Can't seem to lower Cholesterol?

[Callmestar]

I've had high cholesterol for several years and no matter what I do I can't seem to get it down to normal levels. My total cholesterol ranges from 8.1 mmol/L to 6.5mmol/L for the past 4 years or so. I tried going on to thyroid medication for around 6 months under the suspicion I may be slightly hypo and the advice of this forum with my TSH being around 3 at the time of starting. I had cholesterol checked after being on thyroid meds for 4 or 5 months and the cholesterol remained the same. I was eating more while on thyroid so perhaps any reduction in cholesterol from increased thyroid may have been cancelled out by an increase in calories. My main reason for going on to thyroid was actually for other health reasons in terms of generally feeling unwell, fatigued and dehydrated but it didn't seem to help that either, so I eventually tapered off thyroid. I then went back to what had been my normal routine of intermittent fasting and eating two meals a day. Again after months of this my cholesterol has still barely moved and that's with my calories being very low.

I'm 5'9, weigh 80kg, so you could say a little overweight, but I carry a quite a bit of muscle. I have a very skinny face and people think I'm slim, but body wise I carry decent muscle and have a little layer of fat on my midsection. I recently had another TSH blood test and it was 8.6 and I do feel like I'm slightly hypo so I've just started cynoplus again. My appetite has gone through the roof and my body is telling me to eat, so that's what I'm doing but I feel like I'm in a trap with the cholesterol and if I start taking in lots more food, it's only going to increase the cholesterol again.

I exercise about 3 times a week. Usually with weights but I'm somewhat limited due to fatigue (my doctors now think it's M.E. / chronic fatigues syndrome) and any intense cardio type exercise currently wipes me out/makes me unwell.

My triglycerides always seem to be in normal range but the rest doesn't look good. Should this be a major concern? What could be going on and what can I do about it?

Recent bloods results:

Serum lipid levels
Serum cholesterol level 6.5 mmol/L
Serum HDL cholesterol level 1.1 mmol/L
Serum cholesterol/HDL ratio 5.9
Serum non high density lipoprotein cholesterol level 5.4 mmol/L

Serum lipid levels
Serum cholesterol level; 7.1 mmol/L
Serum HDL cholesterol level: 1.2 mmol/L
Serum cholesterol/HDL ratio: 5.9
Serum non high density lipoprotein cholesterol level: 5.9 mmol/L

Serum Cholesterol level: 8.1 mmol/L
Serum HDL cholesterol level: 1.1 mmol/L
Serum cholesterol/HDL ratio: 7.4
Serum non high density lipoprotein cholesterol level: 7.0 mmol/L
Serum LDL cholesterol level: 6.3 mmol/L
Serum triglyceride levels: 1.6 mmol/L [0.6 - 1.9]

 

[rr1]

What are vitamin D levels? They could be low.
How about your diet, intermittent fasting and eating two meals a day seems like it would be pretty low in b vitamins and protein. B1 could help the chronic fatigue.
When you start thyroid, are you also getting adequate magnesium, milk, oysters and liver?

It sounds like you know you are hypothyroid, but just take cynoplus willy nilly and expect things to magically get better will not work.

 

[Elie]

Three main reasons for high cholesterol are low thyroid, "insulin resistance" and stress (this can be anything off course - mental-emotional, physical, chemical).
These numbers don't seem indicative of familial hypercholesteremic (genetic). Well, 8.1 does, but you didn't start there.
on its own, without elevated markers of inflammation, you are not necessarily at high risk for CVD.
I test hs-CRP and urine albumin/creatinine (simplest way to tell if there is endothelial, i.e., vascular disease), to rule out high cholesterol is associated with CVD.
Hopefully this helps you dig deeper and contextualize the situation a bit mote.
Have you ever tried policosanol?

 

[Callmestar]

What are vitamin D levels? They could be low.
How about your diet, intermittent fasting and eating two meals a day seems like it would be pretty low in b vitamins and protein. B1 could help the chronic fatigue.
When you start thyroid, are you also getting adequate magnesium, milk, oysters and liver?

It sounds like you know you are hypothyroid, but just take cynoplus willy nilly and expect things to magically get better will not work.

Thanks. My vit D is in normal range, I can't remember the exact figure, I'd have to find it but I do supplement Vit d.

I certainly wasn't just taking cynoplus willy nilly. I was fully on the Peat style eating train with lots of milk and OJ. Milk has always been my go to drink anyway. Organ meats, fruit, carrot salad etc. But I was getting fat. So I went back to the intermittent fasting. Now I'm back eating more peat style again but I think I need to not go so crazy which such high sugar and fat.

 

[Callmestar]

Three main reasons for high cholesterol are low thyroid, "insulin resistance" and stress (this can be anything off course - mental-emotional, physical, chemical).
These numbers don't seem indicative of familial hypercholesteremic (genetic). Well, 8.1 does, but you didn't start there.
on its own, without elevated markers of inflammation, you are not necessarily at high risk for CVD.
I test hs-CRP and urine albumin/creatinine (simplest way to tell if there is endothelial, i.e., vascular disease), to rule out high cholesterol is associated with CVD.
Hopefully this helps you dig deeper and contextualize the situation a bit mote.
Have you ever tried policosanol?

Thanks. My hs-CRP and CRP are normal, so perhaps that's reassuring? I'm not sure I've had urine albumin/creatine tested but I will check.
I've not heard of policosanol, so I will look into that.

This is the most comprehensive blood test I have access to. This was actually the lowest my cholesterol had been in the past few years. I posted the results on the forum here:

Chronic health problem (Dehydration) - Faint hope somebody here might have some ideas

 

[InChristAlone]

Beans, psyllium, and oats for lowering cholesterol.

 

[ReSTART]

Diet?

 

[mamakitty]

Beans, psyllium, and oats for lowering cholesterol.

Could you please provide more info on this? I was under the impression these foods are frowned upon in Peat’s school of thought?