Test Results

[Mjcpr]

So I had some blood work done recently and I guess I have high cholesterol which means I'm not the picture of health I thought I was. :D Any of you hillbillies have any diet suggestions for lowering your cholesterol that were successful?

Here are some numbers for those that are familiar with their meanings:

Cholesterol: 249 (< 200 is desirable)
HDL (Good cholesterol): 44 (normal is 35-100)
LDL (Bad cholesterol): 146 (< 130 is desirable)
Triglycerides (fats): 297 (< 150 is recommended :eek:)

I didn't think I ate all that unhealthy until I saw some of these numbers.

Any suggestions from those of you who have been on a low cholesterol diet?

[Newbomb Turk]

you are going to have to work like hell to get those numbers down to a respectable level. My doc wants my LDL below 70.

I tried a low fat diet and exercise, and I think my overall cholesterol level dropped about 5 points. Needless to say, I'm taking Crestor right now.

good luck - diet and exercise might work for you, but it didn't do crap for me. Now I take the Crestor and eat whatever I want.

[Mjcpr]

you are going to have to work like hell to get those numbers down to a respectable level. My doc wants my LDL below 70.

I tried a low fat diet and exercise, and I think my overall cholesterol level dropped about 5 points. Needless to say, I'm taking Crestor right now.

good luck - diet and exercise might work for you, but it didn't do crap for me. Now I take the Crestor and eat whatever I want.

Words in your post I don't like: work like hell, diet, excercise

Words I did like: Crestor, eat whatever

I'm supposed to go back in 4-6 months so I'll see where I am then I guess. Ugh.

[Penguin]

Just remember that genetics is a big part of that. Some people eat healthy and exercise regularly but still have high numbers.

[soonerboomer93]

I hate watching what I eat, it's a freakin pain in the ***

[Newbomb Turk]

hey - It might work for you. I think my cholesterol problems are mainly herediary. This problem runs in my moms side of the family. In my case, i'm not sure the exercise and diet thing will work.

problem with Crestor is it can jack with your liver. you aren't suppose to drink when you take the stuff. I still have a few beers. The doc checks the cholesterol and liver every 3 months, and so far so good.

The Crestor dropped my LDL about in half.

[Newbomb Turk]

by the way - you could probably knock that LDL down a bit by chopping up some trees and hauling them away. :D

[Mjcpr]

I hate watching what I eat, it's a freakin pain in the ***

I've never had to do it but I've always tried, somewhat, to eat foods that are good for you but I didn't go crazy with it like I guess I should've. I've always been pretty thin (until I quit smoking) and ate whatever the hell I wanted with no problems. It's been a while since I had any blood work done so these numbers were kind of surprising to me.

One thing off the top of my head that probably isn't helping at all is that I use coffee creamer and sugar in my coffee, every day, so that will probably have to end.

[BajaOklahoma]

Pat, my husband was diagnosed with high cholesterol at age 25. Diet alone, or even with exercise, did nothing. He has been on medication since then, more than half his life. He annual stress test and cardiac tests have always come back excellent.
We avoid fried and red meat, only occassionally indulging. BTW, the American Heart Association cookbook is a major waste - everything tastes like glue. Look at the local library for some cookbooks, they usually have planty. You can also find plenty of recipes online.
Good luck.

[Newbomb Turk]

One thing off the top of my head that probably isn't helping at all is that I use coffee creamer and sugar in my coffee

good gosh, you are a chick. :eek:

;)

[Mjcpr]

you aren't suppose to drink when you take the stuff.

Out.

[colleyvillesooner]

I'm just never gonna get my blood work done.

Easy as pie.

Mmmmmm...Pie.

[Widescreen]

When I lost all the weight, my cholesterol went from 255 to a current 136. Eat salad with low fat dressing and chicken breast for lunch and low fat/no sugar the rest of the time. Exercise like crazy.

Sorry, if you're going to do it without medication, that's what it takes.

