FYI for those on statins

[MarcoFL]

Did I miss it? have you run a calcium cardiac score? I am 61 high LDL my whole life at 41 HDL low 100's on trig but zero on my calcium cardiac score. My PCP always loves to talk statin and plant diets. Does not work for us.

 

[Flyers74]

Did I miss it? have you run a calcium cardiac score? I am 61 high LDL my whole life at 41 HDL low 100's on trig but zero on my calcium cardiac score. My PCP always loves to talk statin and plant diets. Does not work for us.

Hi,

Nope, you didn't miss it! I never had one done?

but sure sounds like that's something I should order then? I take it this is just a general CT scan?

 

[Vince]

Hi,

Nope, you didn't miss it! I never had one done?

but sure sounds like that's something I should order then? I take it this is just a general CT scan?

Most hospitals provide a heart CT scan. It's out of pocket. Usually runs around $100. It does use some radiation so use with caution.

 

[MarcoFL]

It will not show you the soft plaque but it does the hard plaque. Just good to use as a reference IMO. My PCP will also say why are you running a high T level....never mind it crushes my glucose to great levels and helps sleep and everything else.

 

[Vince]

It will not show you the soft plaque but it does the hard plaque. Just good to use as a reference IMO. My PCP will also say why are you running a high T level....never mind it crushes my glucose to great levels and helps sleep and everything else.

It takes one year for the plaque to stabilize and become calcified hard plaque.

 

[Guided_by_Voices]

Hi,

Nope, you didn't miss it! I never had one done?

but sure sounds like that's something I should order then? I take it this is just a general CT scan?

The primary problem with CT scans is the lack of actionable information since the action is always the same, which is to maximize heart-healthy actions as much as you can. Statins have been shown to accelerate calcification. To use it to test different protocols would require multiple scans over a series of years, and that still might not yield valid, actionable information.

 

[FunkOdyssey]

The primary problem with CT scans is the lack of actionable information since the action is always the same, which is to maximize heart-healthy actions as much as you can. Statins have been shown to accelerate calcification. To use it to test different protocols would require multiple scans over a series of years, and that still might not yield valid, actionable information.

I disagree with this because it is not entirely clear what "heart-healthy" actions are or whether they will be effective for you personally.

The way I see it, the calcium score, especially if taken at regular intervals, is giving you feedback on whether your overall lifestyle and sum of diet, exercise, sleep, stress, medications, etc has been effective at preventing the most advanced form of atherosclerosis or not. It is actionable in the sense that if you have significant worsening of calcium score, changes need to be made, otherwise, changes are unnecessary.

Motivation is another aspect to this equation. Assuming you do have an accurate understanding of heart-healthy lifestyle factors, do you have the motivation to implement them? Would concrete evidence of worsening atherosclerosis increase your motivation level? For most, I suspect the answer is yes.

 

[Vince]

The primary problem with CT scans is the lack of actionable information since the action is always the same, which is to maximize heart-healthy actions as much as you can. Statins have been shown to accelerate calcification. To use it to test different protocols would require multiple scans over a series of years, and that still might not yield valid, actionable information.

Yes, I agree. That's why you take a statin. To calcify the plaque and make it stable. Basically safe plaque.

 

[Guided_by_Voices]

I disagree with this because it is not entirely clear what "heart-healthy" actions are or whether they will be effective for you personally.

The way I see it, the calcium score, especially if taken at regular intervals, is giving you feedback on whether your overall lifestyle and sum of diet, exercise, sleep, stress, medications, etc has been effective at preventing the most advanced form of atherosclerosis or not. It is actionable in the sense that if you have significant worsening of calcium score, changes need to be made, otherwise, changes are unnecessary.

Motivation is another aspect to this equation. Assuming you do have an accurate understanding of heart-healthy lifestyle factors, do you have the motivation to implement them? Would concrete evidence of worsening atherosclerosis increase your motivation level? For most, I suspect the answer is yes.

I agree with the motivation part for those who need that, and I also agree that it is not always clear what is "heart healthy". However given the lag time between an action and it's result (if any) on a CT scan, using the scan to make decisions seems very hard to actually do. Further, a zero score, especially for a younger person where plaque has not had time to develop will give a false degree of confidence. Statins would invalidate the whole concept since their promotion of calcification would cover up the benefit of other actions. I had no signs of plaque on a carotid artery scan about 12 years ago but shortly thereafter realized I was doing a lot of things that were likely heart-harmful, so the good score was probably due to good things overriding bad things, not an absence of bad things. It's also worth noting that while CVD and heart attacks are loosely related, there are plenty of people who have had heart attacks with little or no CVD, and it is the heart attacks that we really want to avoid, since moderate CVD won't kill you but a heart attack or stroke will. Stroke risk is a major additional issue which would argue against saying that a zero CAC score gives you an "all-clear".

