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High LDL Cholesterol

bigdreams87

Senior Member
Messages
102
Does anyone know what could cause high LDL cholesterol related to this disease? IE could it be from impaired detox, an infection, related to methylation..

My LDL is 122 which is considered pretty high.
 

zoe.a.m.

Senior Member
Messages
368
Location
Olympic Peninsula, Washington
I doubt I can recall offhand what the significance is, but I too had a very high LDL (I think around 170) and high overall cholesterol, when I first had my lipids tested. I was just over 105 lbs and I am 5' tall so my doctor was shocked when she saw my numbers. My diet had almost none of the risk factors for high cholesterol so I paid no attention to the diet advice that given to me. Now, I began eating more red meat and eating more animal fats after this, and, lo and behold, six months later when I had everything rechecked, I was normal and below normal in everything. One of my healthcare people said that high cholesterol tells you much more about how your body handles sugar than fat and that the numbers fluctuate day to day according to many experts. Strange story, but true. I also found some info that overall inflammation in the body can trigger higher amounts of cholesterol since it's created to repair problems in the body.

For a different way to look at cholesterol, check out "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. I have some issues with this book but her breakdown of this issue is very good.
 

liverock

Senior Member
Messages
748
Location
UK
Cholesterol is needed for the body to make hormones such as estrogen,progesterone,testosterone,cortisol and Vitamin D. The LDL level will vary as the need for these hormones and the amount of bile we need to help digest fat varies.
An LDL level of 122 doesnt sound high and I wouldn't start taking statins at any price the way they can cause muscle fatigue. The HDL level is more important in protecting from heart disease.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/dis...cholesterol/how-the-body-uses-cholesterol.htm
 

illsince1977

A shadow of my former self
Messages
356
I heard a piece on the local news recently that said women's cholesterol can vary hugely depending on when in your monthly cycle the blood is drawn, so maybe that applies to the fluctuation.
I wish I understood if the illness affects it also, as mine is very high all the time, and I don't know if it's hereditary or a result of the illness for me.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Ive had high cholestrol since i was a teen, predating the CFS/ME. I dont know why, low cholestrol diet never really made much difference to my levels
 

Dufresne

almost there...
Messages
1,039
Location
Laurentians, Quebec
My LDL registered at 4.52 (converts to about 176) last summer. I've no idea what to make of this and to be honest, haven't put much thought into it, but my first reaction was to wonder if it pertained to my very low carb diet. I don't eat beef or cheese more than once a month and I still look, ironically, very fit, so it's nothing a dietician is likely to help me with.

So it's interesting about cholesterol suggesting more about how the body handles sugar than anything else, I'll look into that. It makes me think of another of my lab test oddities, low fasting insulin: 11 (range 40-160).
 

*GG*

senior member
Messages
6,389
Location
Concord, NH
I doubt I can recall offhand what the significance is, but I too had a very high LDL (I think around 170) and high overall cholesterol, when I first had my lipids tested. I was just over 105 lbs and I am 5' tall so my doctor was shocked when she saw my numbers. My diet had almost none of the risk factors for high cholesterol so I paid no attention to the diet advice that given to me.

Now, I began eating more red meat and eating more animal fats after this, and, lo and behold, six months later when I had everything rechecked, I was normal and below normal in everything. One of my healthcare people said that high cholesterol tells you much more about how your body handles sugar than fat and that the numbers fluctuate day to day according to many experts. Strange story, but true. I also found some info that overall inflammation in the body can trigger higher amounts of cholesterol since it's created to repair problems in the body.

For a different way to look at cholesterol, check out "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. I have some issues with this book but her breakdown of this issue is very good.

I have heard of this happening when people do the Low Carb/Atkins diet! "Now, I began eating more red meat and eating more animal fats after this, and, lo and behold, six months later when I had everything rechecked, I was normal and below normal in everything."
 

klutzo

Senior Member
Messages
564
Location
Florida
Most doctors don't keep up with new research, and I can't remember where I read this, but if you are female and getting older, the higher your LDL is, the better your cognitive function is likely to be. The body is not stupid, and usually does things for a reason.

