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| Bringing down cholesterol (Read 573 times) |
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posted: 5/31/2008 at 4:40 PM |
| Quote from t_runner on 5/31/2008 at 12:51 PM: Cholesterol was my only test. She wants to see me in three months and see where the numbers are, and then do further tests as needed...
My advise is to research what tests are important for heart disease prevention / identification and be prepared to tell her what you want. Chances are good she will do them anyhow but some docs (just like us) get set in ways. These folks are so busy anymore that you need to be your own best advocate in case they are having an off day  |
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| view log Bif! Bam! Pow! |
posted: 5/31/2008 at 5:00 PM
modified: 5/31/2008 at 5:02 PM |
| Quote from t_runner on 5/31/2008 at 12:49 PM:
Trent - just out of curiousity, if statins are really safe, why would my doctor say she doesn't normally prescribe for women of childbearing age? Is there some harm to a fetus if the mother is on them? Like I said earlier, I wasn't planning on having children anyway, I was just curious. At what cholesterol point would you personally take them?
Since trent didnt answer this is what I know: Cholesterol is necessary for hormone production, and brain and organ development. Pretty much any kind of drug/herb that lowers cholesterol should be avoided. During pg a woman's cholesterol can increase significantly
There is at this point loose correlation between statins and birthdefects
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| view log Funky Monkey |
posted: 5/31/2008 at 5:25 PM
modified: 5/31/2008 at 6:18 PM |
Sorry, t_runner, I missed that question. 
Here is the deal. There are a few reasons why you may not get a statin during pregnancy even though they may be safe in other settings:
1. Statins are tested in nonpregnant adults. Within that group, they have been found to be very very safe, both in premarketing and postmarketing testing (with the exception of a couple drugs that have since been removed from the market. It is impossible to know if a drug that is safe in nonpregnant adults is also safe in pregnant women. Or in children. To know if it is safe among those other groups, it needs to be tested in them as well. Rather than assume it is safe, your doctor and the FDA generally take the path of highest caution. Drug companies generally do not have incentives to test drugs in these populations as the risk (medical and legal) is very very high and the market fairly limited. Many drugs are very very safe in nonpregnant adults and unsafe or untested in pregnancy.
2. Treating high cholesterol (and high blood pressure, generally) is something you do every day to prevent the accumulated effect of high cholesterol on your arteries. As it takes years of high cholesterol to cause problems, it takes years of treatment to reverse the effects of high cholesterol. Taking a few months off during pregnancy is a drop in the bucket when compared to the years of treatment, and is low risk.
3. Most high cholesterol occurs as we age, and most people with high cholesterol tend to develop it after childbearing. Many docs won't even start checking unless you have a family history until sometime in the mid 30s or later.
4. What Ennay said. High cholesterol may actually be beneficial in pregnancy.
5. When nursing, cholesterol tends to plummet naturally as it is all funneled into breast milk.
So, you cannot assume that a drug is not safe in nonpregnant adults just because it is not safe during pregnancy. |
| It's all fun and games until the flying monkeys attack. |
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posted: 5/31/2008 at 9:10 PM |
Quote from HoosierDaddy on 5/31/2008 at 4:40 PM:My advise is to research what tests are important for heart disease prevention / identification and be prepared to tell her what you want. Chances are good she will do them anyhow but some docs (just like us) get set in ways. These folks are so busy anymore that you need to be your own best advocate in case they are having an off day
Thanks, that is good advice. My doctor, although I like her, always seems a tad rushed. I was about to be shoved out the door this year after my physical when I asked her when I should think about getting my cholesterol checked because of my family history.. and that of course led to all this! |
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posted: 5/31/2008 at 9:13 PM |
| Quote from Trent on 5/31/2008 at 5:25 PM: So, you cannot assume that a drug is not safe in nonpregnant adults just because it is not safe during pregnancy.
Thanks Trent, your information was very helpful. I am wondering if I am being irrationally fearful of the drugs.. I guess I will really have to see what my diet changes do, any other tests the doctor does, and what she thinks...
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