 

[Vince]

I agree with the motivation part for those who need that, and I also agree that it is not always clear what is "heart healthy". However given the lag time between an action and it's result (if any) on a CT scan, using the scan to make decisions seems very hard to actually do. Further, a zero score, especially for a younger person where plaque has not had time to develop will give a false degree of confidence. Statins would invalidate the whole concept since their promotion of calcification would cover up the benefit of other actions. I had no signs of plaque on a carotid artery scan about 12 years ago but shortly thereafter realized I was doing a lot of things that were likely heart-harmful, so the good score was probably due to good things overriding bad things, not an absence of bad things. It's also worth noting that while CVD and heart attacks are loosely related, there are plenty of people who have had heart attacks with little or no CVD, and it is the heart attacks that we really want to avoid, since moderate CVD won't kill you but a heart attack or stroke will. Stroke risk is a major additional issue which would argue against saying that a zero CAC score gives you an "all-clear".

Just remember a carotid ultrasound is a completely different thing than a CT scan. Normally you have carotid ultrasound when you have been a heavy smoker. That can cause plaque buildup in carotid.

 

[sammmy]

Another option is eating nuts - they are very caloric just like cheese and substituting a big portion of your carbs with them should decrease triglycerides.

 

[Systemlord]

My PCP always loves to talk statin and plant diets.

Humans are designed to eat meat. The human brain evolved over millions of years due to all the red meat consumption. Now all the big food companies come of age and suddenly red meat is bad and please eat more of our products, stay away from red meat and it's okay to be skin on bone.

This makes no more sense than to feed the lions at the zoo vegetables and fruit diets.

 

[Cataceous]

Humans are designed to eat meat. The human brain evolved over millions of years due to all the red meat consumption. Now all the big food companies come of age and suddenly red meat is bad and please eat more of our products, stay away from red meat and it's okay to be skin on bone.
...

As if the meat in stores bears any resemblance to what our ancestors ate.

"Skin on bone" is a relative term. In the U.S. these days having a normal BMI might be characterized as such because the majority is overweight or obese. It's sobering to look at statistics for healthy young men from 100 years ago.

 

[Vince]

As if the meat in stores bears any resemblance to what our ancestors ate.

"Skin on bone" is a relative term. In the U.S. these days having a normal BMI might be characterized as such because the majority is overweight or obese. It's sobering to look at statistics for healthy young men from 100 years ago.

But you still have to say the healthiest way to eat is to eat at home!

 

[Flyers74]

Just wanted to update with my latest blood work, which I just had done right after being on xyosted for 9 weeks (100mg 1x/week)..and had been re-taking the crestor (statin) for that same period.

I've since stopped both, as I said above, I want to go cold-turkey for a while and take nothing.

numbers that stand out:

RBC: 5.94 (high)
Hematocrit: 54.1 (high)
BUN/Creatinine Ratio: 8 (low)
Potassium: 5.3 (high)
Calcium: 10.3 (high)

Bilirubin, Direct: 0.12
TSH-ICMA: 1.6
Free T4 by Dialysis/Mass Spec: 1.2
Testosterone: 421
LH: <0.3 (extremely low)
FSH: <0.3 (extrememly low)

Prolactin: 7.9
Estradiol: 11.0
Prostate Specific Ag: 1.0


I didn't really sleep at all the night before this draw, so the hematocrit may be high because of that?

As you can see the TST is in the 400s now, but that still didn't fix my ED issues...so I really think the other hormones related to sexual function (and others??) are prob. the real culprit?

hence why I just want to stop everything, and try to get my body back to making everything on it's own, maybe I need something that tells your body to make more LH and FSH? (instead of taking external TST which just shuts all this down)


any thoughts on all of this?

(I do still plan to get a heart calcium test, but also need to fix my sexual function)


Like I stated back at my first post, my sexual function was all working normal, until 2 years ago when my doc convinced me to go on statin, 10mg daily, which I did for about 12 months... and during that time my sexual problems started...

related, unrelated? that's the ultimate question? but never had an issue, ever, up until I did that...

 

[Vince]

Just wanted to update with my latest blood work, which I just had done right after being on xyosted for 9 weeks (100mg 1x/week)..and had been re-taking the crestor (statin) for that same period.

I've since stopped both, as I said above, I want to go cold-turkey for a while and take nothing.

numbers that stand out:

RBC: 5.94 (high)
Hematocrit: 54.1 (high)
BUN/Creatinine Ratio: 8 (low)
Potassium: 5.3 (high)
Calcium: 10.3 (high)

Bilirubin, Direct: 0.12
TSH-ICMA: 1.6
Free T4 by Dialysis/Mass Spec: 1.2
Testosterone: 421
LH: <0.3 (extremely low)
FSH: <0.3 (extrememly low)

Prolactin: 7.9
Estradiol: 11.0
Prostate Specific Ag: 1.0


I didn't really sleep at all the night before this draw, so the hematocrit may be high because of that?

As you can see the TST is in the 400s now, but that still didn't fix my ED issues...so I really think the other hormones related to sexual function (and others??) are prob. the real culprit?

hence why I just want to stop everything, and try to get my body back to making everything on it's own, maybe I need something that tells your body to make more LH and FSH? (instead of taking external TST which just shuts all this down)


any thoughts on all of this?