Most Integrative doctors will tell you there is no "bad" and "good" cholesterol, just small dense cholesterol and large, buoyant cholesterol. Both HDL and LDL can be small or large in size. You want the large kind, and though this is thought to be genetic, Integrative docs believe eating less simple carbs can help you improve it. The large molecules are less likely to oxidize, which is the only thing that makes LDL "bad". Antioxidants and good diet can help prevent that.

LDL is like a bandage put on a wound in your arteries. It did not cause the wound. LDL also grabs endotoxins and removes them from your blood to be stored in fat, where they are less likely to cause end organ damage. That is why I am posting. Very high LDL in the presence of CFS or FMS type of symptoms is a red flag for Lyme Disease,which has the exact same symptoms as CFS and FMS. The body raises LDL dramatically in Lyme Disease to save it from the potent endotoxins produced when the causative pathogen (Borrelia) dies. I would advise anyone with really high LDL to be tested for Lyme, esp. if they also have a low sed rate (ESR) and low lymphocytes and/or high neutrophils, all signs of the presence of a stealth bacterial infection.

Having said that, 122 is not a high LDL. Up until a few years ago, when Big Pharma discovered they could create new norms out of thin air and make a fortune off of selling more meds that way, LDLs below 130 were normal.

When I got Lyme, my LDL went up to 279. That is what I am talking about, not 122. My LDL is now down to 131 with herbal Lyme treatment.

I recommend that anyone who is interested should Google "The Cholesterol Myth" and have your eyes opened.

You should be far more worried about your homocysteine, your CRP, your fasting insulin, and your pulse pressure when it comes to heart disease. This is not just my opinion, though I do come from the perspective of having studied Naturopathy.

Also look up the VAP test for cholesterol, which should explain about the size of the molecules being more important than the numbers. Insurance won't pay for you to have the VAP done, since conventional medicine does not believe you can do anything about the size of your molecules, so they go on perpetuating the myths and selling dangerous statin drugs, without even adding COQ10 to them, which is malpractice, IMO.

klutzo
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
Im similar to u Dufresne, but i eat beef and cheese, if i do eat carbs it go's higher, i have been trying non flush niacin but this hasnt helped and despite being on low carb diet for along time, the last 12 months have started to put weight on around the middle, so i think i am becoming more insulin resistant and diabetes runs in my family(adult onset) so i have just started metformin 3 days ago to help improve insulin resistance and already its dropping my appetitte, i do think blood sugar and how your body handles insulin has alot to do with cholesterol. Time will tell and hopefully lose some weight with metformin whcih i have heard others do.

cheers!!
My LDL registered at 4.52 (converts to about 176) last summer. I've no idea what to make of this and to be honest, haven't put much thought into it, but my first reaction was to wonder if it pertained to my very low carb diet. I don't eat beef or cheese more than once a month and I still look, ironically, very fit, so it's nothing a dietician is likely to help me with.

So it's interesting about cholesterol suggesting more about how the body handles sugar than anything else, I'll look into that. It makes me think of another of my lab test oddities, low fasting insulin: 11 (range 40-160).
 

bigdreams87

Senior Member
Messages
102
Thanks everyone for the comments!!

You guys have definitely given me a lot of different angles to consider. Thanks again.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
My LDL registered at 4.52 (converts to about 176) last summer.

I'd love to have your cholestrol!! Mine is way up at 7.6 .. i'd hate to know what that converts to. Im going to be put on drugs for it sometime soon... my CFS specialist didnt want to give me these kind of drugs but it just climbs and climbs.

(i think ive read that it may be something to do with liver?)
 

Otis

Señor Mumbler
Messages
1,117
Location
USA
My latest LDL is 135. My doc wants to see it @ 60. The problem I have is high arterial plaque (from a heart scan) which if not checked will lead to a heart attack at a young age. I've started statins more than once but quit due to concerns with leg pain. I'm being pressed by my GP and cardio to take the statins.

I had a bad reaction (a large addition to my already brutal leg pain) to a prescription form of niacin so my options seem very limited. I haven't "completely" recovered from that trial.