[jk the sooner fan]

Pat - our numbers are VERY close to the same

i'm on crestor.......even 4 years ago when i was thinner, my cholesterol was the same level....doc thinks its genetic

[Mjcpr]

Pat - our numbers are VERY close to the same

i'm on crestor.......even 4 years ago when i was thinner, my cholesterol was the same level....doc thinks its genetic

I don't have many family members left to ask about this so I really don't know if mine is gentic or not. I know that I eat what I want and always have but I also know that I drink tons of water and almost no pop, I rarely eat chips, I love fruits and veggies, I don't have to have candy although if it's there, I'll eat it sometimes, I don't pile on the butter (unless it's a baked potato), I never eat eggs and almost never drink milk.

Eh, we'll see what happens I guess. I could be in a lot worse position I suppose if I still smoked and I was really heavy.

[jk the sooner fan]

my dad is thin.....and he has really high numbers....of course he smoked like a chimney for 50 years which didnt help...but it runs in our family from what i'm told

the weird thing about taking crestor...or any other cholesterol med....you dont feel anything

[OKC-SLC]

how long were you fasting before the blood draw? it can elevate the triglyceride levels fairly substantially--should have been fasting AT LEAST 8 hrs.

the LDL goal for general population is under 130, but should be and may soon be recommended less than 100.

if high risk factors (diabetes, very strong family history, etc) LDL should be under 70-80.

I promise you won't get there with diet/exercise alone; should consider crestor or other. and the risk for liver is modest; the risk might be increased with alcohol but shouldn't necessarily mean no drinking at all. maybe N. Turk's M.D. is a nazi?

[Penguin]

Our grandparents were born and raised on eggs and bacon every morning.

By today's standards, they should have been dropping dead in their 30's.

I'm guessing that doctors haven't figured everything out with the whole "cholesterol will kill us all" theory.

[Sooner_Bob]

I don't have many family members left to ask about this so I really don't know if mine is gentic or not. I know that I eat what I want and always have but I also know that I drink tons of water and almost no pop, I rarely eat chips, I love fruits and veggies, I don't have to have candy although if it's there, I'll eat it sometimes, I don't pile on the butter (unless it's a baked potato), I never eat eggs and almost never drink milk.

Eh, we'll see what happens I guess. I could be in a lot worse position I suppose if I still smoked and I was really heavy.


Do you still . . . you know

http://www.thescifiworld.net/img/interviews/williambdavis_01.jpg

[Widescreen]

I promise you won't get there with diet/exercise alone; should consider crestor or other.
Why? I did. Why is it guaranteed that he'd be different?

[olevetonahill]

I hate watching what I eat, it's a freakin pain in the ***
Im damn sure gonna watch what I eat , It trys to escape from My plate Im stabbin it with my fork :twinkies:

[jk the sooner fan]

Our grandparents were born and raised on eggs and bacon every morning.



yep...seems now that bacon is the devil, but i love it so....from when i was a kid eating breakfast with granddad

he'd make that salt-risen toast and heavily buttered scrambled eggs to go with it

[OhU1]

If you are not severely over weight I doubt that diet alone is going to do it.

I've hovered around 200 on my reading for the last year. My doc said I was borderline and not a concern. Doc told me his own cholesterol was also around 200 and he takes meds because he is strongly convinced by the medical evidence that keeping your cholesterol low prevent vascular and coronary disease. I told the doc I am a strong advocate of prevention. So he said "let's do it then" and he put me on 20 MG generic Zocor. After 1 month my cholesterol has dropped to 143!

In my opinion it is not worth taking a chance with any vascular and heart disease risk factor.

[jk the sooner fan]

If you are not severely over weight I doubt that diet alone is going to do it.

I've hovered around 200 on my reading for the last year. My doc said I was borderline and not a concern. Doc told me his own cholesterol was also around 200 and he takes meds because he is strongly convinced by the medical evidence that keeping your cholesterol low prevent vascular and coronary disease. I told the doc I am a strong advocate of prevention. So he said "let's do it then" and he put me on 20 MG generic Zocor. After 1 month my cholesterol has dropped to 143!

