Healthcare on a budget..anyone lowed cholestrol without Rx?

[rhoda_bruce]

DH has been on cholestrol meds for 3 years and needs to have regular bloodwork. He has healthcare insurance. He always just went in, paid his co-pay and got the work done. Well now, he did all that, but in addition we have a 116.00 bill from the lab. According to DH's findings, he can buy his own cholestrol testing kit for @ home use for under 30 dollars, which will monitor him for several checks. Our only problem is if the MD doesn't accept home monitoring. But even if he doesn't, I understand a lot of people were sucessful lowering their cholestrol with Niacin. We cook food well and healthy and the rest of us have good levels on the same food, so its apparently just something about DH's chemistry.
He has another month of his meds before needing a doctor or bloodwork, so we have time to think on it.

 

[Wifezilla]

Without a complete cholesterol profile, he may make things worse. There is a test that measures particle size. THAT is the test you need. You can have a high LDL and actually be fine if the particles are big and fluffy. If they are small and dense (VLDL) THEN you are in trouble.

A lot of what is taught to doctors about cholesterol is crap. Lowering cholesterol for the sake of a low number can INCREASE your risk of death.
"Cholesterol is not the major culprit in heart disease or any disease. If it becomes oxidized it can irritate/inflame tissues in which it is lodged in, such as the endothelium (lining of the arteries). This would be one of numerous causes of chronic inflammation that can injure the lining of arteries. However, many good fats are easily oxidized such as omega-3 fatty acids, but it does not mean that you should avoid it at all costs.

Common sense would indicate that we should avoid the oxidation (rancidity) of cholesterol and fatty acids and not get rid of important life-giving molecules. Using the same conventional medical thinking that is being used for cholesterol would lead one to believe that doctors should reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease by taking out everybody's brain.

In fact, cholesterol is being transported to tissues as part of an inflammatory response that is there to repair damage.

The fixation on cholesterol as a major cause of heart disease defies the last 15 years of science and deflects from real causes such as the damage (via glycation) that sugars such as glucose and fructose inflict on tissues, including the lining of arteries, causing chronic inflammation and resultant plaque."
http://loveforlife.com.au/node/2103

 

[rhoda_bruce]

There are 2 different monitors. One measures just the total cholestrol and a more expensive one (but still cheaper than the bill) separates it into different parts.
We will probably call the doctor and see what he thinks.

 

[gettinaclue]

I've read of some people lowering cholesterol with ACV. I don't have any experience with that though.

 

[Henrietta23]

Mine was over 230 before I started eating modified Paleo. But my issues may be more involved because I also deal with insulin resistance, a tendency toward pre diabetes, etc. By eating this way my total cholesterol and so called "bad" cholesterol numbers dropped to well within normal and the size of cholesterol particles improved from B to A. My "good" cholesterol only improves when I exercise regularly. I have never taken cholesterol medications. I have no idea if this works for anyone with high cholesterol and I have change to this type of diet under the supervision of a naturopathic doctor. And of course I am getting regular lab tests to check. No clue if that's been helpful at all! Just my story....

 

[Wifezilla]

Paleo is a VERY GOOD option. I am low carb, which shares many food items with Paleo. (Tomatoes are considered non-paleo, hence me not going total paloe ) One thing that happens when you go Paleo or low carb is your A1C levels go down and so do your triglycerides...both of which are better indicators of heart disease risk than cholesterol level anyway.

 

[Marianne]

My cholesterol dropped from 226 to 176 in one year. BUT now I'm not sure what did it. The only two changes I made during the year was forcing down ACV most days to try to control my BP, and I gave up margarine (Smart Balance and Benecol) and started eating real butter again.

So far, it's not working for DH - His levels were sky high, dropped like a stone when he was on statins, but he has had some serious side effects. He finally told them he is not taking anything else.

http://www.spacedoc.com/
After reading everything on this site, I'm inclined to think it was the saturated fats that helped me, not the ACV that I initially thought did the trick for me.

Earth Clinic has a lot of posts that said ACV helped both BP and Cholesterol.

I'll stay out of the medical end of it as others here on the forum are more knowledgable about it. I just know that home remedies and natural stuff works for some people, not so well for others.

 

[Wifezilla]

LOVE Spacedoc! I am on their email list.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Guess I can do a web-search when I get a chance, but afraid I've never heard of ACV or paleo. Neither has DH. I am having some issues myself with planter's fasciitis, which I am trying to deal with naturally, with little success and have no idea how I'm going to do all my chores.
Guess we just both getting old.

 

[sufficientforme]

Apple cider vinegar (organic with mother) has worked well for my Dad's cholesterol level but it was not super high. Worth a shot.
Also I had plantar fasciitis (sp?) a few years ago, I am not sure what you are already trying but here is what worked for me I rolled my feet on a ice cold soda can while watching tv or on computer a few times daily and also I ordered the medical crocs (which are on sale for a great price compared to what I paid a few years ago, I checked before typing this) and basically lived in them for chores and alternated between New Balance arch supported shoes. It is worth getting the custom insoles if you can afford them but I did not have insurance for them and they were about 300.00.
http://www.crocs.com/crocs-rx-silve...t,pd.html?cid=206&cgid=women-footwear-medical