How to lower the "bad" cholesterol???

**sianie87** · 11-24-2010 03:46 PM

Hi all and thanks for reading and so sorry its long and your replies. i wen to the hospital yesterday for my 6 month check for pcos and everything that goes with it. i had bloods done a week before i went. any way i went and i was told that i have raised "bad" cholesterol and low "good" cholesterol in my body and with my weight(as i am over wait) and blood pressure is on the high side(always is when i see him&normal at my doctors) he wanted me to go on cholesterol tablets at the age of 23! when i went 6 months ago and saw a different doctor for a 6 month check(but at the same place at the hospital) he said my cholesterol was raised and nothing to worry about but yesterday for some reason it was everything to worry about. of course i said no becuase i want children and i would have to plan the pregnancy as i would have to come of the tablets as it would cause damage to my unborn baby and if i was not to plan and something happed and i got pregnant while on these tablets(as i can not use the pill&not really believe in the prevention of pregnancy) it would be 7 to 8 weeks before i found out i was pregnant it would be too late as it would have already harmed my unborn baby and i do NOT want.
The doctor i went to see its not the first time he has scared me and does have a go at me about my weight every single time i go so no wonder i am stressed as he always tells me that anti depressants do NOT put weight one people(and we all know that they can and do) and its what i put in my mouth and try to eat 2 meals aday and not 3 when i take tablets that require me to eat as i take metformin for the hormone imbalance.pcos and insulin resistance. he has scared me so much as he made it sound like that i was a heart attack on legs and need to take these tablets before i die and for the future. im scared to eat anything and dont know what else to do. i am going to my doctors to see what she says as i want the test done again as i was not told if i had to fast and one of the cholesterol tests you should fast and how much it was raised by. i am trying the black and green tea and trying to loose some wieght. i have had to make changes to my diet as my mum has problems so we grill or oven cook everything and i cut the fat out as much i can.
has anyone any ideas to help so i can get this "bad cholesterol down so i do not have to take these tablets yet? ?i know pcos will mean i will have to have them one day as pcos just messes up your body and can make the liver create more bad fat. so depressing as this has messed everything up.

**ItsASecret** · 11-24-2010 04:02 PM

of course i said no becuase i want children and i would have to plan the pregnancy as i would have to come of the tablets as it would cause damage to my unborn baby and if i was not to plan and something happed and i got pregnant while on these tablets(as i can not use the pill&not really believe in the prevention of pregnancy) it would be 7 to 8 weeks before i found out i was pregnant it would be too late as it would have already harmed my unborn baby and i do NOT want

Sorry but are you saying that you believe that taking cholesterol meds will cause harm to an unborn baby? If so this is not the case.

he has scared me so much as he made it sound like that i was a heart attack on legs and need to take these tablets before i die and for the future.

A doctor who looks at high levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) will absolutely be advising their patients of what the long term damaging effects are. Mainly coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, thrombus, and hypercholesterolemia. I understand if you believe that he was just saying it to scare you but there is some merit to the reason that high LDL cholesterol is really a thing to watch out for. It does not mean you are going to drop dead tomorrow, no no no lol, he is just saying you really need to be careful about your weight and overall health.

Your doctor will not automatically put you on meds, often they tell you to improve your lifestyle by changing your diet. This mean removing cholesterol, saturated and trans fats from your diet....this means EVERYTHING deep fried, fast food, frozen foods, processed food, and animal fats (except omega-3)...you name it get rid of it. Statins will be the drug of choice as they lower LDL, the brands are mainly Lipitor and Lovastatin.

**sianie87** · 11-24-2010 04:18 PM

my doctor told me if i take the statins i will have to come off them to to get pregnant as it will cause damage to the unborn baby if i am on them and i do not know i am pregnant for 7 to 8 weeks it will be to late so im so confused and feel like i can not eat anything at all and if i could i have no idea what? and i dont deep fry anything as i dont even have one. will it be a good idea to take omega 3 in tablet form?

**ItsASecret** · 11-24-2010 06:41 PM

feel like i can not eat anything at all and if i could i have no idea what? and i dont deep fry anything as i dont even have one. will it be a good idea to take omega 3 in tablet form?

