[ewizabeth]

My doctor has suggested it the past few years because my cholesterol has been creeping up there. This time it was 244 and the LDL had gone up too. I finally gave in and agreed to start on Zocor (simvastin). I got the 20mg pills tonight. At least I won't have to worry each time I eat a piece of cheese now.

[Dejibo]

I put myself on oatmeal for breakfast at least 5 out of 7 days per week and mine fell to 189. Everyone in my family is on the pills stuff but this far I have avoided it.

Im proud of you! being pro active helps.

[mrsD]

I hope you have thought this thru, Ewiz.

Here is a thread that was on MS not too long ago.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...=remyelination

Zocor is very lipophilic and enters the brain besides making it more problematic.

[SallyC]

I had heard that too, MrsD. AT first they thought that statins were good for MS, then the **** sx hit the fan and they began studying them and found that they were not at all good for MS.

Wiz, I control my cholesterol with Benechol Margerine (about a tbsp or 2 per day). It tastes just like butter and has cholestero lowering thingys in it.

My PCP says it's working, so I'm keeping it up. There are a bunch of those chol reducing things out there now....you may not have to take Zocor, you may be able to do it with you diet?

[Kitty]

Doesn't Niacin help reduce cholesterol?

I've been eating lots of oatmeal, too, and it really has done me a lot of good. That, along with a good diet and little to no salt works well for me.

Wiz, you don't need to lose any weight, though. Yours could be genetic.

[mrsD]

Long acting Niacin does work, some. But it is hard on the liver and also raises blood sugar for some.

At 244, that is not so terrible.

At least consider replacing the CoQ-10 you lose to the Zocor, with a supplement. This will protect your heart and mitochondria.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8SSCNaaDcE

We won't be hearing much about LDL etc cholesterol in the near future. Lipitor and Crestor will be generic...no more ads. And the new HDL drug by Merck will replace all the statins. It is in the pipeline now.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/...22042020101117

Another simple thing that can lower LDL is psyllium fiber (Metamucil). Twice a day one tablespoonful.

There are studies showing people live longer with higher cholesterol. It is thought to be due to improved immune functions. Also the molecule in the skin that makes Vit D for us during sun exposure is cholesterol based.

[dmplaura]

Originally Posted by Dejibo

I put myself on oatmeal for breakfast at least 5 out of 7 days per week

This is where I'm at. I eat the high fibre instant oatmeal before heading out to work 5 days a week, and the other 2 days I have 2 slices of toast with egg whites scrambled with green pepper/onion and a slice of fat free cheese.

Whodda thunk oatmeal would be so beneficial to one's health? I didn't realize it myself, I just liked oatmeal and decided it was in my best interests to start eating breakfast when I returned to work 2.5 years back.

My Folic Acid and cholesterol numbers show the benefit of including cereals in ones diet for sure!

With that said, I'm with mrsD about the cholesterol info and what's fact v myth. My father actually alerted me to the cholesterol myth and info, as well as his belief that the real problem we're facing with disease are vegetable oils.

Interesting stuff!

Hope this medication does well for you Ewiz

[Jomar]

They are now saying the whole egg is not a problem either - the yolk alone is so loaded with nutrients that it far outweighs any of the former egg & cholesterol scare tactics.

http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyou...gs_protein.htm
http://www.livestrong.com/article/27...trition-facts/
http://www.incredibleegg.org/health-...nutrient-chart

It's probably more important how you cook your eggs and what you eat with them.

[Blessings2You]

I am thinking of how much my mom loved eggs, I mean, LOVED eggs. We were two peas in a pod, singing along with that old commercial on TV: "I love eggs, from my head down to my legs..."

She used to nearly cry watching others eat scrambled eggs and fried eggs and egg salad sandwiches and deviled eggs...she was a good girl, though, and stopped eating eggs to bring her cholesterol down, making nasty faces at the "Egg Beaters", saying "stupid fake eggs".

I'm not militantly anti-medical profession by any means, but it sure is depressing every time they tell you to stop immediately taking the drugs (or supplements) they've been pounding on you to take forever. And saying you could have been eating/drinking/enjoying whatever after all. *sigh*