Help from a MD

My LDL id 121 and my total cholesterol 221. My doc is trying to put me on lipitor. He didn’t even suggest changing my diet or garlic pills or anything. I was wondering if it is to dangerous for me to start a cycle with my LDL a bit high?

yeah....it could potentially be dangerous since your cholesterol is already pretty high....get your ldl lower and hdl higher before you even think about starting...changing your diet, add more cardio, and that should help it out significantly....if that doesn't work too well than use lipitor.

can i use lipitor on a cycle?

oh. and my HDL was 80. that's 30 over it's norman range. what is up with that?

Use Policosanol instead.........Many research studies show it's just as effective as lipitor/provistatin without the sides (liver stress) and other associated negative problems with cholesterol reducing drugs. You can get it at www.beyond-a-century.com

What Is It?

Policosanol is a unique natural product derived from sugar cane wax and beeswax: It has proved effective at reducing cholesterol levels and for some individuals may be a reasonable natural alternative to the commonly prescribed "statin-type" cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Most research using the sugarcane-derived form of policosanol has been conducted in Cuba, in both animals and humans. The studies showed that policosanol not only reduced cholesterol levels, but also had positive effects on other cardiac risk factors, through actions such as reducing platelet "clumping" and inhibiting the development of atherosclerosis. A 2002 analysis in the American Heart Journal reviewed more than 60 clinical trials of sugar cane-derived policosanol that involved more than 3000 patients. The authors concluded that policosanol is "a very promising phytochemical alternative to classic lipid-lowering agents such as statins."

This could be welcome news for some of the 30 million Americans who are currently using the expensive statindrugs. Some studies indicated that policosanol is not only equal to, but may possibly even be somewhat more effective than statins or fibrates in lowering total and LDL cholesterol and increasing "good" cholesterol, or HDL. One study showed that patients taking the standard daily 10 mg dose of policosanol experienced a 17% drop in total cholesterol, a 25.6% drop in LDL cholesterol, and a 28.4% rise in HDL cholesterol. These percentages are equal to results obtained with statin medications.

Some studies confirmed the cholesterol-lowering effects of policosanol in specific groups, including post-menopausal women, the elderly, and people who have both diabetes and heart disease. In addition, policosanol was effective in treating intermittent claudication, a condition in which poor circulation in the legs causes severe leg pain during exercise. Because policosanol reduces the tendency of blood to clot by reducing the "stickiness" of blood platelets, the tiny particles involved in clotting, it may help prevent cardiovascular disease in a manner similar to aspirin.

During the research, study participants reported very few side effects. Because of this, policosanol may require less monitoring with blood tests than statin medications do. Although it appears there are no major side effects with policosanol, some people have reported weight loss, rashes, migraines, insomnia or drowsiness, irritability, dizziness, upset stomach, and nose and gum bleeding.

Policosanol is usually taken once or twice a day. Some nutritional supplement manufacturers combine policosanol with other heart-healthy substances such as Coenzyme Q10 and antioxidants.

General Interaction


Because policosanol can thin the blood as much as aspirin, if you are taking blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin) or NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or naproxen, consult your health care provider before taking policosanol.

There are no known interactions with nutrients or foods.

Cautions


Do not take policosanol if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.

Although very rare, it is theoretically possible that people who are allergic to bee stings or have a food sensitivity to sugar cane might risk side effects from policosanol.

thanks for your help

Your HDL/LDL ratio is fabulous and a much better indicator of your lipid profile than total cholesterol reading. Any doctor that would suggest lipitor for someone young and healthy with a ratio like that is irresponsible and negligent..Find a new physician. You already seem to be questioning his judgement as he advised no change in diet or exercise.

Lipitor and other statins are capable of causing serious side effects in at leat 2% of the people consuming them..this means liver damage, muscle damage, heart attack and death. Yes they can cause a heart attack.


I could go on and on about the fallacy of cholesterol testing but suffice it to say that doctor's lowered the normal "range" for cholesterol from 225 to 200 some years ago as most people suffering heart attacks had "normal" cholesterol. The science of cholesterol is pseudo science as not one study has shown a causative link between cholesterol levels and heart disease. In fact newer theories suggest that inflammation may be the culprit for heart and artery disease and markers for these have been developed which show much more predictive ability than cholesterol screenings.

My advice...get a new doctor..don't take lipitor...do your cycle and enjoy...the policosanol, garlic, etc are always good to go as is plain old tea. The best protectors of heart health are tea and chocolate in long term studies..5 cups of tea a day provides a 70+% protection against heart attack and stroke while lipitor provides 20+% probably. Of course tea is not a drug so does not benefit the giant drug companies.

Niacin is also a good supp.

Same thing happended to me...after looking at Liptor I decided it was some nasty stuff for the liver...changed my diet...lots of oatmeal, garlic, soy protien...cut out alot of the fast food items, and alchohol....much better, it did take a few though, although if you have serious problems theres only so much you can do on your own.

this is just my personal expirence.

A co-worker of mine was close to 400 total cholesterol...close to having a heart attack...after using policosanol and niacin for 3 months he was well within normal range. He also tweaked his diet a little, but not much...he's a bit of a knuckle head....There are supps out there that are healthy and safe.

there are somne serious sides ion lipitor just diet and you will live longer watch what you eat thats the best advice ever!

I just got some bloodwork back today indicating total cholesterol of 323, triglycerides at 388, and good cholesterol at 25.


I was kinda freaking out until I used the good ol "search" button and hit on this thread, which explained some stuff.

I stopped my last cycle w/tren about six weeks ago.

And after reading this thread I won't be taking lipitor or the like anytime soon.

I'm off to search for a place to buy policosanol.

THANKS GUYS!!!!

Try iHerb.com or MyVitanet.com. Recommendations are to take Policosanol with CoQ10. IHerb sells it with or without CoQ10. These site's prices aren't too bad either. I've bought from them numerous times without hassle.

Had to add: Try eating raw oats (no cooking) in the morning with milk, fruit, and yogurt to reduce cholesterol if you don't like taking too many pills. My _total_ cholesterol after a physical was 129 (one point below the limit they want you to be at) because I had been eating oatmeal (pre-training days). My doctor asked me if I ran a lot to which I replied that I didn't. He gave me a funny look after that because I had numbers as if I did run.