Where to go from here??? Long post, sorry.....

[Guest guest]

Please excuse a multiple post, but I really need some advice. I am

posting to all the cholesterol groups I'm on in hopes of getting some

answers. I got my latest lab blood results yesterday and am a bit

disappointed in some of the numbers. In fact, some of them really

scared me......

TC - 229 - up from 196

LDL - 126 - up from 106

HDL - 91 - up from 76

VLDL - 12

TG - 62 - up from 46

Homocysteine - a whopping 13.7 - highest ever - up from 9.1 nine months

ago

CRP - 1.7 - up from 1.06 nine months ago

I am happy about the high HDL and low TG (even tho it was up a bit) and

am not really upset over the higher LDL, but the homocysteine really

bothers me and so does the CRP.

The only changes I've made in supplements this time was to go on the IR

Niacin at 500mg a day. You can tell from the numbers that it did its

thing with the HDL and TG. Am I taking too much and that’s why my

Homocysteine went through the roof??? Is it better to have higher LDL,

lower HDL, higher TG and lower Homocysteine....that seems to be the

trade-off!

For lower homocysteine I am already taking a multi, a B-100 and a

Homocysteine blocker which is B6, B12, folic acid and betaine for a

total of 154mg B6, 630mcg B12, 1200mcg Folic Acid in addition to all the

other B's in the multi and B-100. Do I need to add something, or more

of something??

My problem is still the high LDL at 126 (or so the dr will tell me on

Monday). That number was down to 106 3 months ago when I was on

Slo-Release Niacin (500mg). Why did slo-release bring it down and

instant release didn't?????

Also, edging up is the CRP....3 years ago it was 0.7, last year it was

1.06 and now 1.7...thats getting close to 2.0, which really bothers me.

Of course the dr will tell me that a statin will solve my problem with

the CRP, the LDL and getting off (or reducing) the niacin should help my

homocysteine. Sounds logical, except that I have fought taking a

statin for 7+ years while I tinkered with everything OTC in the way of

herbs and supplements.

I have increased my treadmil walking to 1.5-2 miles a day, added weight

training 3x a week and yoga stretching every day, so the increase in HDL

may be partly related to that.

For reference here is my supplement list the first of Dec (except for

about a week or so at Christmas, I did eat a few cookies, a little more

meat, but was pretty conservative about any change in diet, I also

missed exercising a few days and missed my apple and orange on some

days):

Supplements – Dec 2005

Morning (all taken with Minute Maid HeartWise Orange Juice and plain

almonds):

Orange juice lowers LDL

81mg aspirin – thins blood

400 IU Vit E mixed tocopherols (alpha, beta, delta, and gamma) -

antioxidant

450mg Turmeric – anti-inflammatory

B-100 multi – reduces homocysteine

100-120mg CoQ10 – strengthens heart muscle

500mg l-carnitine – lower’s LDL

300mg alpha lipoic acid - antioxidant

1500mg MSM – sustains muscle repair, anti-inflammatory

2 Triple Strength Osteo-Bio-Flex (glucosamine/chondritin) – lubricates

joints

50mg Grape Seed Plus – antioxidant

175mg Milk Thistle – strengthens liver

500mg Vit C with extra bioflavonoids - antioxidant

2 – 500mg Cinnamon – lowers triglycerides

465mg capsule containing 180mg Ginger, 180mg Cayenne, 105mg Marshmallow

(ginger is an anti-inflammatory, cayenne dilates blood vessels,

marshmallow soothes GI track and helps clear with lung congestion)

1 gram Evening Primrose Oil (for 90mg GLA) – anti-inflammatory

400 IU Vitamin D – heart and bones

250mg Calcium (1 tablet) Citracal Plus with Magnesium and Vit D - bones

1 tablet One Source (WalMart brand) Multi-vitamin

2 grams enteric coated extra strength Fish Oil – lowers triglycerides

Breakfast is always Hodgen’s Mill Oat Bran – 1 serving with 2 Tbs milled

flax seeds and 2 cups of either green or white tea with my 2 Cardi02

(l-arginine) tablets

Mid-morning – Orange Juice with 6 grams psyllium powder (lowers LDL)

Lunch – Peanut butter and Jelly (black raspberry) wrap made from the new

Flat-out flat breads that contain 14-15 grams of fiber a piece. One

apple. (lowers LDL)

Mid-afternoon – another apple or a pear or an orange (lowers LDL)

Before supper – 2 FiberChoice hard candies (lowers LDL)

Supper – none or small serving of meat, beans some days, salad somedays,

pasta somedays, usually at least one veggie, no desserts. I drink ice

tea (black) and take another 2 Cardi02 (l-arginine)tablets.

Right after supper I drink tomato juice and take the IR niacin (now

500mg). (lowers LDL and triglycerides)

Evening – I might have a very small piece of bittersweet chocolate and

an orange. Once in awhile some low-fat (no trans) popcorn or a handful

of nuts.

Before bed (taken with water if I drink hot chocolate or tea, otherwise

taken with Silk Chocolate Soy Milk) (soy lowers LDL), I take the

following:

3 – ibuprophen – anti-inflammatory

1 – Citracal Plus - bones

400 IU Vitamin D – bones and heart

1000mg Milk Thistle – boosts liver function

1000mg Inositol – might lower LDL, will stop when current bottle is gone

20mg Policosanol – lowers LDL in some people, haven’t noticed any

difference myself

2- 550gram Ginger – anti-inflammatory

1 – Kal Healthy Homocysteine Modifier with 500mg TMG – reduces

homocysteine

500mg Borage Oil for 200mg of GLA – anti-inflammatory

200mg chromium piconate – lowers LDL

2 grams enteric coated extra strength Fish Oil – lowers triglycerides

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