About three years ago my Doc and myself (and many others) were shocked when I went for my yearly checkup which I usually come away from with a gold star. My triglycerides and cholesterol were way too high.
I am a basically very healthy eater and well within my healthy weight.
He knows I will try anything other than taking a drug to improve my health and also I always want to know all about a drug I take even if just for an infection. So I said I would research and try to find out what had gone wrong then try to correct it by changing any part of my diet that would improve things, he gave me about six months to do it.
So off I went and discovered my triglycerides were high because I was addicted to some high GI Carbs like spuds and bread (even tho I ate healthy bread) I am a very active person with my job and in my private life. I needed lots of carbs to keep me going! But of course they weren't sustaining me so I had to eat more. Then of course on my spuds I liked some butter (if you knew how margarine is made you would never eat it again) and maybe some cheese!
So I changed to low GI sweetpotatos and I hardly ever eat bread now but if I do it's low GI or I eat 100% rye crackers as rye is low GI. I use to eat toast for brekky, now I have organic rolled oats, also low in GI, which keep me going for hours. I don't eat butter any more. I still have a little cheese some times and drink low fat milk and natural yoghurt etc for calcium.Of course there are other things I changed and I eat something BAD now and again but when I went back to the Doc it was all good. That's what worked for ME anyway, and we are all different.
Some of my friends have gone off cholesterol drugs because of side effects. It's worth putting the time in to do it the natural way if that suits you.
I have heard some people say "I eat whatever I want, the drugs will take care of the cholesterol" I find that a little scary!

And on the subject of anti deppressants, I have had occasion to need them several times for a short period and when you get the wrong one it can be a nightmare. Luckily I found one that was the right one and it was like opening a window from the dark into the light. My perserverence and cognative therapy helped most but the drug just helped kick me along to recovery a little quicker. Also when several other members of my family tried the same drug it turned out to be the best one for them too. It's been many years since I took it as I was given the tools to try to avoid being drawn down into "the pit" ever again, but you can never say never and if I ever again got to the stage where I knew I needed extra help I would not hesitate to use a drug to help my recovery.
As I see it, it is no different from taking a drug for blood pressure or any other kind of illness. But there is still a stigma attached to mental illness. Hopefully the more we talk about it the more that will change!

Thanks for the info on the Lipitor, I have been put on it cuz my cholesterol was up due to having stopped taking the herbal cholesterol pills I was taking. I stopped taking them cuz they had lowered my cholesterol & I assumed I didn't need them anymore. I am now back on them. Thanks to the herbal cholesterol pills & the Lipitor, I got my cholesterol down from 400 to 157. I am very fortunate in no side effects so far from the Lipitor...

Thanks for all the information. I'd heard about the muscle aches, but was led to believe that this was a "rare" side effect. And for some reason I thought that it would happen early, rather than later. I thought since it hadn't happened in 3-1/2 years, I was ok with this medication.

Cheryl, I'd like to know which herbal supplement you're taking. Between both, your cholesterol really came down! Not just the name of it, but how large a pill it is.

just another 'word of warning' about combining supplements and prescriptions.

Please let your doctors know what supplements you are using... some of them may interact with prescription medications and cause more problems than they solve.

Red rice yeast capsules can help lower cholesterol. Just get them from a reliable source, like a naturopathic doctor, 'cos there are some brands which are of questionable quality out there. Don't go for the cheapest brand at someplace like Walmart, if you know what I mean. And, as was said above, check with a knowledgeable physician first, to make sure there are no contra-indications in taking it.

Judy and Wyld, thanks again! I remember when we thought soy supplements were "the bee's knees" and now I'm hearing negatives about soy (ok, just from one source)...

Everyone's system handles things differently - and what's one man's meat can be another's poison.

For a lot of people, soy is a good thing... lots of benefits... for some others, it can be a danger. Soy contains phytoestrogens, and the particular type of cancer I had can feed on estrogen... so my doctor told me to stay away from too much soy. (I can take small amounts such as foods prepared with a little bit of soy oil, but I shouldn't munch away on edamame beans)

You may remember that when you started introducing foods to your babies, you were supposed to introduce them one at a time, so you could tell if there was an allergic reaction to any of them. The same, I think, holds true for supplements, even at our age. If you start taking something new, make sure that the rest of your diet remains as you had been accustomed, so you can see how your body reacts to the newly introduced item. I just recently added glucosamine/MSM to my diet to help with my arthritis. I'll try to keep eating 'as usual' so I can tell how it affects me.

The Red Rice Yeast has statin-like naturally occuring chemicals in it, which is why it works well for cholesterol...you CAN have similar side effects when using it. Don't take it along with statin tablets, and check it out with your doctor first.

Nope. (Sorry; couldn't resist. You just made me a happy non-memory.) You're absolutely right.

What I'm taking is called Cholest Off & made by someone called Naturemade. Here is the section on their site with the info:

http://www.naturemade.com/ProductDataba ... oductid=62

I see there is a coupon there. I need to use it next time I need some. Mike is trying it now to see if it helps him since he's on cholesterol pills. My dr knows I am taking it & thinks it is okay & can't hurt to try it. I'd say stuff like this is YMMV. What works for some may not work for others & vice versa. But it can be worth a try. Good luck to those with cholesterol problems...

Hi Everyone!
I am tuning in to touch base with you all. I met up with my therapist this past week and told her what was going on in the last six weeks as far as my handling and controlling my emotions towards people at work and other places. She has told me I am making some progress and has helped me in the past 8 months or so. There are still some difficulties with my childhood past flashing in my mind but I am working on it by trying hard to focus on the future without getting angry. As far as my meds, everything in my mind is still kosher with no major side effects. I am going for a check up next week with my psychiatrist I hope it goes smooth. I am also looking forward to seeing Arlo in three weeks in Hartford, CT so I will try very hard to keep my mind focused on his performance not off in the devil's hell pit like it was back at the Fall Revival show. This is a perfect time for an Arlo show for me because it is close to my summer layoff from work so its an early jamboree, then two weeks after that I am done with work for the summer!
I need a huge break. I don't know if I will looking for another job during the summer before August or transfer to another unit throughout the college campus when school starts. Reason is that ever since the episode I had with a woman back in September is not speaking to me and puts lots of mental pressure on me which is not healthy for me. I keep my distance the best I could from her. She is so babyish! She will never forgive me
That is my latest health wise report. I will keep check back with you of all blunderbuddies
TTYS!
Peace and Love,
Lorie

Thanks for checking in, Lorie! I'm glad things are progressing for you!

My body hates soy...

Glad to hear you're progressing nicely Lori. I'm glad you get to see Arlo soon, I'm sure that will cheer you up!

Why is it that bi-polar drugs seem to work for awhile then just seem to stop? Having been close to several people with the problem, it's happened to every one. One friend knew her husband was going off when he would stop eating salad with his dinner. My niece stopped having symptoms for about a couple years after having her first baby. Then she ended up losing custody of him for a while when her meds just started making her sleep all the time. It seems to be a recurring theme with everyone I know with the illness.

Actually, as I write this it reminds me of what my husband was just saying about his alternative medicine doctor. Where the sports medicine doctor is talking about putting my son on anti-depressants for his post concussion migrains because that seems to work with some kids, the alternative doctor recommends several accupuncture treatments and is sure that releasing the energy (or whatever he said exactly) will have him like new by the summer. Modern western medicine is just so sure of itself in all its own ignorance.