Phase 1 Complete!!

[CKG]

I posted my story back on the December 2009 thread "Fish and Fish Oil". I had been taking statins for several years until I started reading various articles about cholesterol and Statins and seeing things the doctors and the media never tell you. Last summer I became interested in low carb eating and told my doctor I was dropping the statins (altoprev) against his strong disapproval. I was taking Altoprev, Lovaza (for triglcerides), and avalide for high blood pressure so I hear people talking about Phase 1, but Phase 1 for me was to get off the statins which I stopped around last June. My blood work last November produced the following:

Nov 09
Total: 248
HDL: 37
LDL: 154
Trig: 258

I had not been watching my diet and my weight was up so I was discouraged (even though I can't remember my trig. ever being below 250). So I resolved to put more effort into reducing my carbs plus I added Fish Oil and Niancin (1500 mgs Slo-Niancin) to my regime.

Apr 2010 results
Total: 183
HDL: 49
LDL: 125
Trig: 125



I couldn't believe it. I still keep thinking they mixed somebody else's blood work for mine. My doctor credited it to the Lovaza even though I had been taking it for a couple of years without any noticeable results. I started to tell him the things I had been doing, but I was in a hurry to get out and get to work and I'm not sure he would've accepted that reducing carbs would have made a difference. I'm still blown away by the trig. numbers. I had lowered my cholesterol without statins once before on a high carb veggie type diet, but it didn't impact my trig. numbers. Anyway Phase 2 (for me) is to increase my fish oil (over the counter) and drop the Lovaza.

Even though by most standards I'm probably close to my ideal weight I would still like to lose a little flab around the midsection.Istrenght train twice a week, but do little cardio.

So thanks everyone for your posting and for sites like this because the information here is much needed by our society!

[Frank Hagan]

Congratulations on the success of replacing drugs with a change in eating! Why more doctors don't encourage this I'll never know.

I have a similar story with Trigs and low carb, Slo-Niacin (also 1500mg daily) and fish oil, with my Trigs going from 344 to 106. You'll see more gradual improvement in HDL and, even though LDL often rises in the early stages of low carb dieting, even it usually comes down to reasonable levels.

I did try eliminating the niacin, and found that my Trigs went back up to 170, so for me, the niacin is part of the mix. I'll gladly take niacin over a statin any day. I take an aspirin 30 minutes before the Slo-Niacin and find that really minimizes the flushing.

Lovaza is made from fish oil, and is FDA approved, so doctors feel safer recommending it over a nutritional supplement. Dr. Davis has several articles (http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search?q=lovaza) about Lovaza and while he thinks its a rip-off (because nutritional supplements are so much cheaper), its certainly not harmful. And it probably did help with your Trigs (along with the rest of the fish oil, lower carbs and niacin).

Nothing succeeds like success, so I'm sure you're enthused about continuing on your journey! Things may progress more slowly with some of the other readings like HDL and LDL, so don't lose hope if the next blood test shows only minor improvement. The important thing is you probably feel better, and you are moving toward better overall health.

[CKG]

Congratulations on the success of replacing drugs with a change in eating! Why more doctors don't encourage this I'll never know.

I have a similar story with Trigs and low carb, Slo-Niacin (also 1500mg daily) and fish oil, with my Trigs going from 344 to 106. You'll see more gradual improvement in HDL and, even though LDL often rises in the early stages of low carb dieting, even it usually comes down to reasonable levels.

I did try eliminating the niacin, and found that my Trigs went back up to 170, so for me, the niacin is part of the mix. I'll gladly take niacin over a statin any day. I take an aspirin 30 minutes before the Slo-Niacin and find that really minimizes the flushing.

Lovaza is made from fish oil, and is FDA approved, so doctors feel safer recommending it over a nutritional supplement. Dr. Davis has several articles (http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search?q=lovaza) about Lovaza and while he thinks its a rip-off (because nutritional supplements are so much cheaper), its certainly not harmful. And it probably did help with your Trigs (along with the rest of the fish oil, lower carbs and niacin).

Nothing succeeds like success, so I'm sure you're enthused about continuing on your journey! Things may progress more slowly with some of the other readings like HDL and LDL, so don't lose hope if the next blood test shows only minor improvement. The important thing is you probably feel better, and you are moving toward better overall health.

I had been taking Lovaza for about a year or so without any noticeable results so by itself it was not effective, at least for me. Reducing carbs, taking 1500 mgs of Niacin and adding over-the-counter fish oil was the 3 steps I took last November. I'm sure with this combination the Lovaza was helpful. It may just be a pride thing, but I would like to rid myself of all prescriptions, except of course for temporary use for when I'm really sick.

[Frank Hagan]

I had been taking Lovaza for about a year or so without any noticeable results so by itself it was not effective, at least for me. Reducing carbs, taking 1500 mgs of Niacin and adding over-the-counter fish oil was the 3 steps I took last November. I'm sure with this combination the Lovaza was helpful. It may just be a pride thing, but I would like to rid myself of all prescriptions, except of course for temporary use for when I'm really sick.

Dr. Davis seems to think that taking sufficient fish oil as a supplement is as good as the higher cost Lovaza prescription. I think you proved that the niacin, low carbs and extra fish oil did make the difference! If you decide to eliminate the Lovaza, make sure you increase your fish oil to the "therapeutic dose" levels of EPA/DHA (cited by Dr Davis at around 1600/800mg per day) if you are not there already. I tolerate fish oil well, so I take two teaspoons of Carlon's Finest Lemon Flavored Fish Oil, which gives me 3200/1600mg of EPA/DHA. The capsules I was taking would have required 10 to 15 per day to get that level, so the liquid fish oil is easier for me to take.

[CKG]

RANGES
Total: 125-200
HDL: > or = 40
LDL: < 130
Trig: < 150
Chol/HDLC Ratio: < or = 5

********************************
Nov 09
Total: 248
HDL: 37
LDL: 154
Trig: 258
COMMENTS: First blood work without statins. Still taking Lovaza.
********************************
Apr 2010
Total: 183
HDL: 49
LDL: 125
Trig: 125
COMMENTS: Had put more effort into carb reduction. I added Fish Oil and Niancin (1500 mgs Slo-Niancin) to my regime in addition to taking Lovaza.
********************************
Oct 2010
Total: 246
HDL: 51
LDL: 159
Trig: 178
Chol/HDLC Ratio: 4.8

COMMENTS: Disappointed, but not discouraged. HDL actually improved and Triglycerides, though not as low as in April 2010 are still much lower than in other years. Had not taken Lovaza in 6 months though I still have been taking over-the-counter Fish Oil and Niancin (1500 mgs Slo-Niancin).

********************************

[CKG]

Of course I may have to rethink my intake of fish oil.

http://thehealthyskeptic.org/when-it-comes-to-fish-oil-more-is-not-better#comments