The pain in my legs is to the point that if it gets much worse I won't be walking so I'm very cautious about doing anything to worsen it.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
 

soxfan

Senior Member
Messages
995
Location
North Carolina
I had my cholesterol checked in January and my LDL was 109. In August it had gone up to 140. Total cholesterol was 190 in January and 244 in August. I have been having some big thyroid problems (hypo) and the doctor has been changing around my dosing. I am pretty sure that this huge change without any change in my diet or exercise is from my thyroid. I also have nodules which were found in January. I can't help but think this is all related somehow. There is alot of information on high cholesterol and hypothyrodism..you might want to check into that also.
 
Messages
5,238
Location
Sofa, UK
There are also genetic reasons for having high cholesterol levels despite eating a relatively low-cholesterol diet, so genetics may also be a factor here.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
what other meds are out there besides statins for cholesterol as i have heard they can lower our q10 levels and if we take them we need to supplement with q10. I know theres niacin but is there any other drugs that may work. I was taking non-flush niacin and my last test showed no difference in cholesterol, but was on a low dose so now i have increased the dose, so we will see how it go's. We have to remember that cholesterol is just a risk factor not a predictor of heart disease , the problems occurr when cholesterol is oxidized in the blood vessels, so taking good doses of varied antioxidants can help with this, also a low dose asprin 100mg a day can lower the incidence of heart disease. With all the publicity cholesterol gets, it cause a bit of a scare, im not sure if its as big a deal as its made out to be but drug companies make alot of money from it because once they sign u up your basically on the drug for life. food for thought.

cheers!!!!
 

*GG*

senior member
Messages
6,389
Location
Concord, NH
My latest LDL is 135. My doc wants to see it @ 60. The problem I have is high arterial plaque (from a heart scan) which if not checked will lead to a heart attack at a young age. I've started statins more than once but quit due to concerns with leg pain. I'm being pressed by my GP and cardio to take the statins.

I had a bad reaction (a large addition to my already brutal leg pain) to a prescription form of niacin so my options seem very limited. I haven't "completely" recovered from that trial.

The pain in my legs is to the point that if it gets much worse I won't be walking so I'm very cautious about doing anything to worsen it.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Do some research on Statins, I have heard some people are seriously damaged by taking them! I believe leg pain is one of the symptoms.

How about Red Yeast Rice or somthing like that as a Natural means of reducing your cholesterol?

GG
 

Otis

Señor Mumbler
Messages
1,117
Location
USA
Thanks GG. The statin script is at the pharmacy while I decide what to do. If I lose any more leg functionality I'll have to roll, so this is one I'm taking very seriously.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I doubt I can recall offhand what the significance is, but I too had a very high LDL (I think around 170) and high overall cholesterol, when I first had my lipids tested. I was just over 105 lbs and I am 5' tall so my doctor was shocked when she saw my numbers. My diet had almost none of the risk factors for high cholesterol so I paid no attention to the diet advice that given to me. Now, I began eating more red meat and eating more animal fats after this, and, lo and behold, six months later when I had everything rechecked, I was normal and below normal in everything. One of my healthcare people said that high cholesterol tells you much more about how your body handles sugar than fat and that the numbers fluctuate day to day according to many experts. Strange story, but true. I also found some info that overall inflammation in the body can trigger higher amounts of cholesterol since it's created to repair problems in the body.

For a different way to look at cholesterol, check out "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. I have some issues with this book but her breakdown of this issue is very good.

To add to what zoe said..

I have high cholestrol and one of my specialists now is putting this down to the fact that ive developed Insulin resistance. So consider this is you are having issues with carbohydrates. Also I got told that eatting more meat can help balance this issue (along with restricting carbs)
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Thanks GG. The statin script is at the pharmacy while I decide what to do. If I lose any more leg functionality I'll have to roll, so this is one I'm taking very seriously.

One of my specialists has kept me off of statin drugs and told me in the past that he didnt want me on them.. He told me that those who are unlucky enough to heart attacks on them, are actually more likely to die from the heart attack then someone who has a heart attack and isnt on them. So yeah.. many things to think about with these drugs.

Other things which are said to be bad cholestrol lowering are taking fish oil capsules and fibre supplements. (i do do both of those things but it doesnt help my case, but maybe it would help another)