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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Diabetes / December 2005Lastest results - advice on LDL please
Just got my latest results - numbers in parantheses are the history. FBG 6.1 mmol/l (7.5, 7.4, 8.2, 6.6) A1c 5.8% (6.9, 6.3, 6.8, 6.3) Trig. 0.95 mmol/l (3.82, 2.15, 1.05) HDL 1.95 mmol/l (1.49, 1.81, 1.77) LDL (calc) 3.29 mmol/l (3.60, 4.48, 3.13) CHOL/HDL Ratio 2.91 (4.59, 4.02, 3.04) My endo wants to start me on CRESTOR 5mg. A quick Google search shows this to be a pretty nasty drug. I am considering a second opinion on the taking of this drug. Appreciate any insight you can offer. Regards Tony > Just got my latest results - numbers in parantheses are the history. > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > LDL (calc) 3.29 mmol/l (3.60, 4.48, 3.13) > CHOL/HDL Ratio 2.91 (4.59, 4.02, 3.04) Great results Tony, can't help with the Crestor. >My endo wants to start me on CRESTOR 5mg. A quick Google search shows this >to be a pretty nasty drug. I am considering a second opinion on the taking >of this drug. Appreciate any insight you can offer. I've been on 5mg Crestor since...late September. Lipitor made me itch. Crestor does too, but to a much lesser extent. My liver panel at 6weeks was fine but my cholesterol numbers hadn't changed. If cholesterol hasn't budged by Christmas I'll discuss other options with the (new) endocrinologist. +++++++++++++ Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET. This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%. Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account... This post not CC'd by email On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 22:17:17 -0500, "Tony Curran" <tony.curran@sympatico.ca> wrote: >Just got my latest results - numbers in parantheses are the history. > >FBG 6.1 mmol/l (7.5, 7.4, 8.2, 6.6) >A1c 5.8% (6.9, 6.3, 6.8, 6.3) >Trig. 0.95 mmol/l (3.82, 2.15, 1.05) >HDL 1.95 mmol/l (1.49, 1.81, 1.77) G'day G'day Tony, Congratulations on your A1c and Triglycerides. How ever do you get to have an HDL that high? It makes one positively envious. >LDL (calc) 3.29 mmol/l (3.60, 4.48, 3.13) >CHOL/HDL Ratio 2.91 (4.59, 4.02, 3.04) > >My endo wants to start me on CRESTOR 5mg. A quick Google search shows this >to be a pretty nasty drug. I am considering a second opinion on the taking >of this drug. Appreciate any insight you can offer. Insight we might be able to offer. A second opinion of course we couldn't. I don't take any statin as yet, so can't offer any comments on how Crestor affects me. I take it you have not been on another statin before this. Judging the worthiness is a very difficult thing. There is a natural tendency if a drug has X drug interaction per 10 000 people for a proportion skewed to the high side of them to post their experience on the net. Put simply there is a tendency for it to appear as though almost everyone is having side effects. If McGowan and McGowan are anything to go by Creator is a super statin. It is supposed to be more dramatic in lowering cholesterol (45%) than other old statins and to carry about the same risks. The writers were delighted with it with their patients but it obvious they were involved with it when it was very new. I guess that makes a second point. When a drug is first released it is common for there to be a honeymoon phase in its reputation ... it is still full of promise and some of its nasty side effects haven't surfaced. Put simply check out when the article was posted and whether the writer is talking about statins in general or Crestor in particular. >Regards > >Tony Wish I could help you more but I can't Best wishes,  SignatureQuentin Grady ^ ^ / New Zealand, >#,#< [ / \ /\ "... and the blind dog was leading." http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/quentin >Just got my latest results - numbers in parantheses are the history. > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > >Tony Hi Tony Congratulations on a dramatic improvement. Most of our readers are Americans, so I'll convert the final lipids to US numbers for you for comparison. Trigs 0.95 84 HDL 1.95 75 LDL 3.29 127 Your total cholesterol calculates to 5.6(219) Of course, some of that "high" number results from an excellent HDL. There is another ratio worth considering, and that is the ratio of trigs/HDL. The preferred limit for that ratio is 1.33 in mmol/L terms, or 3 in US mg/dl terms. Yours has progressively gone: 2.6, 1.2, 0.6, 0.49 (or 1.1 in mg/dl terms) which is bloody brilliant. That ratio is used as an indicator of the level of dense LDL particles, and also indirectly, insulin resistance. So, despite your higher than desirable LDL - there are likely to be less of the dangerous denser particles. I am not a doctor, and don't pretend to be one, but those are aspects that you may wish to discuss with your doc before deciding on meds. Come back if you want some cites - I'm out of time at this moment. Check google scholar or highwire. Having said all that, my numbers were similar without a statin and I finally re-started lipitor 20. I just got nervous about the high LDL. Lipitor directly reduced my LDL without having much effect on the others, and I've had no side effects. Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia. SignatureEverything in Moderation - Except Laughter. > Just got my latest results - numbers in parantheses are the history. > > FBG 6.1 mmol/l (7.5, 7.4, 8.2, 6.6) > A1c 5.8% (6.9, 6.3, 6.8, 6.3) > Trig. 0.95 mmol/l (3.82, 2.15, 1.05) > HDL 1.95 mmol/l (1.49, 1.81, 1.77) Nice trends! No idea on the Crestor, I'm afraid - except to wonder if the quack would still want you on it if your numbers continue to improve? Nicky. SignatureA1c 10.5/5.6/<6 T2 DX 05/2004 1g Metformin, 100ug Thyroxine 95/73/72Kg > My endo wants to start me on CRESTOR 5mg. A quick Google search shows this > to be a pretty nasty drug. I am considering a second opinion on the taking > of this drug. Appreciate any insight you can offer. Tony, Are you still losing weight? If so, hold off a while longer. Weight loss can push up cholesterol. Given your wonderful improvement on blood sugar and ratios, I would relax a while. Your LDL hasn't surged up, and for all you know the increase is in the healthy large particle. Years ago your total number would have been considered quite healthy. The drug companies have manipulated research results to convince doctors that patients need to have extremely low cholesterol to avoid instant death. The actual data does not support this for any group except those who have already had heart attacks or severely clogged arteries. Crestor is VERY hard on the liver. If you still have high LDL in another couple months, ask your doctor about Zetia which has a much more benign side effect profile and dropped my LDL 30% without changing my HDL. --Jenny http://www.geocities.com/lottadata4u/ Type 2 Diabetes info http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/ Low Carb info Thank you and to all for al the encouraement. It's not easy watch others in the family munching on the Halloween candy. And I do miss Tim Horton's Dutchie doughnuts (Canadian coffee & doughnut store). But, I have plenty of incentive to stay on the straight and narrow. The family history is plagued deaths due to cardiac arrest. Just to answer your question Jenny. My weight has dropped from 211lbs to 195lbs over the last 6 months. Thanks all Tony >> My endo wants to start me on CRESTOR 5mg. A quick Google search shows >> this to be a pretty nasty drug. I am considering a second opinion on the [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > http://www.geocities.com/lottadata4u/ Type 2 Diabetes info > http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/ Low Carb info > Thank you and to all for al the encouraement. It's not easy watch others in > the family munching on the Halloween candy. Then *don't* watch, turn away! That's what I had to do when I quit smoking. Susan > Thank you and to all for al the encouraement. It's not easy watch others in > the family munching on the Halloween candy. And I do miss Tim Horton's [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Tony Hey Tony, did you know that every single "baked" product that Tim Hortons sells, with the exception of bread, contains trans fats? There's even trans fats in the hot chocolate and those nasty things they try to pass off as 'cappuccino'. Vicki posted to news:alt.support.diabetes >>Thank you and to all for al the encouraement. It's not easy watch others in >>the family munching on the Halloween candy. And I do miss Tim Horton's [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Vicki > posted to news:alt.support.diabetes Hey Vicki, Any chance Tim Horton's will "improve" their menu. i.e. Lower carb foods? It's good some of them have a Wendy's connected, so I can at least eat something. Sure you'll say even the Wendy's burger (minus bun) has trans fat too, but ........ Trinity Signaturetrinitytype2@nospamyahoo.ca remove nospam dx Oct 2003, Type 2, metformin 500mg/2xday low dose aspirin 3x week walking 30 min/day A1C 5.4 40 lbs lost next goal: gain muscle strength > >>Thank you and to all for al the encouraement. It's not easy watch others in > >>the family munching on the Halloween candy. And I do miss Tim Horton's [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > 40 lbs lost > next goal: gain muscle strength Lower carb - not a chance. No market. But, they are trying to eliminate trans fats. Since going to the frozen products, more and more items are supplied by a third party. Controlling third parties is the difficult part. At least Timmy's is big enough that it would be financially in their best interest to do it. P.S. I don't work there anymore - I quit a month ago. Vicki posted to news:alt.support.diabetes >>>>Thank you and to all for al the encouraement. It's not easy watch others in >>>>the family munching on the Halloween candy. And I do miss Tim Horton's [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > Vicki > posted to news:alt.support.diabetes >>>Vicki >>>posted to news:alt.support.diabetes [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > Vicki > posted to news:alt.support.diabetes Well, I'll just stick to the steeped tea w/ sweetner then. So you've moved on to other pastures eh? Cheers, Trinity Signaturetrinitytype2@nospamyahoo.ca remove nospam dx Oct 2003, Type 2, metformin 500mg/2xday low dose aspirin 3x week walking 30 min/day A1C 5.4 40 lbs lost next goal: gain muscle strength > >>Thank you and to all for al