I just found out my cholestorol is 356!!!!!  That seems sort of
outrageous, especially since I've been a vegetarian for the past 8 years
(until about a month ago, vegan).  I also have low thyroid.

My doctor says not to worry, that's normal for some people.  I'm taking
Synthroid for the thyroid thing.  Any comments?

Layna

I think it would be to your benefit to find out the nature of this
extraordinary number.  Specifically- what part of this is HDL (good) and
which part is LDL (bad).  I'd also want to know what my triglyceride level
was.  In short, a number like this needs follow-up.  It could be a sign of
familial hypercholesterolemia, an inborn error in cholesterol metabolism.
Please go back to your doctor or find another physician who will help you
look into this.

Good Luck,

onenight

356 is NOT OK!!!!!!

As you are on thyroid medication, my guess is that you are STILL
hypothyroid as this is a leading cause of hypercholesterolemia.

I have problems with any physician who thinks a 356 total is fine.
Unless you feel great about this peerson, it may be time to shop
around - at the very leaset he is ignoring either your hypothyroidism
or your hypercholesterolemia.

All My Best
Jay

*I just found out my cholestorol is 356!!!!!  That seems sort of
*outrageous, especially since I've been a vegetarian for the past 8
years
*(until about a month ago, vegan).  I also have low thyroid.
*
*My doctor says not to worry, that's normal for some people.  I'm
taking
*Synthroid for the thyroid thing.  Any comments?
*
*Layna

Cholesterol is a big deal to me--I found out last summer that my total
cholesterol number was 365.  I got it down to 295 by dieting, but hit a
wall.  I am now taking colestid (colestipol)and the total number has gone
down down to 253.  I am hoping that with continued diet and a gradual
increase in medication, that I can get the number down further.  

356 is heart attack country.  It is not healthy to ignore this.  I cannot
understand why any doctor would not be alarmed by this.  Please consult
with someone who will take this seriously--you can lower your cholesterol
and improve your chances of longevity.

I think people may be going a bit overboard here.  Until about two
months ago there was no evidence that trying to lower cholesterol
in asymptomatic individuals had any affect on lowering mortality
and some evidence that it might even raise mortality.  (The recent
pravastatin study now has shown at least one therapy that seems
clearly beneficial.)

There is furthermore no convincing evidence that screening for coronary
artery disease in asymptomatic individuals is of any benefit.

I don't recall whether the original poster stated her age, but
if she is a 25 yo vegetarian non-smoker who is hypothyroid, perhaps
her MD may be doing okay if his/her plan is to correct the
hypothyroidism and then see what happens to the cholesterol.

--
David Rind

Time to shop around even if this person does like his doc.  He can keep
the old doc to advise him on other stuff.  I think a cholesterol of 356
(verified) is reason enough for a full cardiac stress test/scan
work-up, in a hospital.  Get to it.

                                          Steve Harris, M.D.

: >I think a cholesterol of 356
: >(verified) is reason enough for a full cardiac stress test/scan
: >work-up, in a hospital.  Get to it.

: I think people may be going a bit overboard here.
: I don't recall whether the original poster stated her age, but
: if she is a 25 yo vegetarian non-smoker who is hypothyroid, perhaps
: her MD may be doing okay if his/her plan is to correct the
: hypothyroidism and then see what happens to the cholesterol.

Just to add my 2c -- I think it is certainly worthwhile to see if the
causes of the hypercholesterolemia can be discovered. Three years ago, I
had, at the age of 44, a coronary artery spasm -- so of course, they did
a complete work-up -- my cholesterol was 325, and triglycerides 450. At
the time, I was not receiving any treatment, nor had anyone investigated
the cause of the high cholesterol, even though it had been creeping up
for years.

But the spasm shook them out of their complacence, and guess what? Turned
out I was hypothyroid AND in the act of developing diabetes. Now that
THOSE things are treated and I'm taking Pravachol, my last cholesterol
was 171. Yay!!!