In my opinion it is not worth taking a chance with any vascular and heart disease risk factor.

i'll bet you being a caveman has something to do with it

[Mjcpr]

Do you still . . . you know

No, I quit almost a year ago....in fact it will be a year on January 25th I think.

[OhU1]

Our grandparents were born and raised on eggs and bacon every morning.

By today's standards, they should have been dropping dead in their 30's.

I'm guessing that doctors haven't figured everything out with the whole "cholesterol will kill us all" theory.

Dietary cholesterol is very marginally related to blood cholesterol. I bet your grandparents ate much better quality food with less processing than the average American eats today.

[OhU1]

i'll bet you being a caveman has something to do with it

:mad: What is that supposed to mean? Cavemen are what, not smart?? :mad:

[Mjcpr]

Our grandparents were born and raised on eggs and bacon every morning.

By today's standards, they should have been dropping dead in their 30's.

I'm guessing that doctors haven't figured everything out with the whole "cholesterol will kill us all" theory.

No kidding. My great grandmother, I'm sure, never gave two ****s about what she was eating other than to figure out if it tasted good. And she lived to be 102.

'Course, they probably got a lot more excercise than we get now so that helps.

[GrapevineSooner]

It's not that you're not smart.


You guys just haven't evolved. :D

[Mjcpr]

how long were you fasting before the blood draw? it can elevate the triglyceride levels fairly substantially--should have been fasting AT LEAST 8 hrs.

Good question.....I didn't fast at all. I wasn't told to, I guess, because I didn't go to the appointment for them to draw blood. He just decided to have it done during the course of the appointment. I ate lunch that day but no breakfast, as usual.

[OKC-SLC]

Why? I did. Why is it guaranteed that he'd be different?
No, not guaranteed; it sounds like you did a hell of a job and you deserve a lot of credit. And you are proof that medicines are not always the way out.

The only thing is I don't know (none of my business) how much weight you lost and what kind of diet you were eating BEFORE your new diet. Or what Pat is eating, etc. There are a lot of people who eat reasonably healthfully but still will have suboptimal cholesterols.

I will rephrase what I originally said--i should have said it will be very difficult to get LDL down with diet/exercise alone. However, if HDL goes up enough (usually from exercise, usually from muscle-building exercise) it may counter some elevations of LDL.

[OKC-SLC]

No, I quit almost a year ago....in fact it will be a year on January 25th I think.
And that is singly more important heart-wise than ANY cholesterol number. Well done.

[OKC-SLC]

Good question.....I didn't fast at all. I wasn't told to, I guess, because I didn't go to the appointment for them to draw blood. He just decided to have it done during the course of the appointment. I ate lunch that day but no breakfast, as usual.
then don't get too worked up about the triglyceride number--the rest shouldn't have been affected TOO much. We don't exactly know how important the triglyceride number is in the first place.

[Mjcpr]

Sweet. I'm going to celebrate with a pie.

;)

[olevetonahill]

4 years ago mine was at 250ish
The VA put on some kinda pill , told me dont eat eggs , dont eat cheese , you know the drill . after 6 months of takin the PILL it was down to 210 or so . them bastages still wernt happy with that so said Take 2 of them pills , dont eat eggs, dont eat cheese etc.
so I started taking 2 of them pills
within a year my count was around a 100 . and Im still Eatin eggs , cheese , whatever I want ;) Course I never stopped eating the good stuff ;)
The main cure for what ails ya is to
DRINK MO BEER :D

[jk the sooner fan]

Sweet. I'm going to celebrate with a pie.

;)

i like to have crestor flavored ice cream......instead of sprinkles, i put crestor on top

[sooner_born_1960]

4 years ago mine was at 250ish
The VA put on some kinda pill , told me dont eat eggs , dont eat cheese , you know the drill . after 6 months of takin the PILL it was down to 210 or so . them bastages still wernt happy with that so said Take 2 of them pills , dont eat eggs, dont eat cheese etc.
so I started taking 2 of them pills
within a year my count was around a 100 . and Im still Eatin eggs , cheese , whatever I want ;) Course I never stopped eating the good stuff ;)
The main cure for what ails ya is to
DRINK MO BEER :D
Thank God there's a reasonable solution.

