Could success on 5:2 mean an eventual end to medication?

This topic contains 6 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by hermajtomomi 11 years, 3 months ago.

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hermajtomomi

9:11 pm
5 Jul 13
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Although I have so far not lost as much weight on 5:2 as I would have liked, I have lost inches, have more energy, look and feel much better generally, with improved BP (now 115/64) and cholesterol levels in the 5s. I would love to wean myself gradually off medication, albeit very low doses, for hypertension and raised cholesterol.
A few months back, when already on 5:2, I did manage to persuade the doc to halve the dose of one of my two BP meds and believe it or not my BP dropped to the figures given above. It would seem the lower dosage coincided with lower BP.
However, she insists that I will have to take BP meds and statins for the rest of my life “just in case”. Maybe to enable her to tick boxes and to keep the pharmaceutical industry in business!
When I said I would prefer to try to control things by dietary means she immediately assumed that I simply meant switching to Benecol or a similar product, when what I actually meant was to continue to make sure to include cholesterol-lowering foods in my diet on a regular basis, which I already do.
I would love to know if others of the 5:2 brigade share this experience and/or have weaned themsleves off their medication.

Beavergong

10:35 pm
5 Jul 13
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Now I did hesitate answering this post because I realize everyone one is different and its important you listen to your doctor. However having said that I have been on 5:2 17 weeks lost 21lbs and when I had blood tests and my cholesterol had dropped from 5.5 to 4 in 12 weeks on 5:2 my doctor agreed that I could stop my cholesterol meds as long as I stayed on 5:2 and tested my cholesterol again in 3 months….

Carla

12:03 am
6 Jul 13
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That is GREAT! 17 weeks and 21 pounds down and off your cholesterol meds! Well done 🙂

hermajtomomi

5:18 pm
7 Jul 13
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Thanks for your interest beavergong. Glad things are working out so well for you.
Sad to say, I have not had very good experience of “listening to my doctor”. Medics are only human after all and can reach incorrect conclusions, based on age, gender, the GP’s personal prejudices, etc.
The most spectacular case was back in my mid 30s when I constantly felt inexplicably unwell. The doc suggested I might have personal problems and probably needed counselling. Sure, I had a personal problem – I felt too damned ill to enjoy my otherwise happy life. Happily married, I’d recently graduated from uni as a mature student and got the job I wanted.
Then someone else in the same medical practice had the brilliant idea of referring me to a consultant physician. After a long chat and a test that involved swallowing glassfuls of what semed like wallpapaer paste with sugar, followed by a blood test, the problem was solved. Lactose intolerance. Once I knew what it was, I knew what I had to do.
There have been numerous other medical misjudgments but I won’t bore you any further.

dottychris

9:35 am
22 Jul 13
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I just had my first blood test after 6 months on 5:2; the doctor said my cholesterol is lower than last three readings (over 7 years) – my concern is that my white blood cell count was 1.8; doc said not to worry and no need to come back for another blood test for 12 months! Well happy my cholesterol levels are down but slightly worried about the low white cell count?
Ive lost 5 inches from my waist, the cholesterol spot has gone from my eye lid and I am enjoying and appreciating (veggy) food on my feast days. I’m doing this for the health benefits and don’t need to lose more weight (5′ 7′,8 stone 8 lbs down from 10 stone)so I’m alternating 6:1/5:2, to see how I go!
All best everyone

PuterMan

12:02 pm
22 Jul 13
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@hermajtomomi “with improved BP (now 115/64)”

I am NOT a Doctor so you should NOT take my advice BUT……….

With BP like that I would be lepping o’er the Moon!!! ‘Normal’ BP is 120/80 (go research it) so by that standard you have low BP, but everyone is different. I am not going to ask how old you are, but obviously over 30 🙂 There is a rule of thumb that your systolic is within limits if it is 100+your age. Having said that 140-145 is a good target for an upper limit for an older person, with diastolic of 85-89.

Obviously your Cholesterol @5 will depend on the split. but that sounds good to me.

In my opinion if your Doctor is saying you should remain on meds and statins the rest of your life you SERIOUSLY need a second opinion. BTW did you know statins to not lower cholesterol they block the uptake. NOT the same thing.

I halved my BP meds and then after 6 months told the Doc. I keep weekly blood pressure readings and he was happy enough and ‘officially’ cut my meds in half. In six months time I have targeted to go to 1/4 the original dose.

DO NOT DO THAT YOURSELF UNLESS YOU ARE CONFIDENT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND HAVE A GOOD QUALITY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR. TAKE DAILY READINGS AT FIRST.

In 12 months I intend to be off the darn stuff. It does you or your liver no good and should only be viewed as a temporary solution. Getting your body right (5:2) is the way to go and then you hopefully can be meds free.

If nothing else bear this in mind. If there is an economic collapse, as there might be, you do NOT want to be dependent on drugs that may suddenly not be available. You should do everything you can to progress towards a meds free life.

hermajtomomi

5:01 pm
13 Aug 13
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Puterman, I do apologise. Somehow I managed to miss your encouraging message. I confess I am older than God but still leading a very active life, both physically and mentally – working full time as a freelance linguist and back at uni part-time and am now nearly halfway to an MA. And I guess at my age I should be grateful I only need 3 meds.

I can’t help thinking that in many cases, the prescription of statins and BP meds to people of a certain age is at best box-ticking and at worst arse-covering. Admittedly, 10 years ago, I did have higher-than-healthy BP and raised cholesterol, but both descended quite quickly once the meds kicked in, and I’ve been well clear of 140/85 for a long time.

For some time now I’ve been seriously thinking of doing as you suggest and gradually weaning myself off the beastly things, but can’t help fearing that sod’s law will start to operate and the quack will be proved right.