Cholesterol -- are you taking anything? - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

aklim · #31 05-17-2008, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benzadmiral

I wish we had something like an engine flush for cholesterol -- run it through your blood and dissolve the sludge, then drain the blood and start fresh. In the meantime, I guess, we'll have to do with this.

Thanks for all the tips!
.

Transmission fluid is great for dissolving sludge. Wanna try it sometime?

Diesel4me · #32 05-17-2008, 12:29 PM

Be careful of statins like Lipitor. I know that's what triggered my CIDP. My neurologist said I could not take statin drugs ever again.

I can just now walk short distances without my cane. still falling occasionly.

"Tell your doctor if you experience muscle pain or weakness, as this could be a sign of a rare but serious side effect."

-Dr. Robert Jarvic

EricSilver · #33 05-17-2008, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benzadmiral

I wish we had something like an engine flush for cholesterol --

Fish Oil + Garlic + Red Wine is probably the closest thing.

aklim · #34 05-17-2008, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricSilver

Fish Oil + Garlic + Red Wine is probably the closest thing.

Any of that proven at an independent laboratory that can meet the same standards of testing as the FDA at the very least?

Jeremy5848 · #35 05-17-2008, 03:01 PM

Interesting discussion. My cardiologist (I have mitral valve prolapse -- a heart murmur) wanted me to go on statins when my total cholesterol (TC) was about 200. I'm not eager to go on any meds permanently so I made a concerted effort to improve my diet. Although my vegan wife already had me on a pretty good diet, I deliberately sought out and eliminated from my diet anything with transfats. Six months later my TC was down to 169 (LDL 110, HDL 43).

The cardiologist was impressed -- he had never seen anyone make that big a difference with a dietary change alone (obviously he is not a naturopath). I don't claim to be that impressed based on such limited data but at least he got off my back about the statins. I continue to mind my P's and Q's and have now changed to oatmeal for breakfast every day. We shall see what the next test says. I'd like to get my HDL higher.

As to people with really high cholesterol, I knew two guys, one I worked for, the other was a fellow member of the Northern California BMW motorcycle club. Both were discovered to have a TC of 800! Neither were overweight or had any other significant medical problems. Genes, apparently.

My boss asked his doctor what he could eat; the answer was "raw fish and water." Both guys ended up taking some kind of med that involved mixing some powder with orange juice. Apparently it tasted bad, I never tried it. They're both still alive, AFAIK.

My heart murmur has not changed since I discovered it in 2000 (listening to my heart with a stethoscope from a new first aid kit -- "what's that funny swish-noise in between the 'lub' and the 'dub?'"). I have no symptoms and get re-checked every six months -- it helps the cardiologist pay his bills, I suppose.

Jeremy

aklim · #36 05-17-2008, 03:08 PM

I'd rather take the statins than change my diet. I enjoy the stuff I eat, bad as it is for me.

Benzadmiral · #37 05-17-2008, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricSilver

Fish Oil + Garlic + Red Wine is probably the closest thing.

Enough garlic and nobody would come close to me. As for the red wine, if I started with a glass on Monday, by Saturday I'd be up to a whole bottle. Not good for me.

But the combo, if it did work and if I could do it, would be great.
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cmac2012 · #38 05-17-2008, 05:30 PM

Hope this doesn't sound obnoxious, but I recently got my checkup and the doc said my numbers were great (I should have asked what the numbers were) -- he said high in the good Chl. and low in the bad.

Not sure what I'm doing right, or if it is just my genes. Salmon is my main animal protein, along with 2 or 3 eggs a week, and cheese. The latter two not in the top tier of anti-chl. foods, so maybe it is my genes.

One thing I do often is just have fruit for breakfast, or a smoothy, heavy on pears and strawberries, some frozen blueberries often as well, with soy milk and hemp protein powder.