(I do still plan to get a heart calcium test, but also need to fix my sexual function)


Like I stated back at my first post, my sexual function was all working normal, until 2 years ago when my doc convinced me to go on statin, 10mg daily, which I did for about 12 months... and during that time my sexual problems started...

related, unrelated? that's the ultimate question? but never had an issue, ever, up until I did that...

I'll just tell you what my son-in-law did, and it may not work for you or anyone. He took 50 mg of clomid everyday for 2 weeks and then stopped for one week and then repeat the process. He did this for 3 months and it totally recovered his testosterone levels. He bought the clomid from a Mexican pharmacy. You could also buy it from reliable RX. You could just buy it from a USA pharmacy.

 

[Systemlord]

I didn't really sleep at all the night before this draw, so the hematocrit may be high because of that?

Sleep apnea, hypoxia, which raises the hematocrit. Those on TRT with sleep apnea usually require a CPAP machine in order to bring down the hematocrit.

so I really think the other hormones related to sexual function (and others??) are prob. the real culprit?

No, your estrogen is low, deficient for an adult male. Normal estrogen for an adult male is 20>.

The low estrogen can really wreck your sleep quality.

 

[Systemlord]

Like I stated back at my first post, my sexual function was all working normal, until 2 years ago when my doc convinced me to go on statin, 10mg daily, which I did for about 12 months... and during that time my sexual problems started...

related, unrelated? that's the ultimate question? but never had an issue, ever, up until I did that...

You already know the answer to this question.

hence why I just want to stop everything, and try to get my body back to making everything on it's own, maybe I need something that tells your body to make more LH and FSH? (instead of taking external TST which just shuts all this down)


any thoughts on all of this?

If you want me to tell you all your problems are going to go away after stopping everything, I would be telling you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear.

The reality is, the world where you don't have these problems is in the past, that world doesn't exist anymore. Now you have to deal with it and tune things from here.

 

[Flyers74]

You already know the answer to this question.

I actually, honestly, don't? I really truly am confused, did the statin push me over the edge and cause all these issues?

Trust me when I say this, I'm extremely naive to all of this, and went into this statin therapy totally blind, I really had no idea and just trusted my doctor..

so when I say I don't know the answer to this question, I truly don't? that's why I'm asking you guys, does anyone think it's very possible this statin wrecked all my hormones and now I'm dealing with the consequences?

or is it just 'age' that suddenly crept up on me? but I do swear the statin 'in the least' was making me depressed... I feel better not being on it...

testosterone made me feel super horny, gave me acne, and didn't fix anything else, LOL

 

[Guided_by_Voices]

Just wanted to update with my latest blood work, which I just had done right after being on xyosted for 9 weeks (100mg 1x/week)..and had been re-taking the crestor (statin) for that same period.

I've since stopped both, as I said above, I want to go cold-turkey for a while and take nothing.

numbers that stand out:

RBC: 5.94 (high)
Hematocrit: 54.1 (high)
BUN/Creatinine Ratio: 8 (low)
Potassium: 5.3 (high)
Calcium: 10.3 (high)

Bilirubin, Direct: 0.12
TSH-ICMA: 1.6
Free T4 by Dialysis/Mass Spec: 1.2
Testosterone: 421
LH: <0.3 (extremely low)
FSH: <0.3 (extrememly low)

Prolactin: 7.9
Estradiol: 11.0
Prostate Specific Ag: 1.0


I didn't really sleep at all the night before this draw, so the hematocrit may be high because of that?

As you can see the TST is in the 400s now, but that still didn't fix my ED issues...so I really think the other hormones related to sexual function (and others??) are prob. the real culprit?

hence why I just want to stop everything, and try to get my body back to making everything on it's own, maybe I need something that tells your body to make more LH and FSH? (instead of taking external TST which just shuts all this down)


any thoughts on all of this?

(I do still plan to get a heart calcium test, but also need to fix my sexual function)


Like I stated back at my first post, my sexual function was all working normal, until 2 years ago when my doc convinced me to go on statin, 10mg daily, which I did for about 12 months... and during that time my sexual problems started...

related, unrelated? that's the ultimate question? but never had an issue, ever, up until I did that...

A few things...there is no shame in adding in the viagra/cialis family of compounds and the confidence boost they may give is a big bonus in itself. Statins have been widely discussed as a witches-brew of nasty side effects (will barely detectable benefit, if any) and the linkage to your mood issues suggests they may have thrown off some part of the mental arousal process (e.g. dopamine, etc), somewhat along the lines of post-finasteride syndrome. Something you might also throw into the mix are nitric oxide pills. I use the ones from n1o1.com. Also, cholesterol is a precursor to some hormones so that may have had an impact as well, but the bottom line seems to be to stay off the statin, try fish-oil and a lowish-carb diet to reduce trigs and go from there.