Low Cholestrol & Graves Question

[Guest guest]

I understand not just the medication, but Graves itself,

results in a low cholesterol count.

Elaine

Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon

his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats

--Henry Louis Mencken

Hello a

On Sunday, November 16, 2003, you wrote

as> My endo said that the medication would cause me to

as> have low cholestrol. I am on tapozole - I am planing

as> to have a cholestrol test to see if it does lower the

as> reading

as> Hopefully it will and some good will come out of with

as> disease

as> AMy

as> --- elisenj732@... wrote:

>> Do most people with GD have low cholestrol? In my

>> reading, I've found it goes

>> together, but I'd like to know why and how low is

>> dangerous & what do you do

>> to raise it? My HDL is 40, while my LDL is 39.

>>

>> Always,

>> Elise**

>>

[Guest guest]

Actually, I haven't heard lowered cholesterol being a problem (but I could

be wrong here), especially if you are low on the LDL which is the bad

cholesterol. The HDL is good cholesterol, and yours looks pretty decent.

Exercise can help you raise HDL further, as well as flavonoids (fruits and

juices like orange and red/purple grape).

My cholesterol at 152 is gorgeous for the first time. Used to be around

200. Hopefully this is a perk, and is common with GD.

At 05:18 PM 11/16/2003, you wrote:

>Do most people with GD have low cholestrol? In my reading, I've found it goes

>together, but I'd like to know why and how low is dangerous & what do you do

>to raise it? My HDL is 40, while my LDL is 39.

>

>Always,

>Elise**

[Guest guest]

Hi Elise,

When I became hyper I lost 50 points of HDL, the good cholesterol. My

LDL stayed the same. I attribute the loss to having my metabolism " in

overdrive " and losing nutrients. I don't know how you build up good

cholesterol except through a good diet. (I also believe that some

fats and oils are good for us.)

Best wishes

B.

> At 05:18 PM 11/16/2003, you wrote:

> >Do most people with GD have low cholestrol? In my reading, I've

found it goes

> >together, but I'd like to know why and how low is dangerous & what

do you do

> >to raise it? My HDL is 40, while my LDL is 39.

> >

> >Always,

> >Elise**

>

>

[Guest guest]

Amy has been seen by an alternative doctor (total body modification) who says

that cholesterol that is too low causes a variety of emotional issues. I'm

sure if he said this affects the hormones (I got this second hand from a

friend) but it's worth thinking about if Graves' people tend toward low

cholesterol.

I think Amy's was low when she was initially diagnosed, but it hasn't been

checked in a while.

Amy's Pam

P. S. He claims that anything below 200 is too low. I know that goes

against the grain of healthy cholesterol levels, but his knowledge is extensive.

In a message dated 11/16/2003 8:54:23 PM Central Standard Time,

aconner@... writes:

>Do most people with GD have low cholestrol? In my reading, I've found it goes

>together, but I'd like to know why and how low is dangerous & what do you do

>to raise it? My HDL is 40, while my LDL is 39.

>

>Always

[Guest guest]

I just did a quick search on this topic. I only found information about low

cholesterol being a problem from Dr. Mercola's website:

http://www.mercola.com/1999/archive/low_cholesterol.htm

This is a bit alarmist, and I wonder how accurate it is. There are a lot of

unconventional ideas on Dr. Mercola's website, and some may be more useful

than others -- I don't really know.

Walnuts can lower LDL (the bad cholesterol), so maybe one should avoid them

if the LDL is too low!

At 10:28 AM 11/17/2003, you wrote:

>Amy has been seen by an alternative doctor (total body modification) who says

>that cholesterol that is too low causes a variety of emotional issues. I'm

>sure if he said this affects the hormones (I got this second hand from a

>friend) but it's worth thinking about if Graves' people tend toward low

>cholesterol.

>I think Amy's was low when she was initially diagnosed, but it hasn't been

>checked in a while.

>

>Amy's Pam

>

>P. S. He claims that anything below 200 is too low. I know that goes

>against the grain of healthy cholesterol levels, but his knowledge is

>extensive.

