possibly helping prevent alzheimers. The only thing you need to watch out for and report is any unusual muscle pain. Also, you doctor should have did a baseline liver enzyme test, then another in 6 months, and then one every year thereafter just to be safe.

[Beef]

thats pretty much what i was thinking, which is kinda weird.....you're taking a drug to reduce a "number" that you cant feel one way or the other
Trust me, when the "number" is off for too long of a time, you end up feeling it. And it doesn't feel good unless you're into elephants sitting on your chest.

[jk the sooner fan]

red - i'm not sure why the cardiologist picked crestor......whats weird is, this morning when i went back in, my total cholesterol was lower (245 down to 233) but my bad cholesterol was higher

[OklahomaRed]

red - i'm not sure why the cardiologist picked crestor......whats weird is, this morning when i went back in, my total cholesterol was lower (245 down to 233) but my bad cholesterol was higher


Has it been two weeks since you started it?

Are you taking any other meds? Make sure you are not taking any antacids within 2 hours of taking your Crestor.

I will take a little while to work. If that doesn't drop it, you might talk about switching to Vytorin, since it is acting at two different sites.

There is still a ongoing debate out there on how low to go on total cholesterol and when to treat; however, you are definitely in the treat number, though it's not as bad as some I've seen. :D

[stoops the eternal pimp]

I was prescribed cholesterol medicine blood pressure meds after I got a 275 and had bp of 155/110 at 29 years old..weighed about 259 which doesnt look so bad at 6'5 but i felt awful.Im weird about taking meds, absolutely hating it actually..so I put myself on a strange diet about a year ago when this happened and got down to 171 ch and bp is currently at 122/75..Weighing about 232..Still have work to do but I hate medications so much...

[OklahomaRed]

Not trying to mess with anyone's mind, but here is a great discussion I found.

Important stuff for us "old men". :D Edit - sorry for how it copied and pasted, so you have to read it first to first top & under. :confused:

Cholesterol Guidelines
A number of studies have now suggested that reducing LDL and total cholesterol levels and boosting HDL levels have improved survival and prevented heart attacks in people with or without heart disease. In general, blood tests can easily measure both HDL and overall cholesterol levels. It is very difficult to measure LDL levels by themselves, but LDL levels can be reliably calculated by subtracting HDL levels from total cholesterol. (LDL makes up the difference.) Reducing LDL is the primary goal of most cholesterol therapy. [ See Table Cholesterol Goals.]

Cholesterol Goals

Total Cholesterol Goals
LDL Goals
HDL Goals
Triglyceride Goals

Less than 200 mg/dL is desirable.

Between 200 and 239 is borderline.

Over 240 is very high.
Below 100 mg/dL is optimal for anyone. It should be the goal for people with existing heart disease, diabetes, or multiple heart risk factors sufficient to make their long-term survival rates equal to having heart disease.

130 mg/dL or below for people with two or more risk factors.

160 mg/dL or below for people with one or zero risk factors.

Anything above 160 is high, with levels above 190 being very high.
More than 60 mg/dL is optimal.

Below 40 mg/dL is too low.
Below 150 mg/dL is normal.

150-199 is borderline high.

200-499 is high.

Over 500 is very high.

*Risk factors for heart disease include a family history of early heart problems before age 55 for men, before age 65 for women), smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, being older (over 45 for men and 55 for women), and having HDL levels below 35 mg/dL. People with two or more of these risk factors may have a 10-year risk of heart attack that exceeds 20%, and may therefore need to aim for LDL levels of 100 mg/dL or below.


Although current guidelines as described in the table are extremely useful, they do have pitfalls. For example, the following cholesterol levels pose some dilemmas:

Low LDL levels (protective) accompanied by low HDL, high triglycerides, or both (harmful).
High total cholesterol (harmful) accompanied by high HDL (protective).
Would individuals with these cholesterol balances be at high risk or low risk for developing heart disease? To resolve this dilemma, experts have devised a calculation for a risk ratio simply by dividing the total cholesterol by either total HDL or LDL. It isn't clear at this point which ratio is a better predictor of heart disease, although the HDL ratio may be superior. Using this ratio, the following results indicate better to worse outlook:

The ideal ratio is 3.5 or below.
A ratio of 4.5 carries an average risk.
Ratios of 5 or higher are potentially dangerous.
For example, if a person has a high total cholesterol of 280 mg/dL but a high HDL level of 70 mg/dL, the risk ratio is 4, which actually carries a lower than average risk. The use of this ratio may predict coronary artery disease more accurately than using total cholesterol levels alone.

[Newbomb Turk]

I've been taking Crestor for about a year and a half. I don't feel a thing, but my bad cholesterol is down about 40%. Works for me.

[jk the sooner fan]

i just started taking it today

when i retired from the military, i was 30 pounds lighter and had the same cholesterol levels i have now....so i'm wondering, can your genetics play a role in having a "higher baseline" than normal? i would think after 2 years and weight gain that my total cholesterol would have gone higher....at least some, but it didnt at all

i have to go back in 9 months for more blood tests, and the test this morning was just a finger stick.....and i think i'd rather have a needle in the arm than a finger stick

[BajaOklahoma]

Mr. Baja has been on cholesterol meds for over 25 years. Diet made absolutely no difference and exercise had a minimum impact on his numbers. However, he does watch his weight and exercises daily.
He takes Zocor and Niacin. His liver enzymes are actually better on the meds than off.
His annual scans come back perfect.

[jk the sooner fan]

Has it been two weeks since you started it?

Are you taking any other meds? Make sure you are not taking any antacids within 2 hours of taking your Crestor.

I will take a little while to work. If that doesn't drop it, you might talk about switching to Vytorin, since it is acting at two different sites.

There is still a ongoing debate out there on how low to go on total cholesterol and when to treat; however, you are definitely in the treat number, though it's not as bad as some I've seen. :D

i thought your brother was the doctor in the family?

[Newbomb Turk]

so i'm wondering, can your genetics play a role in having a "higher baseline" than normal?

absolutely.

High cholesterol runs in my Mom's side of the family. Although I could be in better shape, I'm not overweight and don't consider my diet high in fat at all. I was shocked at the results of taking Crestor for 3 months - like I said earlier, it lowered my bad cholesterol by about 40%.

[olevetonahill]

All this talk of cholesterol made me realise I hadnt eaten
yet so I made me some cheese grits and fried eggs