[Mjcpr]

i like to have crestor flavored ice cream......instead of sprinkles, i put crestor on top

Does it come in a syrup or whipped cream?

[OhU1]

Beer and meat are all that a man needs for a healthy diet.

[jk the sooner fan]

its crestor cream in one of those spray cans

[Widescreen]

No, not guaranteed; it sounds like you did a hell of a job and you deserve a lot of credit. And you are proof that medicines are not always the way out.

The only thing is I don't know (none of my business) how much weight you lost and what kind of diet you were eating BEFORE your new diet. Or what Pat is eating, etc. There are a lot of people who eat reasonably healthfully but still will have suboptimal cholesterols.
I went from 260lbs to 185lbs (I'm about 6' tall) and then added about 15lbs of muscle. My diet before consisted of whatever the heck I wanted which usually involved lots of fried stuff. I'm just one of those folks that tries to do stuff without medicine if I can get away with it. However, I'm glad that these types of medications are available for when there's no other solution.

[soonerboomer93]

Im damn sure gonna watch what I eat , It trys to escape from My plate Im stabbin it with my fork :twinkies:

I only have that problem when we go for the extra fresh raw octopus, then I have to worry about prying it free from the plate

[finster]

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/2829/790038sg7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[olevetonahill]

My last EX tried to get me lose weight , Made do that slim fast crap .:eek:
Nasty shat , But I figured out how to make it taste good , Just mix in a 1/2 gallon of ICE CREAM :D

[Newbomb Turk]

if high risk factors (diabetes, very strong family history, etc) LDL should be under 70-80.

I promise you won't get there with diet/exercise alone; should consider crestor or other. and the risk for liver is modest; the risk might be increased with alcohol but shouldn't necessarily mean no drinking at all. maybe N. Turk's M.D. is a nazi?

well - I have HBP, some family history of cholesterol.

I went to a cardiologist, and he thinks my MD is a bit aggressive as far as his goals. (LDL < 70). The cardiologist thinks my current LDL of around 100 is just fine. The MD didn't say no drinking - just to watch frequent trips to drunkytown.:)

[Newbomb Turk]

My last EX tried to get me lose weight

maybe she should have given you...um...more exercize! :texan:

[OKC Sooner]

I've tried watching what I eat, the main problem is it tends to go out of focus just before I put it in my mouth and then my eyes cross. :texan:

[olevetonahill]

maybe she should have given you...um...more exercize! :texan:
Hell I was all for that idea , but she was busy givin it up to the schwans dude , Guess his popsicle was bigger than mine :O

[olevetonahill]

I've tried watching what I eat, the main problem is it tends to go out of focus just before I put it in my mouth and then my eyes cross. :texan:
Thats why God gave you 2 hands :eek: :twinkies:

[OUDoc]

So I had some blood work done recently and I guess I have high cholesterol which means I'm not the picture of health I thought I was. :D Any of you hillbillies have any diet suggestions for lowering your cholesterol that were successful?

Here are some numbers for those that are familiar with their meanings:

Cholesterol: 249 (< 200 is desirable)
HDL (Good cholesterol): 44 (normal is 35-100)
LDL (Bad cholesterol): 146 (< 130 is desirable)
Triglycerides (fats): 297 (< 150 is recommended :eek:)

I didn't think I ate all that unhealthy until I saw some of these numbers.

Any suggestions from those of you who have been on a low cholesterol diet?

Can I have your stereo?

[Mjcpr]

Can I have your stereo?

That's comforting, Doc. :D

[Penguin]

If it's any consolation, my LDL is so high it can't be measured correctly.

That was the result from my last blood test. My liver is measuring normally, if that means anything.

[Mjcpr]

If it's any consolation, my LDL is so high it can't be measured correctly.

That was the result from my last blood test. My liver is measuring normally, if that means anything.

