Hi all.

Have been real faithfully lc'ing since Oct. 5, 2005 (under 20 g/day.) I've lost ten pounds. Skin became nicer, teeth quit aching, PMS much improved, food choices not a problem - could do this as a lifestyle. My total cholesterol was 233 when I began, and I was excited to have my 3 month tests done because I knew my cholesterol would improve, and my triglycerides would be great. Wrong. Here are my results:

Total cholesterol: 263 (Highest risk category)
LDL: 167 (should be under 100-also highest category)
HDL: 59 (this is actually not bad)
Triglycerides: 189 (should be under 150, this is borderline high)
Ratio: 4.5 (should be under 4)

I am shocked. And scared. I've been noticing pain between my shoulders/under my shoulder blades during exercise. Angina? Good grief, in trying to avoid heart disease, have I caused it? This wasn't supposed to happen! I feel disillusioned and betrayed. I don't know where to turn. My endocrinologist is the low fat type, and I know that's wrong...I think. Geez. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Fluffy

Hi Fluffy,

(Love the screen name)
Dr. Atkins talks about what to do if your test results are askew in DANDR. Do you have a copy of the new version? He advises retesting every three months, and gives a list of supplements to take to lower cholesterol. See pages 175 to 176. Good luck.

__________________
Michelle
209 / 187 / 150




DH's R&R Goal:
209 / 187 / 165
(2 months to go!)

fluff - some of us just need extra help with our cholesterol levels. I resisted what my doctor said, but in the end -- as is wise -- I followed his advice and started taking Lipitor daily, and have been for about three years now.

The numbers are fine now, and I don't worry about it. I WANTED to believe that eating low carb -- low fat -- fasting -- WHATEVER -- would improve the numbers, but it didn't. Only the meds did.

__________________
April

The face of a child can say a lot -- especially the mouth part of the face.

My Blog

My two cents...

Cholesterol levels have a hereditary component. Don't you just love that commercial that shows the people who resemble food? As it says, some of it's what you eat--some of it's what you inherit.

That said, my total cholesterol went way up when I started Atkins--at least 50 points, by one test. Now (three years in) it has leveled off at about 210. That's a little high for the total, BUT my HDL/LDL ratio is .9, and triglycerides 43. I believe these good numbers are the result of a commitment to exercise, and also the aforementioned heredity. My doc is not worried.

One test isn't the entire story. Wait a while, and have another one. Work with your doctor on possible medication. And do your own research. I'm convinced that eating fat alone is not the cause of clogged arteries. Eating fat (especially trans fat) combined with sugar and white flour IS. Atkins will fix that quickly.

Make sure your Atkins fats are mostly olive oil, flax seed, salad dressings, mayo, butter, cream. But don't worry too much about the fats attached to chicken, red meat, or fish. Even bacon. As always: Moderation. Moderation. Moderation. And keep exercising!

__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

hello fluffy. is there some reason why youre eating UNDER 20 carbs a day, and for so long, since the beginning of october? firstly, i would expect for you to eat at LEAST 20 carbs a day, and by this time, you should have moved on to owl, especially since, as i've seen elsewhere, you don't have a large amount of weight to lose.

are you following atkins? if so, please review your book to make the appropriate adjustments. eating a more restrictive diet than required to lose weight can often make it more difficult to lose weight, along with other potential problems. if you're not, then please, pick a plan, get the book and follow it if you have concerns about how it's working. and regardless, all of this should be in concert with your own medical care, especially if you have concerns in that area.

well, i don't know that you're going to appreciate my thoughts so much, but here they are anyway: TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. period. if you aren't comfortable with your current doctor, get another one. while we have a host of highly knowledgable people here, an internet support forum is NOT an appropriate substitute for medical advice. we DO NOT and CAN NOT give medical advice here. epsecially if some of your test results are in the borderline range, you need to be working closely with your personal medical support people to monitor the situation.

PLEASE don't expect to get the answers you need from folks on a support board. get the medical care you need.

__________________

I agree, chest pain is nothing to mess around with.

What are your fiber numbers? Fiber helps to reduce blood serum cholesterol numbers. Are you adding flaxmeal EVERYDAY? How much are you exercising? Are you drinking adequate amounts of water? What's your family history on cholesterol? Are you taking vitamins? Maybe garlic capsules would help.

I don't know, I'm just brainstorming. I'm not a doc.

__________________

Hello again,

Firstly, I wasn't looking for medical advice, I know you can't and won't and shouldn't, only fishing for thoughts or experiences, and mostly out of frustration. I wanted some kindred souls to allow me to vent without the usual low-fat spanking and judgement.