Lately, I've started growing my own sprouts again -- fenugreek and sunflower are my two standard ones. Alfalfa sprouts supposedly are not good, some chemical in the husks that is counter-productive. Fenugreek are supposedly cleansing and give you a nice smell in your armpits, as they are used for artificial (but natural) maple syrup flavoring. A good, quick and easy lunch is those two sprouts with some tahini (sesame butter) and salsa. Turns out Reagan may have been right about ketchup being a vegetable, as many experts now say that cooked tomatoes or tomato products are better for you than raw.

Sunflower sprouts are tasty and supposed to be better than plain ol' sunflower seeds, as the sprouting process turns some of the fat into more useful compounds and makes the protein easier to digest. Also, they are brimming with potential life, as they are on their way to becoming a 7 foot tall plant with a huge flower full of seeds.

Soak them overnight, drain off, then put them in a bowl and shoot a stream of water in to loosen up the inner husks which float to the top so you can pour them off. They'll get putrid otherwise. Rinse once a day for 2 or 3 days and then put them in the fridge when they're right, that slows the continued growth way down. If they get too big, they get bitter and fibery.

One last bit, pinto beans (many beans for that matter) are way high in anti-oxidants, almost as good as blueberries.

Benzadmiral · #39 07-03-2008, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricSilver

Agreed. Or fish oil capsules (EPA/DHA) will work wonders very quickly. No need for Big Pharma's poisons.

I've been taking a good 1000 mg of fish oil every day since I started this thread back in May. The fasting test results came back and I've plunged all the way from 270 to . . . 253.

Actually it's worse. The 270 was taken with my doctor's knowledge late in the morning after I'd had a light breakfast. The 260 from November and the current 253 were both 12-hour fasting ones. Comparing apples to apples, that's less than a 3% drop.

My HDL numbers are good, the LDL and trigylcerides not so good. I'm due to chat with the doctor next week. I really don't want to have to take, or pay for, any more meds.

(This all comes as a shock to me. I've been healthy, and haven't taken it for granted, for most of my adult life. I guess I'm like a well-kept W126, which is still a terrific and reliable vehicle -- but the injectors need to be replaced, a window won't roll up, the rear window is delaminating. . . .)

aklim · #40 07-03-2008, 03:02 PM

I think you are going to have to take one of the items that EricSilver warned you about. Poisons from big Pharma.

Something that might stand a decent chance of working

Benzadmiral · #41 08-15-2008, 10:39 AM

Hello, all,

In the six weeks since my last post on this, my doctor has had me on Pravastatin. Results: total is down to 199 from the earlier 253, the good stuff has gone up a bit, and overall the results are great. I've had no muscle pains or bad side effects.

And since Target has followed Mall-Wart's lead in offering certain prescriptions at $4 ($10 for a 90-day supply), this hasn't broken my wallet, either.

Next up: Losing 5-8 pounds (which may be the most painful-est cut of all).
.

Mistress · #42 08-16-2008, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benzadmiral

Enough garlic and nobody would come close to me. As for the red wine, if I started with a glass on Monday, by Saturday I'd be up to a whole bottle. Not good for me.

But the combo, if it did work and if I could do it, would be great.
.

Cats love garlic. benz i lowered my numbers by changing my diet and cutting out a lot of fat and not eating meat.

aklim · #43 08-17-2008, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benzadmiral

I've had no muscle pains or bad side effects

Most of the side effects they list are boilerplate items. If my wife had to remember every drug's side effects, she'd go mad. The way she did it, and I suspect many did too, is that they remember a common list based from head to toe. Certain drugs had peculiar side effects and she'd take note of that. So, lets say with Viagra. She would list all the "usual suspects" and then remember that it might give you blue spots in your vision. Statin drugs? Same thing. Name the usual suspects and then tack on the unusual ones. In this case, muscle pains.

Bottom line, don't worry too much about the listed side effects. Note the critical ones.

aklim · #44 08-17-2008, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mistress

not eating meat.

IF I had to give up my red meat or double the statin dose, I'd double the dose. I'll never give up my red meat among other meats.