Cholesterol

As The Cholesterol Varies

On the previous episode of As The Cholesterol Varies Brian’s good cholesterol was lower and his triglycerides were elevated. In today’s episode, as you can see from the chart below, we make an improvement in one and took a step back in another. Plus, sigh, the bad cholesterol is now slightly back over the limit. If you compare the current numbers to the January 10th ones, you can see they are pretty much the same. The Jaunary numbers were the result of 3 months of taking just the inexpensive dietary supplement Red Yeast Rice. I sense that the doctor is not exactly sure what to try next, so we play watchful waiting, keep taking Tricor and come back in 4 months…tune in again in December for the next exciting installment.

  Chol HDL LDL Trig
Goal <200 >40 <100 30-150
09/21/04 209 24 131 271
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
05/06/05 174 27 108 194
06/17/05 164 31 85 238
07/28/05 177 30 113 169

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 266

The Otolaryngologist Sees Into Brian

I’ve had a sore throat for about a month and a half now. Three weeks in to it I went to my family physician and he prescribed z-pack (a 5 day course of antibiotic) & 10 days worth of Zyrtec. After the 5 days of antibiotic, it still wasn’t any better, so he upped the ante to a stronger antibiotic, Levaquin for 5 days. After this second course I wasn’t any better, so he sends me to an Ear, Nose and Throat guy. My 2 week wait to get in to see the specialist was over today.

Because this was my first visit to him, he wanted a baseline, so he started out checking the ears. How embarrassing as he had to clean them out a bit before he could look in them. Then we moved onto the nose. He takes out the little plier looking things that work like snap ring pliers, when you squeeze the handles the ends *open* wider. Looks around in both nostrils and then he sprays some stuff in there. He tells me it’ll taste kind of bitter. Turns out it is a anesthesia.

Up until now we have been shining bright lights into orifices, now it is time to get up close and personal. He breaks out the foot long black spaghetti thing. It has a bright light and some fiber optics so the Doc can see inside *real* good. First in one side of the nose and then the other. The second time he goes in the full length. It is in there so far that reflexes take over and I try to swallow it. He politely asked that I don’t do that (not that I could have succeeded, but it messes up his view of my larynx. When the doctor is all done looking he tells me that my larynx looks like that of one of a heavy smoker or drinker. We can eliminate them because of my answers to the intake questionnaire, plus he would have been able to smell that sort of thing. That leaves one other thing that would make your larynx look like that. And in the slight pause that follows, the hypochondriac in me thinks the worse, until he says, “Acid Reflux.”

Turns out that more than half of all suffers of acid reflux don’t have heartburn, it shows up in other ways, sore throat, constantly having to clear your throat, funny taste in your mouth, voice cracking and others.

Can I sue my parents for passing along faulty genes? First it was medicine to lower my blood pressure, then we started medicine to lower my cholesterol and now comes medicine to unflux my acid…

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 230

Not Crestor, But Tricor

Six weeks ago my doctor put me on Crestor to lower my cholesterol (actually it was to raise my good cholesterol and drop my triglycerides) and a little over 3 weeks into it, I called the doctor and begged off because it was upsetting my stomach and making copius amounts of gas. We went back to taking Red Yeast Rice for about the last week and a half before blood was drawn last Friday. Today was my follow up appoinment and the numbers, like last time, shifted some up, some down. Now we will try Tricor and see what happens in 6 more weeks.

  Chol HDL LDL Trig
Goal <200 >40 <100 30-150
09/21/04 209 24 131 271
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
05/06/05 174 27 108 194
06/17/05 164 31 85 238

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 193

Happy Birthday Mom

Wow, 79 years old today. I know what you are thinking, if you knew you were going to live that long you would have taken better care of yourself. Well, hell, I don’t smoke, don’t drink, I’m taking blood pressure pills and now cholesterol lowering meds and sometimes I’m not so sure I’ll make it to 50, a mere 4 months from now. 🙂

Not Lipitor, but Crestor

After 4 months of doubling down on my Guggul & Red Yeast Rice herbal supplement, my lipid profile shifted slightly about center, but when you look it, it really got worse. I had no argument to give the doctor, so I took my Crestor sample packs and said, “See you in 6 weeks.” Let’s hope this drug works, or heaven forbid, I have to change my eating habits or exercise….

  Chol HDL LDL Trig
Goal <200 >40 <100 30-150
09/21/04 209 24 131 271
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
05/06/05 174 27 108 194

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 143

No Lipitor…for now

Last September I had some blood work done as part of a company Health Fair. My lipid profile was on the high side. My doctor recommended that I try something called Red Rice Yeast, a herbal supplement that can lower cholesterol. I might do the trick and would be a lot cheaper than a name brand medicine. My mother-in-law picked up something at the health food place she frequents that is a combination of the Red Rice Yeast and Gulupid. The recommended dose is 1 or 2 tablets a day and I have been taking one in the morning for the last three months. Monday I had blood drawn in preparation for today’s doctor’s visit. The numbers went down (or up where applicable) but not really enough. So I am going to start taking two a day and go back in four months for another blood test and doctor’s visit.

  Chol HDL LDL Trig
Goal <200 >40 <100 30-150
09/21/04 209 24 131 271
01/10/05 176 33 110 167

Like A Bowl Full Of Jelly

Unfortunately I have been following my own Holiday Eating Tips pretty strictly. I don’t know if it has translated into that many pounds gained, but I sure feel like I have gained 10 pounds. To make matters worse I have a doctor’s appointment the first week of January where he is going to check to see how my cholesterol is doing. After last September’s dismal blood work, he has had me taking a herbal supplement called red yeast rice to see if that helps. I have been taking one pill a day in hopes of staving off high dollar medication and more importantly, I guess, clogged arteries. If I’m still up I’ll try and see if he’ll give me another three months taking 2 pills. After that I guess I will have to start cutting fat out of the ol’ diet. And heaven forbid, exercising more.