Second, was following a plan that insisted carbs stay at that level, period, and low fiber too. Though, I do specifically remember Dr. A saying to hold your horses a minute on moving carbs up into OWL if you're one who lost especially slowly during induction (me,) and consider staying at the level for a while. I've since decided that upping the carbs and fiber was the right way to go.

This test was for a baseline. I believe the results stem from the usual: too many calories, too much bodyfat, underexercising. There is no history of cholesterol problems in my family. I was exercising only occasionally, taking just a few vitamins (cod liver oil, C, calcium.) I have now added chromium, niacin, selenium, and lecithin. Also psyllium supplements and adding more flax. Getting serious about exercise, but not strong enough to do it as often as I want to yet. Getting stronger all the time. Also, was eating way too many calories. I have added a diet/fitness tracker to my PDA and use it daily. It took a couple weeks of thinking I should be on the low-fat train before I returned to my senses. And about the chest pain, every time I've gone very low carb, I've noticed some chest discomfort. I think I just don't do well that low. Now am following Dr. Lutz's recommendations and haven't had an issue since. I plan to retest in a few months.

For better or worse, I did appreciate hearing different points of view on my post. That anyone cares enough to write at all is encouraging, whether we have consensus or not. Thank you all for your thoughts during my moment of panic.

Much love,

Fluffy

P.S. Am down another 3 lbs. since I last updated: 167/156/120

Hi Fluffy,
I'm going to throw out another possiblity that I did not see mentioned above (forgive me if I just overlooked it)...
You have only been eating this way since October, right?
It is MY understanding (and what MY endocrinologist told ME) that it can take up to SIX MONTHS or longer for blood lipids to reflect dietary changes.

That means that your numbers COULD very well be reflecting your previous diet/way of eating -- especially if that diet was NOT GOOD. In other words, if I am eating lots of carbs and fat and high-glycemic foods for about 5 years and then I suddenly switch to Atkins, it *MAY* take my blood chemistry a little time to reflect that change. My doctor would not even test my levels until I had been following this way of eating for a FULL 8 MONTHS (and he is a licenced MD endocrinologist). He basically said it would be a waste of time.
The result when he did finally test me?
SIGNIFICANT DROP IN ALL of my levels (except HDL which (thankfully) went up).
I guess the real point here is that your doctor should have taken a baseline before you began this woe... I would not panic just yet; I would get your levels rechecked in about 4-5 months and see where you stand then.
I truly hope this helps!

__________________
Summer

Fluffy, eating really LOW carb is not healthy, so perhaps your body was screaming at you to eat more healthy carbs, such as vegetables and fruits. A thought popped into my head, " Maybe potassium levels are out of whack. " It might be something for you to get checked with your doc.

I can't imagine an eating plan that says you should lower your fiber intake. That one mystifies me. Fiber is absolutely essential for good digestion (keeps ya regular) and absorption of cholesterol.

Do what you can on the exercise front. Build your stamina. When I first started I couldn't do much, but NOW, I am amazed at what my body is capable of. Keep at it, it WILL come!!!!!

__________________

Hi again, Fluffy--and others interested in the cholesterol issue.

Yesterday, I read the following article on another site. I can't vouch for the credentials of the writer, but I thought the discussion was interesting, and you can make your own judgment.

http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/0000000CAE78.htm

I think we can be pretty sure the pharmaceutical companies have a strong interest in promoting statin drugs as the answer to "high cholesterol." It's tough being a conscientious consumer--or a conscientious doctor, for that matter.

__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Barb, what a FAScinating article!!!!! My DH and I have debates every once in awhile about drugs and pharmaceutical companies. He thinks I teeter on the edge of paranoia/conspiracy theorist. I say.....whatever. My thought is that the drug companies have a vested interest in keeping us sick, therefore, keeping their pockets lined with green. And we know they have powerful lobbyists in Washington. So I really question the validity of their studies. I really think studies can be skewed to prove results they want. I know from my own experience, that the amounts of fats I eat, have NOT raised my cholesterol levels. So, I will happily continue to eat a variety of fats.

__________________

Yes, that was an excellent article. There is another, older, article from the Low Carb Luxury site that quotes Dr. DeBakey, one of the foremost experts on heart disease, saying that 60-70% of people with heart disease don't have elevated cholesterol levels. The link in http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/newslet...ol02-no15.html

I feel sorry for people who are spending big bucks for medicine they can't afford, cutting out good food, because the dr says they need to lower their cholesterol. What they need to do is cut out the junk food and eat more natural stuff. It'd be a lot cheaper and healthier.

__________________
Nita

Nita, you are sooooo right. And it's soooo simple. And the food manufacturers don't want us to know about the BIG FAT LIE. I've noticed the sugar industry pushing back with ads on TV.

__________________