[Guest guest]

-

Interesting. I'm going to have to check this out. My cholesterol just came

back at 158. Before this is that 185. Just when I'm think I'm doing good!

With my family's serious heart disease risk history, I was thinking I got

lucky with low cholesterol. Now maybe I'm not! A curious piece of info in

this article was the link between low chol. and gall bladder disease. We've

got family history of that, too, so I wonder if that's the cause of my

lowered chol.

I'm going to get my mom to research this a bit. She's an RN in a cardiac

rehab unit. She says she sees patients there all the time with chol. in the

150's - but they're all on cholesterol lowering meds! So, apparently the

doctors want to see it this low. But perhaps that is for patients who have

already had a heart attack or stroke. I'll get her to probe the

cardiologists she works with for more info on this. I have heard that low

chol. may be a problem, but I heard it was a _lot_ lower than 150 where it

becomes an issue!

If I find out anything interesting, I'll post it.

Re: Low Cholestrol & Graves Question

> I just did a quick search on this topic. I only found information about

low

> cholesterol being a problem from Dr. Mercola's website:

> http://www.mercola.com/1999/archive/low_cholesterol.htm

> This is a bit alarmist, and I wonder how accurate it is. There are a lot

of

> unconventional ideas on Dr. Mercola's website, and some may be more useful

> than others -- I don't really know.

>

> Walnuts can lower LDL (the bad cholesterol), so maybe one should avoid

them

> if the LDL is too low!

>

>

> At 10:28 AM 11/17/2003, you wrote:

> >Amy has been seen by an alternative doctor (total body modification) who

says

> >that cholesterol that is too low causes a variety of emotional issues.

I'm

> >sure if he said this affects the hormones (I got this second hand from a

> >friend) but it's worth thinking about if Graves' people tend toward low

> >cholesterol.

> >I think Amy's was low when she was initially diagnosed, but it hasn't

been

> >checked in a while.

> >

> >Amy's Pam

> >

> >P. S. He claims that anything below 200 is too low. I know that goes

> >against the grain of healthy cholesterol levels, but his knowledge is

> >extensive.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Now I'm sorry I deleted one of my newsletters yesterday.

It was one of the Medical News sort of things. They had come up with a group

of 'problems' that showed up consistently in patients finally diagnosed with

Diabetes. Group of risk factors as it were. Low cholesterol was one of five

I believe was the # of items on the list.

BUT it did not specify what a low result was. I assume it would be very,

very low.

Since Graves' does result in low cholesterol while we are still hyper, it is

but one more reason to be treated soon and in a manner that results in

normal thyroid numbers the soonest. Thus... one more reason for using

antithyroid drugs , and doing them properly... with labs every 4 weeks... it

is normal for any patient well cared for to be well within normal numbers in

the standard 6 to 8 weeks.

IF this has not been the result for any of our new members, they need to

educate themselves, and ask questions. We can always point them to good,

reliable sources of information.

* If one of our other members has that newsletter still, please send a link

to the article in question, concerning diabetes risks.

Thanks.

-Pam L-

3 1/2 years Graves', TED, and PTU.

Remission since Jan. 28th. 2002 !

Key: SLOW reduction of PTU (despite an incompetent endo ! ), eight hour

dosing,labs every 4 weeks, improved lifestyle, REAL food/ no processed

pre-made food, herbs, and looking at the big picture.

Triggers are: MSG/any 'flavorings', glutamates ,aspartame, pesticides,high

iodine foods.

_____________________________________________________

Pills alone only help the symptoms. We must help our bodies to heal.

_____________________________________________________

* " What a long, strange, trip it's been " ...Jerry .... Peace*

[Guest guest]

Please do! In the meantime, I will hope that it is not too bad and lay off

the walnuts.

At 04:44 PM 11/17/2003, you wrote:

> -

>

>...If I find out anything interesting, I'll post it.

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/18/2003 7:35:54 PM Eastern Standard Time,

mlbuck@... writes:

No, it sounds like the only time to possibly worry is if you have total

cholesterol under 100. Whew! What a relief, huh?