Would your liver mind coming over? I've got some carpet measurements I'd like to have but I don't really feel like crawling around on the floor to get them.

[soonerboomer93]

you know, I just had blood tests done last month to test my thyroid, maybe I should have had my cholesterol checked also

[BeetDigger]

That's comforting, Doc. :D


Are you referring to the stereo comment or the last prostate exam he gave you?

[olevetonahill]

Can I have your stereo?
u can have mine, Its out in the back 40 , It played every Johhnie Horton tape I had in 2 seconds flat , After me and a friend rewired My A/C hit that sucker with 220 :eek:
Played dual tapes and 5 cds in NO time atall !:mad:

[olevetonahill]

Are you referring to the stereo comment or the last prostate exam he gave you?
But he is Gentile , He didnt scream at all when I told him BEND over :twinkies:

[Mongo]

On the third page and no one has asked if the blood test results tell if his boyfriend gave him the HIV?

upsetting

[olevetonahill]

On the third page and no one has asked if the blood test results tell if his boyfriend gave him the HIV?

upsetting
Hell WE try to be discreet , but since you brought it up . Did You ?

[soonerboomer93]

On the third page and no one has asked if the blood test results tell if his boyfriend gave him the HIV?

upsetting

I thought we weren't going to bring that up, since it might clue in 1tc to the fact that you had an affair with him

[Mongo]

I thought we weren't going to bring that up, since it might clue in 1tc to the fact that you had an affair with him

He knows, it's an open relationship

[soonerboomer93]

well, i'd say something gets opened

[OKC-SLC]

Can I have your stereo?
heh. i got dibs.

[soonerboomer93]

you really want and 8 track that bad eh?

[OKC-SLC]

...just to watch frequent trips to drunkytown.:)
so he/she IS a nazi. bastage.

[SoCal]

Lipitor...the best drug in the world!!!!

[Newbomb Turk]

Is Pat still alive?

[Mjcpr]

Yes.

[Newbomb Turk]

how's that diet and exercise program working out?

[Widescreen]

how's that diet and exercise program working out?
He just said he was alive. What more do you want?

[Mjcpr]

I don't excercise any more than I ever did but the diet part is going fine.

[jk the sooner fan]

for those of you taking a prescription medication for high cholesterol.......is there a certain time of day you take your med?

i was taking it in the morning but i recently had a doctor tell me i should take it at nite before bed - but he's not the one that prescribed it for me

[MamaMia]

I'm getting ready to do Jenny Craig. Maybe they'll let me make commercials with Kirstie Alley and Valerie Bertinelli. ;)

[Newbomb Turk]

i was taking it in the morning but i recently had a doctor tell me i should take it at nite before bed - but he's not the one that prescribed it for me

that's when my doc told me to take Crestor.

[Sooner in Tampa]

So I had some blood work done recently and I guess I have high cholesterol which means I'm not the picture of health I thought I was. :D Any of you hillbillies have any diet suggestions for lowering your cholesterol that were successful?

Here are some numbers for those that are familiar with their meanings:

Cholesterol: 249 (< 200 is desirable)
HDL (Good cholesterol): 44 (normal is 35-100)
LDL (Bad cholesterol): 146 (< 130 is desirable)
Triglycerides (fats): 297 (< 150 is recommended :eek:)

I didn't think I ate all that unhealthy until I saw some of these numbers.

Any suggestions from those of you who have been on a low cholesterol diet?
Pat,

I did not read the entire thread...I just read yours. I had the same problem after I retired from the Marine Corps...I started walking for 30-45 minutes a day-3-5 days a week-took a good multivitamin as well as two Omega3 tablets a day.

Fit as a fiddle.

YWIA :)

[Beef]

for those of you taking a prescription medication for high cholesterol.......is there a certain time of day you take your med?

i was taking it in the morning but i recently had a doctor tell me i should take it at nite before bed - but he's not the one that prescribed it for me
Every cholesterol med I've been on, they've told me to take before bed. My latest results from last week were:

Total: 88
HDL: 31 :(
LDL: 43
Tri: 69

My body just refuses to make good cholesterol, no matter how much I exercise or how much Niaspan I take. The bad news is my numbers were previously not much higher than this and one of my arteries went from insignificant blockage to 80% in less than a year.

