thinking about 'connections'. So I thought back a long time ago about when the only med I took was for my thyroid, then my BP and cholesterol #'s were going up but I was very active and healthy and all that.
Soo, I webbed up 'statins + thyroid' and this is the very first thing I find:
http://healthletter.tufts.edu/issues...08/statin.html
I was on the statins for about 3 months, it didn't lower my BP or Cholesterol 3's, only a migraine like headache. I stopped the statins and just cooked w/less oils and salt. It helped a lot!
Hope this helps! - j

--with that article link; the fact that this doctor discusses statins/cholesterol in the larger picture of metabolic concerns and diet is important, as too many doctors only see a one-factor cause relationship for elevated cholesterol levels.

I particularly like the comment "I think it’s difficult for doctors because they don’t have a lot of time. They’re trained to diagnose things and give people pills. They’re not really trained to do nutrition." Now where have we heard that before?

Its so true I forgot what amount they get in nutrition education but like a semesters worth. I may be wrong but I know when I was recovering from anorexia the feedback I got from many docs were so off base. I have found that docs are trained in a certain area many anyway and they don't want to step out of that zone. I had one doc everything was not his area. I understand that to an extent but really they have to have some knowledge. I really encourage and I know I have said this before but a nutritionist that specialises in the area you have issues with. It gives you a road map for good health but just like any professional there are some good and some bad so you have to shop around.

Thanks for the article! Is brings to mind a point I've made before: Many doctor's are too darn quick to throw medication at a problem before trying common sense methods first. High Cholesterol? Try lifestyle changes first. And isn't there a difference between just a little high and very high? Lifestyle changes will correct the underlying problem/cause of the high cholesterol to begin with. Many people who are given meds for this purpose are quick to believe that because they take a med to lower their cholesterol they don't have to make any other changes. Used to be that meds were the second line of defense rather than the first.

The thing missed, forest for the trees kind of stuff, is that for people my age drugs are about the worst choice to make. Especially if there are no other problems along with the high cholesterol readings...yet. Catch us early enough, make the proper changes and we will probably never need to take a statin or other type of cholesterol med. Of course this all depends on other health factors. For me PN was making it difficult to walk as much and as often as I would like to. But that's another post and another subject altogether which I'll be posting on a bit later. Good news, though, so no one worries in the meantime. Giving people my age these kinds of drugs when we're capable of correcting the problem ourselves ends up creating *more* and worse physical problems than the high cholesterol we started with!

I especially like the Doctor's point about people needing to be taught a healthier lifestyle. Two visits to a dietitian is not going to do the job. Granted there are people that are more willing to do it on their own, read about it, study on it and apply what they learn. But for others they need more help. Insurance companies...*BLEH*.

It is a shame that so many people are being put on statins. Not only is there the research showing that more older people die when cholesterol is low, now there is this:

[This is from LEF, which is in general an outstanding source of information. Whether or not one chooses to purchase their supplements (it's a non-profit organization with a fabulous mission), the well cited research is available to all. Even their magazine content is available free a bit later than members receive it. http://www.lef.org/)

It was your post that got my own brain whirring and popping about my [now] Immune thyroid and the PN immune issues...So I just plugged in 'Statins+Thyroid' and got a bit of illumination?
I fear many docs can't see or want to see if there IS a forest around the single 'tree' part of you that is their specialty. Your GP is supposed to know about this 'oversight' stuff, but systems these days aren't conducive to writing a letter to the primary after each visit from the specialists. We have to be our own gatekeepers -sigh...
Daneilla - yes how much other docs are informed about 'US' and how much exposure they get/have after med school is usually long ago and far away?
Some docs and [I am newly finding due to a new dentist?] dentists are much more familiar with all the connections than others.
As long as a doc remains curious, caring, and progressive in our treatments they are the good ones? To me it seems that the lazy ones write us off. I have to guess and ask - HOW often and on what are these docs continuiously 'recertified' in? I admit, that I got awfully totally and blessedly LUCKY that I have found the docs I have [90% of them at least]. I just wish you find yours and everyone else here! - j
PS: So many 'patients' these days are of the mind that IF they get a PILL problems will go away. We do know that's not the issue - we are proof?
Super good thoughts for the weekend -everyone may you remain cool and dry in all of the good ways!