My total cholesterol is 91...I guess I should worry.

Always,

Elise**

[Guest guest]

OK, got some more info on the low cholesterol issue from cardiac rehab docs

and nurses:

Apparently the possible issue with low cholesterol is increased risk of

hemorrhagic (sp?) stroke - different from the type of stroke you might have

with high cholesterol. Basically, the walls of the blood vessels are too

thin and may be " leaky " . This may be a problem is your cholesterol is

_really_ low. Like under 100 total cholesterol. When the cholesterol is this

low, there may not be enough for cell repair, and that's why the blood

vessels can become thin. But no, cardiologists are very happy when they see

cholesterol levels of about 150. They practically turn cartwheels. This is

the type of level they're trying to shoot for with all the cholesterol

lowering meds.

So unless you're under 100 for total cholesterol, it's likely not a problem.

Also recall that it's the ratio of HDL (good) to LDL (bad) cholesterol that

is more important. HDL should ideally be over 50.

Hope that's useful!

[Guest guest]

Yes, very useful, ! I am turning a cartwheel (and breathing a sigh

of relief).

Do you happen to know when to get concerned? I am guessing that if total

cholesterol dips below 130? (And of course one would want to have >40 HDL).

I guess one would need to consult with a doctor to find out what to do if

there is a need for intervention, but I have never heard of ways to raise

total cholesterol, other than the dietary/exercise efforts to raise HDL. I

don't suppose they mentioned what to do... Lower the thyroid levels, I guess.

At 03:47 PM 11/18/2003, you wrote:

>OK, got some more info on the low cholesterol issue from cardiac rehab docs

>and nurses:

>...

>Hope that's useful!

>

[Guest guest]

No, it sounds like the only time to possibly worry is if you have total

cholesterol under 100. Whew! What a relief, huh?

Re: Low Cholestrol & Graves Question

> Yes, very useful, ! I am turning a cartwheel (and breathing a sigh

> of relief).

> Do you happen to know when to get concerned? I am guessing that if total

> cholesterol dips below 130? (And of course one would want to have >40

HDL).

> I guess one would need to consult with a doctor to find out what to do if

> there is a need for intervention, but I have never heard of ways to raise

> total cholesterol, other than the dietary/exercise efforts to raise HDL. I

> don't suppose they mentioned what to do... Lower the thyroid levels, I

guess.

>

>

> At 03:47 PM 11/18/2003, you wrote:

> >OK, got some more info on the low cholesterol issue from cardiac rehab

docs

> >and nurses:

> >...

> >Hope that's useful!

> >

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Absolutely. Thank you so much :-)

At 05:20 PM 11/18/2003, you wrote:

>No, it sounds like the only time to possibly worry is if you have total

>cholesterol under 100. Whew! What a relief, huh?

>

>

[Guest guest]

I've always considered my low cholesterol " disease driven " .

I am not sure much can be done about it when one has Graves.

I understand with a " cure " of Graves that the cholesterol

would dramatically shoot upwards.

Anyone know more about that?

Elaine (andria, Virginia)

A good deed never goes unpunished. --Gore Vidal

Hello Psy.D.

On Tuesday, November 18, 2003, you wrote

ACPD> Yes, very useful, ! I am turning a

ACPD> cartwheel (and breathing a sigh

ACPD> of relief).

ACPD> Do you happen to know when to get concerned? I

ACPD> am guessing that if total

ACPD> cholesterol dips below 130? (And of course one

ACPD> would want to have >40 HDL).

ACPD> I guess one would need to consult with a doctor

ACPD> to find out what to do if

ACPD> there is a need for intervention, but I have

ACPD> never heard of ways to raise

ACPD> total cholesterol, other than the

ACPD> dietary/exercise efforts to raise HDL. I

ACPD> don't suppose they mentioned what to do...

ACPD> Lower the thyroid levels, I guess.

ACPD>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/18/2003 11:15:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,

aconner@... writes:

How are your FT's right now? (Sorry if you recently posted -- hard to keep

track of everything).