[OU4LIFE]

Fit as a fiddle.

YWIA :)

Pat is really more shaped like a fiddle.....

[IB4OU2]

Good question.....I didn't fast at all. I wasn't told to, I guess, because I didn't go to the appointment for them to draw blood. He just decided to have it done during the course of the appointment. I ate lunch that day but no breakfast, as usual.

That bag of Pork rinds you ate for lunch probably caused a false reading...

[jk the sooner fan]

i take crestor too, and it ****es me off that my cardiologist never told me to take it at nite.....i took it for 3 months in the morning

[OUDoc]

i take crestor too, and it ****es me off that my cardiologist never told me to take it at nite.....i took it for 3 months in the morning
Most my patients take their cholesterol meds in the AM. I have a few that take them at night. I'm not sure what the advantage to night-time dosing is.

[OKC-SLC]

Most my patients take their cholesterol meds in the AM. I have a few that take them at night. I'm not sure what the advantage to night-time dosing is.
The theory is that at night is when your body does most of its cholesterol metabolism. I don't know if clinically this makes a difference--i.e. is the medication still at real levels at night if med taken in the am? I don't know what they did in the trials, and i'm too lazy to look it up.

[Mjcpr]

So I had some blood work done recently and I guess I have high cholesterol which means I'm not the picture of health I thought I was. :D Any of you hillbillies have any diet suggestions for lowering your cholesterol that were successful?

Here are some numbers for those that are familiar with their meanings:

Cholesterol: 249 (< 200 is desirable)
HDL (Good cholesterol): 44 (normal is 35-100)
LDL (Bad cholesterol): 146 (< 130 is desirable)
Triglycerides (fats): 297 (< 150 is recommended :eek:)

I didn't think I ate all that unhealthy until I saw some of these numbers.

Any suggestions from those of you who have been on a low cholesterol diet?

Got checked again this week. I eat healthier now....nothing crazy, but just some small changes in what I eat. New results:

CHOL: 230
HDL: 52
LDL: 139
TRIG: 195

So, everything improved...if only slightly. That's good news. Still some high numbers there but I think I'll just continue with the lower fat/lower cholesterol choices and see how it goes.

Thanks for all of your concern. :D

[ChickSoonerFan]

Good for you...

and have you completely quit smoking too?

You have, right? Right?

:)

[Sooner Born Sooner Bred]

I'm not going to read this whole thread right now, but get the American Heart Association Cookbook. It has a lot of good recipes in it that taste really good.

[Mongo]

Got checked again this week. I eat healthier now....nothing crazy, but just some small changes in what I eat. New results:

CHOL: 230
HDL: 52
LDL: 139
TRIG: 195

So, everything improved...if only slightly. That's good news. Still some high numbers there but I think I'll just continue with the lower fat/lower cholesterol choices and see how it goes.

Thanks for all of your concern. :D


Congrats dude, keep up the good work.

With your improving health conditions, that gender reassignment surgery will happen quicker than you think;)

[Mjcpr]

Good for you...

and have you completely quit smoking too?

You have, right? Right?

:)

Yes'm. Been about 19 months now. My BIL about the same.

Mrs Mjcpr has quit now for well over a month....my SIL quit recently too.

Basically, I'm a trend setter. :D

[Sooner Born Sooner Bred]

Good jorb! Glad your numbers are doing better.

[Newbomb Turk]

After 3 weeks on Vytorin:

CHOL: 129
LDL: 58
HDL: 50 something
TRYG: Can't remember, but good
Liver Function: Good

drunkytown time.

[OKC-SLC]

After 3 weeks on Vytorin:

CHOL: 129
LDL: 58
HDL: 50 something
TRYG: Can't remember, but good
Liver Function: Good

drunkytown time.
Drinks: On Turk.