Why has my cholesterol not improved?

This topic contains 9 replies, has 9 voices, and was last updated by RosC 10 years, 12 months ago.

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astrid141

5:19 pm
28 Aug 13
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Feeling super-frustrated and in shock, actually.

Been on 5:2 for 4 months. Stuck to the fasting days religiously.
On feed days, usually did pretty good, a few times overate.
Increased activity to maybe 2 days per week in the gym walking on treadmill.
Have well-controlled blood pressure with taking 2 blood pressure medications (Diovan and Metoprolol).
Have hypothyroidism and take Levothyroxine, which keeps TSH in normal range.
Had calcium scan on heart 3 months ago (due to father recently died of Congestive Heart Failure at age of 82) and it showed a shocking score of 37.
I am a happy, energetic 49-year old woman. I have felt GREAT on the 5:2 diet. I have people telling me I look great. Sparkle in the eye, spring in the step, clothes looser, especially around the waist.
Well, after the horrifying calcium score of 37 (nurse told me I have the heart of a 69-year old man) I decided to STAY on the 5:2 diet. I have been on the 5:2 for 4 months.
Start weight: 230 lbs
Current weight: 212 lbs
Start cholesterol: 215
Current cholesterol: 219
LDL & HDL are both in normal range but just barely
Start Triglycerides: 145
Current Triglycerids: 180
My doctor wants me to start a statin.
My question is this: How can it be that it seems like most everyone has had fabulous reduction in cholesterol, except me?

StephB

10:30 pm
28 Aug 13
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Hi Astrid, Looking at your statistics I can understand your concerns. I’m really hoping that someone with some medical ‘insight’ will be able to she’d some light on your situation. Anyone??

Pauw

11:51 pm
28 Aug 13
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dear Astrid,
I take an omega3 capsule a day and I eat porridge every morning PLUS I do the the 5:2 diet. I do not need the statines now!!!!
Gr. Pauw

Beavergong

12:40 am
29 Aug 13
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Astrid
I’m similar in some ways to you. 60 been on 5:2 6 months and take thyroxine every day, which doesn’t make weight loss easy.
I don’t want to frustrate you further and I have no medical knowledge BUT after posting on this forum I received a post from Michael suggesting I may not be taking thyroxine as recommended(he was right) . He quoted the Australian Medical Standard to take it 30 to 60 minutes before food in the morning. When I started doing this I noticed the difference and my weight loss increased. So I would ask you if you are doing this?
Having admitted my mistake I would also say my cholesterol has decreased from 5.9 to 4 after 3 months on 5:2. In Australia anything above 5 is seen as high. I just wonder if you were tested in another 3 months if yours would change. With these excellent results the doctor was happy for me to stop taking statins after 20 years of taking them(my father died of heart disease).
I also wonder what your diet is like on nonfast days. My doctor reminded me the other day that research has shown that people who don’t have continued success on this diet were overeating and not watching their food choices on nonfast days. I’M not suggesting you are but I know whilst I eat normally on nonfast days I do notice some of my appetite and choices are changing.
Now I know I need to be more aware of this so I’m just suggesting maybe you look at this too.

Now I’m 60 and like you feel great and people comment how much better I look on 5:2 and yes the sparkle in the eye!!!!!
For me my blood test showed great changes, my sugars were better, my liver function was 100% better but my doctor was wise and said he wanted them tested in 3 more months after I had been on the diet for 9 months and we would look at my cholesterol
and other blood tests again and review. I don’t want to suffer heart disease for the last 30 years of my life like my father did and I see you don’t either, so whilst I’d rather not take statins I would if I had too.
So my advice talk to your doctor about waiting another few months and having another blood test, look at what you are eating on your nonfast days and how you are taking your thyroxine.
I’ll be interested in your progress.
Keep 5:2ing!!!

astrid141

2:15 pm
29 Aug 13
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Thank you SO much for your responses–especially Beavergong. Our situations sound similar Beavergong. Your kind words are like a “beacon in the night” for me because I have felt at such a loss these past few days. I am definitely going to put your ideas into play because perhaps I was eating more (and wrong stuff) on my feed days–although I think most of my feed days, I did quite well. Am also going to look into the thyroid stuff. I would love to hear more from you and how things are going, as the months roll by. I am definitely not going to quit the 5:2.
I would also love to hear from others regarding these types of issues.

MountainMyst

1:49 pm
30 Aug 13
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Hi Astrid, just wondering if you had your cholesterol checked on the day after a fast or a feast day? If you had a splurge the day before, it could result in an increase. also, did your HDL go up, that can make the total higher, but isn’t a bad thing. I’m just starting, so I’m anxious to see what happens myself. Good luck and congratulations on all you have accomplished.

drbob

12:11 pm
14 Nov 13
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I don’t know if this helps or not – I have lost 70 pounds over the last 3 years and gone from obese to normal. My fasting cholesterol was 7.3 mmol/l when I was obese and it is the same now. Apparently it is hard-wired i.e. genetic and not due to overweight. Am on statin now.

OTOH I was on lisinopril for high blood pressure and after the weight loss I don’t need it anymore, I’ve got normal blood pressure.

Week 2 on the Fast Diet, not easy so far…

Iwant2Bincontrol

12:35 pm
14 Nov 13
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Congratulations drbob!! What a fantastic weightloss. I would completely agree for some people it is definitely genetic. My dad is around 168 cm and weighs around 55kg. He has always been a marathon runner, and a mostly healthy eater. He has now had a bypass and valve replacement, and got down to 52kg trying to get his cholesterol down, while taking medication even. Now he’s on stronger medication which unfortunately had side effects, but he is no longer skeletal.
I, unfortunately, inherited his genes in that area, but being aware from age 18 will hopefully mean I don’t get into trouble 🙂

mcfast

12:51 am
25 Nov 13
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Hi all

The thing to bear in mind is the reason your GP wants you on a statin. They get their advice from Cardio specialists most of whom acknowledge that statins are cardio-protective regardless of the fact they also happen to lower cholesterol . http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/413861 – I’ve also read some Cardio speciailists would like statin therapy ‘put in the water’ to benefit everyone, no thanks!

It is acknowledged more and more that even those with normal cholesterol may benefit from the cardio protective effect of statin, therefore we may have a bit of a problem with the ‘high cholesterol causing cardiac disease’ thesis. It’s the other unknown things statins do which may create a cardio protective effect. Has your GP any other reasons to see you as a Cardiac Risk other than cholesterol ? If so that might be driving them to getting you on a statin.(?)

I’ve had cholesterol levels that have had my Dr’s hair stand on end, tried all the statins under the sun and they cause me painful neck and back aches and tummy aches. He put me on speaker phone to a cardio specialist who told me I just had to live with the discomfort of statins because I can not go around with those levels. I politely said no way! That was 10 years ago.

Anyway – I have had my arteries checked out every couple of years and they are fine and dandy and that satisfied my GP, but the best news is that doing the 5:2 my last total cholesterol level was at upper level of normal after 6 weeks fasting. So that is good result for calming down my anxious GP as is the 13Kg reduction in body mass since June. Will see how my next bloods go next month…

RosC

5:30 am
25 Nov 13
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MountainMyst, just a quick comment on your question about tests following feed or fast days. My understanding is that immediate changes in triglycerides may well show in 24 hours but not so with cholesterol. Changes take some time to show for cholesterol levels in my experience so a lot to eat (or drink) the day before won’t make much difference, although it certainly does with triglycerides.
Interested to hear what others think.