the encouraement. It's not easy watch others in > >>the family munching on the Halloween candy. And I do miss Tim Horton's [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > 40 lbs lost > next goal: gain muscle strength Oh, yeah, the Wendy's burgers don't have trans fats. Vicki Well that's good to know! Trinity >>-- >>trinitytype2@nospamyahoo.ca [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Vicki Signaturetrinitytype2@nospamyahoo.ca remove nospam dx Oct 2003, Type 2, metformin 500mg/2xday low dose aspirin 3x week walking 30 min/day A1C 5.4 40 lbs lost next goal: gain muscle strength To answer your question, I don't know. My GP sent me for the glucose test after a BFG of 7.5 and lipids on the way up along with family history. When I did the Glucose test, the BFG was 6.5 and BGT of 13 and A1c of 6.9%. I explained to her that I spent 6 weeks of previous 3 months in UK munching on sweets and home cooking she advised that I was probably spiking high and the sweets didn't help. I was put under the watchful eye of an endo from Jan of this year. Every 3 months since last november I've had a blood test and they take the A1c. I also have creatinine and urate done at same time. I'm not on meds, my weight is about where I want it (195lbs), so hopefully I should stabalize and LDL come down. I think I'll leave the CRESTOR in the box. I recall my mother not starting on insulin till she was about 70 years old - she passed away at 78 years. I know a lot more about diabetes care than she did and hope to stay off meds as long as I can. Tony > >I have not yet been diagnosed as diabetic but that day may come some time > >in the future. I followed the good advice of this group and now have > >pretty > >FBG 6.1 mmol/l (7.5, 7.4, 8.2, 6.6) > >A1c 5.8% (6.9, 6.3, 6.8, 6.3) >How come you have so many A1c tests under your belt if you haven't been >diagnosed? And with a 6.9 I wonder why no diagnosis. > Just got my latest results - numbers in parantheses are the history. > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Tony > Just got my latest results - numbers in parantheses are the history. > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > to be a pretty nasty drug. I am considering a second opinion on the taking > of this drug. Appreciate any insight you can offer. I think your ratios are really good and have shown massive improvement. I wouldn't take the stuff personally unless I had a high hs-CRP result or some other risk factor you haven't mentioned. Are you taking fish oil, getting plenty of fiber and MUFAs, taking pantethine, policosanol, or guggul? SignatureNo Husband Has Ever Been Shot While Doing The Dishes I take crestor and it has worked great for me. No side affects from taking it. But it is still your choice. SusanLa Mo >> Just got my latest results - numbers in parantheses are the history. >> [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > other risk factor you haven't mentioned. Are you taking fish oil, getting > plenty of fiber and MUFAs, taking pantethine, policosanol, or guggul? I told my doctors that *if* I agreed to a statin, I didn't want a brand new one. I did eventually agree to Lipitor & so far have had no problems on the low dose I'm on. I'm pretty much borderline on the need for it, that's why it took them a while to persuade me. bj >I take crestor and it has worked great for me. No side affects from taking >it. But it is still your choice. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >>> taking >>> of this drug. Appreciate any insight you can offer. >I told my doctors that *if* I agreed to a statin, I didn't want a brand new >one. I did eventually agree to Lipitor & so far have had no problems on the >low dose I'm on. I'm pretty much borderline on the need for it, that's why >it took them a while to persuade me. > bj The lower dose didn't destroy me too badly, but I still found myself much more subject to nasty sprains and strains. When I developed plantar fasciitis that left me barely able to walk for several months, I stopped. It took me a couple of months to get back to normal. It was then that I realized that it had weakened my muscles so much that I could hardly walk up my little staircase to the front door beforehand. Also some memory issues had come up which were reversed after stopping it. The doctor pushed me to start it again twice more, with pretty much the same results. Tried Pravachol and Zocor and the other one that starts with a Z (forget which) that works on dietary cholesterol in particular. All had the same side effects excepting that last Z one.... that gave me diarrhea. I told my doc that NO WAY am I going back on any statin drug, no matter what. Nothing that makes me feel so lousy can be good for me. This week my club had a speaker who is head of the cardio testing unit of the local hospital. She told me that right now they have people in the hospital because of such severe weakness from statin drugs and that doctors really are pushing these drugs bigtime. She suggested flax oil, which must be refrigerated, and other alternative therapies rather than statins for those who find statins affect them so badly. I am presently taking pantethine, and will see if my numbers are any better next blood test, which will occur in early December. SignatureBest