Waiting list - 8 months! - hopefully I will have resolved this by diet by then

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Jenny65

Jenny65

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I have incredibly high cholesterol (9) and have been referred to the Lipid Clinic and a liver scan. I managed to get the scan booked in by contacting the hospital myself and chasing but I have been advised there is at least an 8 month waiting list for the Lipid Clinic, so no statins for me until then. Should I be worried and can I do anything except follow a low fat diet to help myself here. I have been reading up, and was taking milk thistle but now stopped after concern with side effects, but cod liver oil is mentioned as something that can help, any advice on how to help myself until I get seen in March 2023 appreciated.
 
If your high cholesterol is genetic then you are almost certainly going to need medication as dietary measures may help but not be able to do the whole job.
If you look at the British Heart Foundation web site there is a good guide to foods for reducing cholesterol.
 
Thanks for the quick responses. I have got an appointment with my GP but not until August (all fully booked up for weeks in advance) I guess this is the result of the COVID backlog. My liver scan on 1st August at 6pm, I have to fast from midday and just have water. black coffee etc. They asked if there will be an issue with not eating as I mentioned my diabetes, and said to her "well my first appointment with the diabetes nurse is on 11th August, but as 2 weeks ago I was none the wiser and living my life, I doubt this period of fasting will do me any harm" Its similar to a nights sleep after all, just 6 hours on water 🙂 I hope thats correct anyway.

I will look at the British Heart Foundation site, thanks for the information.
 
Reading up on NAFL it says its important not to lose more than 1-2 pounds a week with this condition, slow weight loss has less impact on the liver, so while I need to lose all the weight, I should do it with a normal diet and not a crash one, I guess that makes sense but my GP has approved me to go on a VLCD which is conflicting isnt it.
 
I just looked at this https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/fatty-liver-disease-diet
Note is says losing weight more quickly than 1-2lbs a week MIGHT make things worse not will.
That is a healthy weight loss anyway if you can achieve it, they say that losing gradually is more likely to be sustainable but sometimes you just want things to happen more quickly.
I think one needs to remember these things come on slowly and can take time to resolve.
Looking at your profile above you are already doing really well with the weight loss.
 
Just looking through the photos on my phone, and I had a habit of taking photos of my food when I ate out, not sure why, just because I enjoyed my food I guess. Anyway 2 days before my diagnosis, this was my breakfast. I also had a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a cappucino.. no wonder I am where I am now :(
 

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Jenny65 said:
Just looking through the photos on my phone, and I had a habit of taking photos of my food when I ate out, not sure why, just because I enjoyed my food I guess. Anyway 2 days before my diagnosis, this was my breakfast. I also had a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a cappucino.. no wonder I am where I am now :(
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My personal view for what it's worth is that you might want to swerve the orange juice and the hashbrown/beans in this. But for me low carb lowered my cholesterol; it might not work for you.
 
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I am severely reactive to statins, so after 18 months of trying various ones with horrific side effects, my GP suggested I take a mini cholesterol lowering drink like Benecol each morning. My cholesterol has dropped from a high of 7.8 and is now hovering between 5.2 and 6.1
 
Felinia said:
I am severely reactive to statins, so after 18 months of trying various ones with horrific side effects, my GP suggested I take a mini cholesterol lowering drink like Benecol each morning. My cholesterol has drop from a high of 7.8 and is now hovering between 5.2 and 6.1
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Thats really good news @Felinia I also drink benecol in the morning since learning of the cholesterol and hope it does the same for me. I havent smoked in 10 days now and apparently after 3 months of not smoking your cholesterol can drop 2 points, I am 9 so that will stake me to 7 which is high but it will be going in the right direction.

I did ask if I can have bacon and eggs for breakfast when I spoke to the nurse that took my blood, she pulled an expression and said, maybe not the bacon! Its all so confusing isnt it as I read that eggs are good as have the 'right' cholesterol and then read somewhere to avoid egg yolks, hence sticking with porridge.

