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.

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

Wowza, now that is pretty crazy.

It isn't a very dramatic change, especially not compared to past swings. Grasping at straws coupled with the knowledge while I won't be devoid of fat soon, we are bottoming out here.

I am guessing next test likely bears out lower than this, higher than I'd like. My paternal Grandfather lived into his mid 80s and often statins are credited for that. So I take that as high cholesterol has a place in my genetics.

I just have no urge to get on a cholesterol lowering med.

I forgot to have the results forwarded to home- remembered the neuro, though- but my cholesterol was down well within the range that is acceptable by current standards. My calcium was not.

So, I am seeing an endo, further testing, perhaps explanations as to some of the deeper pain and fatigue that has been going on.

Not ideal, but currently ranking higher than dealing with shingles again.

Jon

Maybe now your doctors will leave you alone about statins so you don't have to go to war about it when you see them. For "What it's worth" I'm listening t Buffalo Springfield right now.