Healthy food is what you need to eat, or at least what your doctor is basically saying. Increasing the healthy fats like omega-3 (like salmon), while avoiding the saturated and trans fats. Anything people say is not good for you is pretty much correct. Fast food, processed foods (so the packaged meats and cheeses), frozen foods, pizza, foods loaded in fat like pasta topped with cheese and alfredo sauce, oils other than olive oil...just things of that sort are all going to contribute to high cholesterol. There will be many books at the book store about eating healthier to minimize cholesterol or reducing it. Granted not everything tastes great when you take away those certain fats but it becomes an acquired taste and you learn to pick out the healthier things that will benefit you.

**jns** · 11-24-2010 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by sianie87

my doctor told me if i take the statins i will have to come off them to to get pregnant as it will cause damage to the unborn baby if i am on them and i do not know i am pregnant for 7 to 8 weeks it will be to late so im so confused and feel like i can not eat anything at all and if i could i have no idea what? and i dont deep fry anything as i dont even have one. will it be a good idea to take omega 3 in tablet form?

Statins can also lower testosterone, a key hormone for sexual desire.

**sianie87** · 11-26-2010 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by jns

Statins can also lower testosterone, a key hormone for sexual desire.

Well this is why i do not want them as my sex drive/desire is almost gone anyway, even though i have PCOS which causes high testosterone. i just want to try anything before the tablets. i have started doing 10 minutes of exercise and then build on that and making it half an hour but my thighs kill after a few minutes and i have to stop and start.i have bought omega 3 in tablets form to try and help as i have heard it can lower cholesterol and trying to eat more fruit. anymore advise?

**WildChild** · 11-26-2010 02:24 PM

Check out MUFAs, mono unsaturated fats. They are good fats, you do need them for a healthy body and healthy nerves. They can actually help reduce the bad fats in your body. Start educating yourself about healthy eating habits, portion control and exersize, in other words, how to live a healthy life. You are young and you can correct this and improve your health for life.

**Colorado** · 11-26-2010 06:39 PM

Have they spoken with you about NIACIN?
Niacin can naturally reduce bad cholesterol; but read up on it first as it can have some side effects for some sensative folks. In which case there is NIACINAMIDE, which has all the possitive effects of lowering cholesterol without the bad side effects - flushing & itchiness.
Niacin/Niacinamide is also fantastic for your skin, and blood. What a great deal of folks dont know however is that to get the full effects of niacin/niacinamide, they also need to ensure they are taking enough vitamin B with it, as one "unlocks" the full potential of the other - and vice-versa.

I suggest asking your doc about this as it may be an option. They usually have folks try this FIRST before putting them on meds, funny your doc didn't.

**hoops** · 11-26-2010 11:50 PM

I eat oatmeal every morning with chia in it. Yes, the chia as in the chia pet. Chia seed has high oil content, and the richest vegetables source for essential omega-3 fatty acid.

Cut out all fried foods and other high saturated fats. Reduce your carbs. Removing saturated and trans fats (anything with "partially hyrogenated" in the ingredients) will lower your LDL. Oh yeah, and exercise.

Then you need to raise your HDL (good cholesterol). Eat fish like salmon, nuts like almonds, and olive oil. Google HDL and good fat - to learn more. Include monounsaturated fats in your diet. Monounsaturated fats such as canola oil, avocado oil, or olive oil and in the fats found in peanut butter can increase HDL cholesterol levels without increasing the total cholesterol. There is actually tasty, good stuff to eat.

Eat well and exercise. If you are able to lose weight, you will be surprised what improvements you will see in blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. Good luck!

**sianie87** · 11-27-2010 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by Colorado

Have they spoken with you about NIACIN?
Niacin can naturally reduce bad cholesterol; but read up on it first as it can have some side effects for some sensative folks. In which case there is NIACINAMIDE, which has all the possitive effects of lowering cholesterol without the bad side effects - flushing & itchiness.
Niacin/Niacinamide is also fantastic for your skin, and blood. What a great deal of folks dont know however is that to get the full effects of niacin/niacinamide, they also need to ensure they are taking enough vitamin B with it, as one "unlocks" the full potential of the other - and vice-versa.

I suggest asking your doc about this as it may be an option. They usually have folks try this FIRST before putting them on meds, funny your doc didn't.

My doctor never told me what he wanted me too take as he said stains and i said no as im only 23 and he would leave it with me for when i see my g.p next week. i have never heard of any of these names. shall i right these down and show my g.p next tuesday? also i do not trust the doctor who have said this because he has done things to scare me when i found out there was nothing wrong.