I know that when I swung hypO from being overmedicated my cholesterol rose

(a lot) as well. So if you are on ATDs, maybe you need a bit more.

Hi ,

Sorry, I'm not sure of what FT's are. I'll give you my bloodwork results if

thats what it means:

TSH < 0.01

T4 Total 28.6

T3 Uptake 46.3

T4 Free 13.24

Cholesterol Total 91

HDL 40

Cholestrol/HDL ratio 2.3

LDL Cholesterol 39

Triglycerides 60

Hope that helps. Thanks for caring!

Always,

Elise**

[Guest guest]

Elise,

How are your FT's right now? (Sorry if you recently posted -- hard to keep

track of everything).

I know that when I swung hypO from being overmedicated my cholesterol rose

(a lot) as well. So if you are on ATDs, maybe you need a bit more.

At 07:37 PM 11/18/2003, you wrote:

>In a message dated 11/18/2003 7:35:54 PM Eastern Standard Time,

>mlbuck@... writes:

>No, it sounds like the only time to possibly worry is if you have total

>cholesterol under 100. Whew! What a relief, huh?

>My total cholesterol is 91...I guess I should worry.

>

>Always,

>Elise**

[Guest guest]

Not necessarily, Elise!

Do you have previous cholesterol results before you had Graves'? Cholesterol

is lower in people who are hyperthyroid. So it is likely that your 91 is a

result of you being hyperthyroid. If you have previous cholesterol results

to compare from before you had Graves', you may be able to see this. If you

are a person who has _always_ had low cholesterol (of below 100), that's the

kind of people we're talking about who may have problems associated with the

low cholesterol. We are not talking about a temporarily lowered cholesterol

as a result of being hyper thyroid. I don't remember what your current

thyroid results are, but if you are recently receiving treatment for hyperT,

then it's likely your cholesterol has not returned to whatever it's normal

level was. If you go hypothyroid, that is associated with high cholesterol.

But even once your thyroid levels normalize, it does take a bit of time for

the body to recover and return to whatever your normal cholesterol levels

are.

So if this is your first cholesterol result below 100, it's probably not a

concern. It will change as your thyroid status changes. Having a temproarily

low chol. level is not likely to cause damage. The problems that may exist

(and it's important to note that there isn't a consesus about whether there

really are problems associated with low cholesterol) come from years of low

chol. levels.

But if you're still concerned, talk to your doctor. He/she should be able to

tell you if this is something to be worried about or not. It may be

something to watch in the future, but chances are good that it is not an

issue for you now.

Hope this has been somewhat reassuring!

Re: Low Cholestrol & Graves Question

> In a message dated 11/18/2003 7:35:54 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> mlbuck@... writes:

> No, it sounds like the only time to possibly worry is if you have total

> cholesterol under 100. Whew! What a relief, huh?

> My total cholesterol is 91...I guess I should worry.

>

> Always,

> Elise**

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Elise,

FT's are Free T3 and Free T4. I would be glad to look at your labs, but

without the normal ranges I wouldn't be able to tell where you're at.

Perhaps you can just add the ranges for the TT4, T3 Uptake and FT4; that

should do.

At 11:21 PM 11/18/2003, you wrote:

>In a message dated 11/18/2003 11:15:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,

>aconner@... writes:

>How are your FT's right now? (Sorry if you recently posted -- hard to keep

>track of everything).

>I know that when I swung hypO from being overmedicated my cholesterol rose

>(a lot) as well. So if you are on ATDs, maybe you need a bit more.

>

>

>

>Hi ,

>

>Sorry, I'm not sure of what FT's are. I'll give you my bloodwork results if

>thats what it means:

>TSH < 0.01

>

>T4 Total 28.6

>

>T3 Uptake 46.3

>

>T4 Free 13.24

>

>Cholesterol Total 91

>HDL 40

>Cholestrol/HDL ratio 2.3

>

>LDL Cholesterol 39

>Triglycerides 60

>

>Hope that helps. Thanks for caring!

>

>Always,

>Elise**