Regards, Evelyn (to reply to me personally, remove 'sox') >>I told my doctors that *if* I agreed to a statin, I didn't want a brand new >>one. I did eventually agree to Lipitor & so far have had no problems on the >>low dose I'm on. I'm pretty much borderline on the need for it, that's why >>it took them a while to persuade me. > The lower dose didn't destroy me too badly, but I still found myself much > more subject to nasty sprains and strains. When I developed plantar [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > my little staircase to the front door beforehand. Also some memory issues > had come up which were reversed after stopping it. It's years now since I stopped taking simvastatin, which I did when I discovered that the "it's just your age" memory and cognitive problems I was starting to suffer from started going away when I stopped. I did develop easily strained muscles while on it, which are now improved, but still not recovered to my before-statin levels of being pretty much indestructible. I'm replying here because it had never before occurred to me to associate my plantar fasciitis with the statin, but now you mention it, I developed it while on the statin and am still struggling with it. > The doctor pushed me to start it again twice more, with pretty much the same > results. Tried Pravachol and Zocor and the other one that starts with a Z > (forget which) that works on dietary cholesterol in particular. All had > the same side effects excepting that last Z one.... that gave me diarrhea. > I told my doc that NO WAY am I going back on any statin drug, no matter > what. Nothing that makes me feel so lousy can be good for me. I'm strongly advised to take a statin, but I'm not willing to postpone a heart attack etc. at the cost of becoming enfeebled in mind and body. SignatureChris Malcolm cam@infirmatics.ed.ac.uk +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205 IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK [http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/] > I think your ratios are really good and have shown massive improvement. > I > wouldn't take the stuff personally unless I had a high hs-CRP result or > some > other risk factor you haven't mentioned. Are you taking fish oil, getting > plenty of fiber and MUFAs, taking pantethine, policosanol, or guggul? I take "Omega-3" tablets which are essentially fish oil. Also take CoEnzyme Q10. That's it. Tony Tony I think if you do a google on any drug, they are all nasty. I guess you have to weigh the pros and cons before taking it. I take lipitor . It has many side effects, but it works wonders for me. Loretta -- In tribute to the United States of America and the State of Israel, two bastions of strength in a world filled with strife and terrorism. > Tony I think if you do a google on any drug, they are all nasty. I > guess you have to weigh the pros and cons before taking it. I take > lipitor . It has many side effects, but it works wonders for me. > > Loretta Yes, it lowered my cholesterol almost magically, but life wasn't worth living the way I felt from it. Glad it is working for you, Loretta. SignatureBest Regards, Evelyn (to reply to me personally, remove 'sox') > Yes, it lowered my cholesterol almost magically, but life wasn't worth > living the way I felt from it. > > Glad it is working for you, Loretta. A poignant comment. My brother, recently deceased, didn't take his statin! Thanks all for your comments and insight. My apologies if I didn't reply individually to all who responded to this thread but I do read and appreciate your time and efforts to provide support. Tony > Just got my latest results - numbers in parantheses are the history. > > FBG 6.1 mmol/l (7.5, 7.4, 8.2, 6.6) > A1c 5.8% (6.9, 6.3, 6.8, 6.3) optimal > Trig. 0.95 mmol/l (3.82, 2.15, 1.05) optimal > HDL 1.95 mmol/l (1.49, 1.81, 1.77) 75.5 mg/dL is optimal. > LDL (calc) 3.29 mmol/l (3.60, 4.48, 3.13) 127 mg/dL is not optimal > CHOL/HDL Ratio 2.91 (4.59, 4.02, 3.04) Less than 3 is optimal > My endo wants to start me on CRESTOR 5mg. S/he want to get your LDL less than 100 mg/dL > A quick Google search shows this > to be a pretty nasty drug. There is a small risk for potential side effects. > I am considering a second opinion on the taking > of this drug. Appreciate any insight you can offer. You are welcome, Tony :-) All praises belong to my LORD, Whom I love with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength :-) Would be more than happy to "glow" and chat about this and other things like cardiology, diabetes and nutrition that interest those following this thread here tomorrow: http://tinyurl.com/cpayh For those who are put off by the signature, my advance apologies for how the LORD has reshaped me: http://tinyurl.com/bgfqt In Christ's love always, Andrew -- Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD Board-Certified Cardiologist ** Suggested Reading: (1) http://makeashorterlink.com/?G1D5217EA (2) http://makeashorterlink.com/?W13A4250B (3) http://makeashorterlink.com/?X1C62661A (4) http://makeashorterlink.com/?U1E13130A (5) http://makeashorterlink.com/?K6F72510A (6) http://makeashorterlink.com/?I24E5151A (7) http://makeashorterlink.com/?I22222129 |
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