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Low Cholesterol-Does Anyone Else Have Low Cholesterol?

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
I went to my new chiropractor today and he reminded me of something that I remember, but no one has ever known what to do about and he doesn't either. I was talking to him about hormones. My lack of them and when I went to a nutritionist years ago. In 1997-I went to an ortho-molecular biologist. After looking at my blood work back in 1997-he told me my main problem was low cholesterol.

I had super low cholesterol and he said that that was why I was so sick. That my adrenals were not working for that main reason. He put me on all kinds of stuff including 30 different vitamins a day. Tyrosine, NADH, Phosphatidyl Choline, B vitamins, C, so many more and in 3 years my cholesterol never went up.

Fast forward 15 years, my cholesterol is still super low. While at my Chiropractor's today, when I told him this, he reacted. "What? Well, that's why your estrogen and progesterone are in the gutter. Because you don't make cholesterol. We make all hormones from cholesterol. People who have low cholesterol have failure to thrive."

When I went to a GYN who was a holistic functional medicine MD, she took a look at my Genovations Liver test and said....here it is. This is why you don't make cholesterol. You have a genetic absence in the liver of GSTM1. On the test, it says...ABSENT.

She told me right then and there...I can't help you hormonally. Without that, you don't make cholesterol and you don't process hormones correctly. She called Genovations to even talk to them about this. It's a genetic abnormality that I happen to have. Ironically, everyone else in my family has high cholesterol.

She dismissed me as a patient and I had to be on my way.

This is really upsetting, as I have something here that I can't fix?

I looked this up on the internet...what causes low cholesterol? Well, I couldn't get an answer, but it said this..

"In the setting of critical illness, low cholesterol levels are predictive of clinical deterioration, and are correlated with altered cytokine levels."

Interesting. Yes, that is about right. I have deteriorated. I have more pain which has to do with cytokine levels. I have extremely low cholesterol. I am skinny. I have PCOS and yet I am super skinny. PCOS patients are usually overweight. Not me.

Does anyone else have something like this? And if you happen to be a brain, what can I do for this?
 

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
@AndyPandy -thank you for always being so nice. I appreciate it. Commenting. I have a feeling I am a rare bird on this one, too. This is not typical. It's usually caused by cholesterol medicine, yet again, another anomaly of my whacked out body.
 

AndyPandy

Making the most of it
Messages
1,928
Location
Australia
You are welcome. I don't have many ways left available to contribute positively in life. I have made a conscious decision to support others on PR as much as I can.

I don't have the scientific or medical knowledge that others do and my energy and cognitive powers are dramatically reduced, but I can still do kindness! :)

I can also be a force to be reckoned with when the need arises! :devil: Just not on PR!

Best wishes, Andy
 

MCRobbie

Senior Member
Messages
127
MT, I don't want to ask something which you may not want to reveal but if you didn't mind would you care to share what your cholesterol levels are and have been? And I guess it does also beg the question, are you making any unusual dietary choices? I seem to think Paul Jaminet on his blog Perfect Health Diet might have some posts which might be of interest to you though Im not sure. He talks a lot about the importance of cholesterol and it is true that Cholesterol is a criticual building block for many metabolites/chemicals in the body, neurochemicals and all kinds of molecules. Super low cholesterol is not good and Paul has some posts on his blog to back that up.

It probably wouldn't help as dietary cholesterol usually doesn't affect cholesterol levels in ones blood, not nearly as much as people think, but it cant hurt to try high cholesterol foods, which are good for you anyways!
 

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
Hey, @MCRobbie -I don't know. I don't have any of the cholesterol tests. I have so many tests but can't find them. I could if I dug into my closet and looked at tests from years ago, but I know they haven't changed. As usual, no doc really takes it seriously and acts like it's great that they are in the low range, but its not.

I just read that low cholesterol is the precursor to serotonin and causes horrible depression and anxiety which would explain a lot for me.

I know it's bad for you from what I Am reading, but what to do about it? it originates from malnutrition, which I do eat and also liver issues....also adrenal. Not sure which came first.

Thank you for your insight.
 
Messages
15,786
When I went to a GYN who was a holistic functional medicine MD, she took a look at my Genovations Liver test and said....here it is. This is why you don't make cholesterol. You have a genetic absence in the liver of GSTM1. On the test, it says...ABSENT.

