Lowering Your Cholesterol With Niacin?, Statins?, Or...?

There are many cholesterol lowering med.'s out there and each one has it's merits and definitely their downsides. 

 

Some people seem to be able to take statins and have no apparent problems, and others are unable to take them at all.  Niacin is used instead of, or along with some cholesterol lowering med.'s.

 

Though most Statins and even Niacin have side effects...liver problems are possible when taking them and you have to be very careful and prudent to the point of having blood tests done frequently (6 mos. to 1 yr. depending on your history, and your Dr.) to make sure that they aren't causing you any trouble.

 

I tried Niacin many years ago, but the flushing really got to me.  My Mom took it for years and found that it really helped her.  Remember we're talking about the prescription Drug, Niacin here.  Don't take over the counter types thinking the benefits are the same.

 

I've taken Zocor 40 mg. for 7 years now with fantastic results and no apparent problems.  I also use a lot of Olive Oil and fresh garlic in my cooking, and believe that whole grains and lots of water aid in flushing cholesterol from your body.

 

Let me know what you think!  What medications or natural things to you take to help lower your cholesterol??

 

Hugs, Teri

 

Good sites to read;

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4510

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/chd/meds.htm#statins

I'm taking Lipitor. My total cholesterol was 199 when my cardiologist prescribed them for me. They went down to 166 in less than 3 months. I was going to share my LDL and HDL numbers, but I can't find them. I had saved them to my computer hd someplace! My triglycerides went up after beginning the Lipitor, but do not know if that had any connection or not. It was interesting that right after the newspaper had a large article on statins and how they reduce the risks for additional heart attacks for people who have already had them, my doctor prescribed  them to me that month. He told me that he wanted my cholesterol to be lower than the high end. I was relieved after reading that article. The cardiac rehab team had brought it all their patients' awareness. New tests to be done this month as it will be my six month checkup. I'm crossing my fingers!

hi all,

i believe if you can tolerate the flushing with niacin it is one of the best things you can take.  teri, i'm not sure i agree that all OTC niacin's aren't OK?  particularly, to those who haven't tried niacin yet, you should!  they can be taken with statins, but as teri says you must carefully monitor liver functions (with blood work each 6 months).  but probs are few.  you can take SR niacin, which is slowrelease and helps with the flushing.  also "enduracin" which is SR and is great with that. 

also, to lower bad cholesterol and raise good, lots of things we used to think were bad aren't.  like certain nuts (almonds, walnuts), salmon, avocados, etc.  eating moderate amounts of these, with canola or olive oil and oat bran/oatmeal products can help raise the HDL.  so important for all, but seems to be harder for women to accomplish that with exercise.  instead of only flour, try to use half flour half oat bran.  also, smart balance "spread" has phytosterols which are research proven to be a big cholesterol-building blocker.  that is, if you consume phytosterols in this form (it's also available in capsules) you can even have the occasional eggs and red meat.  but i'm happy with egg beaters and fish. 

there is by the way some new red meat, Belgian Blue, that is EXTREMELY low in fat, you can get it online, i've done this, it's excellent.  and it has much less fat than chicken, etc.  it's very moist, surprisingly.  i've tried their ground beef and a sirloin steak. 

everyone, these kinds of fats mentioned above, in moderation, will help lower total cholesterol and LDL and raise HDL, thereby lowering your ratio, which seems to be one of the most immportant indicators of CHD and preventing AND reversing it. 

One of the reasons I'm cautious about telling anyone about something they can take in pill form otc (over the counter) is the following reasons...

"Before taking niacin,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to niacin, aspirin, tartrazine (a yellow dye in some processed foods and drugs), or any other drugs.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially anticoagulants (blood thinners) such as warfarin (Coumadin), medications for high blood pressure or diabetes and other vitamins. If you take insulin or oral diabetes medication, your dose may need to be changed because niacin may increase the amount of sugar in your blood and urine.
• tell your doctor if you drink large amounts of alcohol and if you have or have ever had diabetes; gout; ulcers; allergies; jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or gallbladder, heart, or liver disease.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking niacin, call your doctor.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking niacin.
• you should know that this drug may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this drug affects you.
• remember that alcohol can add to the drowsiness caused by this drug.
• you should know that niacin causes flushing (redness) of the face and neck. This side effect usually goes away after taking the medicine for a few weeks. Avoid drinking alcohol or hot drinks around the time you take niacin. Taking aspirin or another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) 30 minutes before niacin may reduce the flushing. If you take extended-release niacin at bedtime, the flushing will probably happen while you are asleep. If you wake up and feel flushed, get up slowly, especially if you feel dizzy or faint."

Not everyone knows the different side effects to be alert for, so I just think before telling anyone to go ahead and take this or any other OTC, their Dr. should be told and he/or she can recommend a safe dosage for them to be taking.

Teri

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a682518.html

 

hi all,

teri is definitely right, of course - you should always check with your doc before starting anything new, even if it seems like it's just an OTC "vitamin" like niacin.   as with all drugs there can be interactions and side effects and your doc should know and approve everything you take.  niacin is usually well tolerated with other drugs, except for the flushing, but i sure didn't mean to indicate that i'm "prescribing" it for everyone on the forum!   i just mean that i've done my research, and niacin seems quite proven at helping with the cholesterol prob, and SOMETIMES can in fact do a great job along with or without statins.  just want to recommend that if you want to consider it read up on it, there's plenty out there, especially by robert kowalski, who has researched it for over 20 years.   AND talk to your doc.

libby

Another way to lower your cholesterol besides med.'s can be watching what you eat! The following is an excerpt and the site of a new study that was just released re what we eat and our health! 

 

Take a look, it won't hurt, I promise! lol  Hugs, Teri

"Though low-fat diets have long been advocated for lowering high cholesterol levels, a study published Monday points up the importance of replacing fatty foods with nutritious fare -- not fat-free cookies and chips."

 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_24404.html

Also with fat free be sure to check the sodium content sometimes the sodium content is sky high and I am only allowed 800-1,000mg of salt a day if I get over 850-900 my bp starts to go up but i also very healthy eating I thought and still on a cholesterollowering medicine we figured abuot time and my age too oh well. It beats the alternative.

Heidi