I had a low fat, low sugar yoghurt with berries as an alternative to yoghurt one morning, I also have some shredded wheat in the cupboard which I was considering having one morning as a variation but think that may have too many carbs so raise my sugar levels.

Apart from porridge what can I have for breakfast that is filling, healthy and doesnt cause cholesterol or sugar spikes. I dont like bits (as in bitty bread etc as have an aversion to certain textures, cant eat Raspberries or goosberries or bread with bits 🙂 )

Also semi vegetarian, I am squeamish around certain meat, like I become conscious when its in my mouth that its part of an animal, both my parents were vegetarian and my sister is vegan so I am the only person that occassionally had meat in my family but my favourite food is/was cheese 🙂
 
I know what you mean about textures of foods, my daughter became vegetarian as it was the texture of meat tha
t was the problem rather than the flavour of ethics. So many of the 'look alike' meats that are veggie she found off putting.
I cannot bear prawns because of the texture.
I would have thought bacon occasionally would be OK as would high meat content sausages with mushrooms or tomatoes.
 
Mrs Mimoo said:
that breakfast would be fine with no beans, no hash brown and no orange juice. Fruit juice has the same or more sugar than full fat coke.

xxx
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Rubbish.
Although passing on the orange juice wouldn't hurt.
Eggs occasionally , and avoid any saturated fats.
 
Felinia said:
I am severely reactive to statins, so after 18 months of trying various ones with horrific side effects, my GP suggested I take a mini cholesterol lowering drink like Benecol each morning. My cholesterol has dropped from a high of 7.8 and is now hovering between 5.2 and 6.1
Click to expand...
Dr wants to put me on statins. Cholesterol. High blood pressure etc is hereditary. I’ve got to be really strict with my self
 
Leadinglights said:
If your high cholesterol is genetic then you are almost certainly going to need medication as dietary measures may help but not be able to do the whole job.
If you look at the British Heart Foundation web site there is a good guide to foods for reducing cholesterol.
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Mine is genetic
 
I did a quick compare of 25gm turkey rashers v Quorn bacon v real bacon

Turkey: Cals 34, Carbs 0.1gm, Fat 0.4gm, Sat Fat 0.1gm
Quorn: Cals 51, Carbs 0.5gm, Fat 4.0gm, Sat Fat 0.5gm
Real bacon: Cals 72, Carbs none, Fat 5.4gm, Sat Fat 2.0gm

So if you want to reduce your fat and carbs, it's turkey every time! Surprising, isn't it? A nice poached egg, a couple of turkey rashers, a grilled tomato and a few grilled or dry fried mushrooms for a healthy filling breakfast. I love sparkling water and actually prefer it to juice
 
Dawniebabe said:
Is Turkey bacon ok to have. Or stick to quorn bacon.
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I ate the real stuff for the first time in years when first diagnosed. My cholesterol went down.
I do, like most of my family, put the bacon in hot water to remove the salt and preservatives for a minute or so and then sieve it out and cook as normal, as I want the meat, not the nitrites and other added stuff.
 
Felinia said:
I did a quick compare of 25gm turkey rashers v Quorn bacon v real bacon

Turkey: Cals 34, Carbs 0.1gm, Fat 0.4gm, Sat Fat 0.1gm
Quorn: Cals 51, Carbs 0.5gm, Fat 4.0gm, Sat Fat 0.5gm
Real bacon: Cals 72, Carbs none, Fat 5.4gm, Sat Fat 2.0gm

So if you want to reduce your fat and carbs, it's turkey every time! Surprising, isn't it? A nice poached egg, a couple of turkey rashers, a grilled tomato and a few grilled or dry fried mushrooms for a healthy filling breakfast. I love sparkling water and actually prefer it to juice
Click to expand...

The turkey bacon is a good call.

While eggs have high cholesterol, which in itself doesn't increase the bodies cholesterol through digestion, it does seem to encourage the body to step up its own production of cholesterol, so eggs can raise cholesterol, just not in a direct way that some focus on.
I'd go easy on the eggs until the familial hypercholesterolaemia is under control.
 
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