She told me right then and there...I can't help you hormonally. Without that, you don't make cholesterol and you don't process hormones correctly. She called Genovations to even talk to them about this. It's a genetic abnormality that I happen to have. Ironically, everyone else in my family has high cholesterol.

She dismissed me as a patient and I had to be on my way.
GSTM1 shouldn't have anything to do with making cholesterol or processing hormones. 50% of Caucasians are GSTM1 absent, and it just indicates trouble processing certain toxins/drugs.

But at least you don't have a moron for a doctor anymore :thumbsup:
 
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MCRobbie

Senior Member
Messages
127
This is one Post of Paul Jaminets that I remember, how to raise HDL. http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/04/how-to-raise-hdl/. Hes written a lot on cholesterol on his blog. Chris Kresser at his site has also written some very informative pieces on what your cholesterol results actually mean. For example, when one talks about HDL and LDL High and Low Density Lipoproteins which is what these acronyms stand for, these molecules are actually NOT cholesterol, they are transport molecules, called lipoproteins, which act as carriers, shuttle buses if you will, taxi cabs for all kinds of different molecules, in this case they carry cholesterol, and fats, and fat soluble vitamins to your cells everywhere in your body. Your body makes all kinds of these taxi cab lipoproteins to carry specific molecules to your cells. For example ceruloplasmin is another lipoprotein that specifically carries copper to your cells. So if your doctor says you are low in cholesterol what she/he might be saying is you are low in these taxi cab shuttle bus lipoproteins, not necessarily cholesterol. In other words could you have a cholesterol shuttling issue rather than a cholesterol manufacturing issue? So these things need to be sorted out and better defined and you should really look into understanding all of this because it could be very important to your current condtion. Good luck!!
 
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MCRobbie

Senior Member
Messages
127
Paul also wrote a brilliant post which most Drs would have absolutely no idea that this is another way to understand these Cholesterol Carrying Lipoproteins, that these Lipoproteins are a part of ones immune defense, so that if you are low in "cholesterol" which really means low in these lipoproteins it could affect the function of ones immune defense. But this is cutting edge theorizing by Paul. Brilliant and goose bump inducing.........http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/04/hdl-and-immunity/. This would be yet another reason Paul would say you want your 'cholesterol numbers' high rather than low, to support immune function and infection clearance.
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
I have low cholesterol levels. I don't digest animal fats very well so my diet is probably part of the problem, although I had low cholesterol even back in the days when I did not have problems eating animal fats.

IIRC my levels are in the low end of the range, not below. Still my doc says I have the cholesterol of a hamster :eek:
 

Tammy

Senior Member
Messages
2,181
Location
New Mexico
I don't have low cholesterol anymore but in the beginning I did............and this was one of the things my immunologist was concerned about the most . At the time I thought why would he be so concerned with my low cholesterol levels...........................but as you are starting to learn it is very important. I'm sorry I don't remember what he recommended...........this was back in 96,,,,97??????????? Anyway...........hopefully this is a clue that may help you gain some ground.
 
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alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
GSTM1 shouldn't have anything to do with making cholesterol or processing hormones. 50% of Caucasians are GSTM1 absent, and it just indicates trouble processing certain toxins/drugs.
This is correct: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/2944

Either the name of the gene is wrong, or the conclusion it affects cholesterol is wrong. It will however make you very vulnerable to dietary impact from a whole range of natural and synthetic chemicals.
 
Messages
15,786
So the good news is we are back to figuring out why you have low cholesterol ... if you do. You have low synthesis of transporter molecules I am guessing, how this relates to actual cholesterol is still unknown.
@Misfit Toy - There might be a clue in your 23andMe data. If you have a very rare mutation, http://sourceforge.net/projects/analyzemygenes/ might be able to find it. It's a small downloadable program so you don't have to send your own data to a site.

Alternatively, you can look up online which genes effect cholesterol synthesis, transportation, and break down, then look up the SNPs which 23andMe tests on those genes to see if you have a rare or known problematic version of any of them.

A useful doctor also might be willing to run blood tests to try to find the cause. But I'd be really surprised if it's not treatable :p
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Weird! I actually have high cholesterol but I am thin and I think it is genetic or somehow connected to the illness itself?