It was fasting. I can fast with biblical figures at this point. 'You use locust and honey? Amateurs.."

I would imagine that it is a little bit harder to keep the grains and sugars low for vegans, but your triglycerides are likely the telling factor. Carbohydrate-rich diets can raise your trigs - even if you are eating whole grains, which are not probably as healthy as we are led to believe - especially in for certain groups of people. And there are a small population of people than can eat whatever the heck they want, never have any negative medical issues, and never gain any weight. Life is funny that way and hardly seems fair. If you are amenable to making some small dietary tweaks, I think you may see a lowering of your trigs and your cholesterol numbers as well. Maybe ask your doc for a 3 month extension, make some tweaks and then repeat your cholesterol/trigs test to see what happens.

If Janie sees this thread, hopefully she can chime in with her personal experience. I know that she was using a blood glucose monitor to see how different foods/meal types were impacting her glucose levels. I think that it was very helpful when she was crafting her diet.

I really have nothing new to add. MrsD and Madisongrrl and others got you covered!

A few months back on Public Radio there was a doctor who said in his opinion everyone over the age of 50 should be on Statins! I can't imagine what would happen to me without this group! THANK YOU!!!!!

Seniors need to be doubly aware when taking statins because, in addition to all the other negative side effects, they cause a decline in cognitive ability.

I want to make sure everyone knows i wasn't implying that I agreed with people over 50 routinely going on Statins. I'm actually in the other camp.

Some time back there was a post about "Number Needed to treat" that was quite illuminating. MrsD posted a link that referred to Statins. I think it can be found by searching "Number needed to treat."

Dr. Tara Dall is an advanced lipidologist who hails from my home state of Wisco. You can search you tube for some of her talks and videos. She also does work for the Health Specialty clinic in Reno, NV.

For those of you following this thread and are interested in understand LDL particles and want to know more about the NMR test, you can watch this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xC1bujLukw

Here is a video that explains how Dr Dall goes after the cause of high LDL particle count.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN3icRhFR7o

(edit: I just read the whole and see MadisonGirl has covered this already. Oh well, I'll just leave it here.)

I think the general opinions on statins here are well known, but let me chime on one aspect of it.

If you do research, you'll learn that their are different kinds of LDL (the "bad" stuff) cruising around your blood, and they're distinguished by particle size. The small particles are the dangerous ones, while the large particles are believed to be benign.

Saturated fat is believed to raise your large particle LDL, while carbs are believed to raise your small particle LDL. A standard cholesterol test cannot distinguish between the two, yet basic standard of care does not yet call for the ordering of a LDL particle test before prescribing statins. These tests are widely available, but may or may not be covered by insurance. I think they run around $100.

Anyway, I think it's practically criminal that a doctor would even suggest statins without getting one of these tests done, but that's protocol right now.

Here's a balanced article on it IMO:

http://www.everydayhealth.com/high-c...olesterol.aspx


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I lost five more pounds in the three months since my last blood test. I get this work up every 1/4. I foolishly do (didn't) ask for results for my records each time. Is it possible that using up my stored fat would cause this bump?

I'm just brain storming. I thought maybe stress or alpha lipoic acid, but I guess that was wishful thinking.

I fo know that hereditary speaking cholesterol is likely to be an issue, but to have it spike as one on this test... well, let's see what the next one says. Thanks to all for the input.

We are waiting for next trst at least. He can be the doctor, but I have done way too much being proactive to let him push me onto a statin with one test.
Jon

Yep, grains of any kind have a nasty effect on my blood sugar, but I don't think they had any detrimental effect on my triglycerides. If I look back at my cholesterol levels which I've tracked for the past nine years, even when I was on a very high carb, whole grain diet, my triglycerides were under a 100 consistently. I spiked to 175 one year when I took the test after a 5 day vacation that included horrendous eating and drinking...doughnuts, pizza, potato chips, fried chicken, and ample beer. Sugar, simple carbohydrates and alcohol are believed to raise triglycerides, so I hit the trifecta that year.

My low carb/high fat diet raised my LDL which initially shocked me, but that does happen with some people. And as I said in my last message, I almost certainly raised my large particle LDL count with the saturated fat consumption. I will probably request the particle next year.

I've been buzzing like a bee for quite some time in my limbs. Mindfullness and distraction are my best friends there. The shooting pains and nebula electric shocks I believe are down via controlled exercise plus the topamax, which I dislike, but credit where it is due... I guess.

I keep my grains to dinner usually. quinoa, lowest glycemic rice we have in house and so on. I try to end around with lentils, mostly.

It may be bad timing? Who knows. I don't recall eating poorly through that recent period but I have had a lot on my plate.. *rim shot*

Thanks again for the input!

Jon