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[nicolaVR]

Hello everyone,
I was recommended this forum by my  (generally wonderful) GP,  who  put  me on HRT six months ago -  and possibly  saved my  life. I was suffering  from extreme anxiety  and insomnia, triggered by a horrible sequence of stressful events at work -  and my  periods just 'stopped'. I will never know whether the stress at work helped trigger the menopause early, or the onset of menopause made the stress much worse. Anyway, I'm on the mend-  am about to  start a new job, which will hopefully be less stressful.  Posting  because I'm trawling the forum for information about high cholesterol. My LDL was up six months ago, and I'm anxiously waiting for the outcome of a second test, after 6 months of try avoiding bad fats, and being largely vegan.  To put it in perspective, I got plenty of exercise, was in fairly good shape, and ate  a Mediterranean style diet before I  started messing around with it in response to my  GP  threatening me with statins -  so  to  improve my  diet, I  had to  resort to ‘extreme measures', but don't know if I've done enough. Anyone out there taking statins? What are the side effects like?  BTW, I'm 45 -  so  still on the young side for statins. I  just feel biology  has played a nasty joke  on me,  and I'm *not finding it  funny anymore* .

[bear]

Hello nicolaVR,

Welcome! My LDL is high, although HDL is also high which is good. I have been prescribed (threatened, as you say) statins and kindly declined. From all I have read about this, genetics, menopause, exercise and diet influence LDL levels. Vegans are particularly at risk because their diet are rich in Omega 6 and poor in Omega 3. I am veggie and now I take an algae DHA/EPA supplement and it has worked so far, LDL levels are still high but have decreased significantly after only 3 months. I also have high triglycerides and there was no change in levels, unfortunately. GP thinks menopause has affected my whole fat and sugar metabolism, but I was able to control sugar with diet and a bit more physical activity. My advice is to increase your Omega 3 levels and exercise, forget statins.

BeaR.

[Hurdity]

Hello nicolaVR,

Welcome! My LDL is high, although HDL is also high which is good. I have been prescribed (threatened, as you say) statins and kindly declined. From all I have read about this, genetics, menopause, exercise and diet influence LDL levels. Vegans are particularly at risk because their diet are rich in Omega 6 and poor in Omega 3. I am veggie and now I take an algae DHA/EPA supplement and it has worked so far, LDL levels are still high but have decreased significantly after only 3 months. I also have high triglycerides and there was no change in levels, unfortunately. GP thinks menopause has affected my whole fat and sugar metabolism, but I was able to control sugar with diet and a bit more physical activity. My advice is to increase your Omega 3 levels and exercise, forget statins.

BeaR.

Hi nicolaVR

 

Your doc should not prescribe statins purely on the basis of a single LDL level.  You should have measurements of Total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL and the ratio (of total/HDL - or something similar - can't remember off hand!) can then be calculated. If it is still out of range the doc should do the Q risk scroe test which also takes into account your age, weight and BP I think and then arrive at a score of your stroke risk. I think you can do the test yourself online. NICE Guidelines give a level above which statins should be offered as far as I remember. eg I have high Total Ch and LDL but my ration of High to HDL is fine. Also my BMI is fine and I have low BP so my Qrisk score is something like 7 %. Whatever the actual results - the doc say all normal. She knows I take exercise and have a good diet so not much more I can do. Apparently some people have naturally higher Ch anyway.

Please don't be anxious - and see if you can get hold of those other measurements. No need to be vegan unless you want to be although cutting down meat and high fat food etc (esp saturated fats) is generally thought to be beneficial on balance - think this is still the advice? Mediterranean diet I though was supposed to be recommended for our overall health!

There is a thread on it (cholesterol) somewhere I will find and bump for you...

Hurdity x

[nicolaVR]

Hi -  thanks for your sympathetic replies. It was indeed the ratio that was out of normal range, not   the absolute LDL level. I don't have any other risk factors. The Qrisk  ( she did calculate it) -  was also  about 7%.  Given the background- and all the stress etc,  I  latched on to  this as perhaps one thing that I  could control through my  own agency.  Getting a different job was more important, but not altogether in my  control. Anyway, your replies have given me some ammunition for the discussion with the doctor -  perhaps I  haven't got the dietary details quite right yet.

[bear]

You're welcome! Here's a link to the most recent QRISK® calculator https://qrisk.org/three/index.php

BeaR.

[Kathleen]

Hello nicolaVR and welcome to the forum.

I agree with the other ladies that it would be a good idea to try diet and lifestyle changes before taking statins.

I just wanted to add that it's possible to eat unhealthily even as a vegetarian or vegan so these labels can be misleading sometimes.. The healthiest way of eating that I have found is referred to as  Whole Food, Plant Based and should include plenty of starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, wholemeal rice and wholemeal pasta. There is a lot of information online if you are interested in learning more. I have been eating this way for three years and my Qrisk score measured 3.6% a few months ago. All my numbers are on the low side of normal including cholesterol.

 I hope you feel better soon and you get the right treatment asap.

Wishing you well.

K.

[Sparrow]

Mine fluctuates between 6 & 7, but my GP is not concerned.  The use of statins and the role of cholesterol in CVD is hotly dispute in the medical world.

Remember you are in charge, so listen to the doctors advice BUT make your own mind up.

[nicolaVR]

Thanks again. I certainly have no enthusiasm for more medication. Let's see what the retest comes back with.

[CLKD]

Mine was 7 for years but I was doing OK so GP ignored it.  However, another GP who took bloods to check VitD levels [which were low] nearly blew a gasket - insisted that I went onto them and DH was told he needed them too.  He did the 6 months alteration of diet but I took them.  Our regular GP explained that the guidelines had been altered and it made sense at the time 

No problems with taking them.