I hope that this woman will pressure her doctors to follow up on her
high cholesterol reading and not just sit there and do nothing because
she's a young female. Heart disease happens to females too!

Smiles,

._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c-

Natalie A. Sera, with all her ducks in a row!!!!  
Coronary artery spasm, 8-19-92. Still alive -- lucky ducky!!!
Proud mother of Josh, age 21                      

._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._(` ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c- ._c-

                                         Can YOU find the Ugly Duckling?

: I don't recall whether the original poster stated her age, but
: if she is a 25 yo vegetarian non-smoker who is hypothyroid, perhaps
: her MD may be doing okay if his/her plan is to correct the
: hypothyroidism and then see what happens to the cholesterol.

I'm 34, but the rest is accurate...  And, yeah, that's what me & my doctor
are up to.  The cholesterol went down from 356 to 290 in one month on
Synthroid (the .05 or .005 dosage), now I'm on the .07 or .007 dosage & I
expect that when I get my {*filter*} done again on Valentine's Day, it'll be
even further down.  OBVIOUSLY, if the cholesterol doesn't go all the way
down where it belongs once my thyroid is at the right level, we're gonna do
something else; I don't have a death wish. ;-)

Incidentally, once I went up to the higher dosage, the thyroid finally
kicked in - for the last 2 weeks, it's been like I have "new batteries".  
I can't BELIEVE how great this is - I can stay up dancing 'til 1am and go
to work the next day, NO problem.  And I thought I was getting old! :-)

Layna

Thank you David, I thought that Steven's approach was much more
aggressive than justified by what the post gave for history.

I certainly would agree that if the hypothyroidism is still untreated
we don't know what this cholesterol value really means and it needs to
be repeated probably with HDL, LDL after the appropriate thyroid
therapy is given.  For the original poster that should be normal
values for T4 and TSH.

Just the same I don't like it that the physician can say that this
cholesterol is "normal for some people"-  Maby his thought process is
different but what the patient hears is don't worry about it.  The
epidemology and now the pravastatin study say that evelvated
cholesterol does make a difference.

James Baker, MD

Please elaborate on hypothyroidism?  I just found out my cholesterol and
tryglicerides are high and would like related information on hypothyroidism.

Thanks in advance,
Bruce

*****************************
Bruce Whealton Jr.

http://www.***.com/ ~whealton/
Creativity and Social Justice page.
Taking poetry submissions for
publication.
Horror links included...
Irc: The_Bruce on irc.{*filter*}ia.edu
*****************************

Maybe there was a real meaning in don't worry about it.  I know when I went
to see a dr. recently because I had found out through a physical required for
my job, that my cholesterol was very high, I went into the doctors office and
when they took my BP it was quite high - 150 over 80 something.  I know that
is not normal from the times I have had my BP measured recently.  I've been
to the dr. for an ingrown toe nail and had my BP checked as usually procedure
as well as the two times in 4 months that the hospital checked it when I had
my cholesterol measured.  My BP was and is usually mid 120's over mid
70s.

Is it understandable for BP to go up situationally by 20-30 pts?????

Thanks in advance,
Bruce

*****************************
Bruce Whealton Jr.

http://www.***.com/ ~whealton/
Creativity and Social Justice page.
Taking poetry submissions for
publication.
Horror links included...
Irc: The_Bruce on irc.{*filter*}ia.edu
*****************************

writes:

Elevated serum trigs and cholesterol are well-known phenomena in
hypothyroidism, presumably do to slowdown of the metabolic machinery
responsible for breaking down these lipids. If you are concerned that you
may be hypothyroid, a screening test, namely the serum TSH level, is easy
and inexpensive. You should be able to get one through a commercial lab
for less than US$30.

Ed Uthman, MD               Note: Because of my provider's lousy

Pathologist                 messages. I'm not ignoring you. :)
Houston/Richmond, TX, USA

I can't ever think that a cholesterol of 356 is acceptable.

What is the HDL, the "good" cholesterol? The relation of the "good"
cholesterol to the "bad" LDL would be important in calculating risks for
plaque buildup.
    Dorian