Annual review today - numbers help please!

[Diamattic]

Two eggs at 6am, blood taken at 11am - and yes I think that my recent dietary changes (lower carb, higher fat) must have made the difference, as it's the only thing that's different compared with all of the other tests back to 2012, which were also non-fasting (total cholesterol consistently in the 3s and 4s) - the 6.6 this time is massive in comparison!

Shall sit tight and see what they say when they contact me (I hope tomorrow).



PS I eat 3-6 eggs a day but had been reassured that dietary cholesterol doesn't contribute to stored cholesterol - hmmmmmm, might need to do more research!

Yeah, I would expect that breakfast would give you a mild increase that likely raised your levels a bit. I have no concrete idea as to whether dietary and stored cholesterol are related - my gut assumption is that they have to be in some way, but I have done research at all other then looking at the recommended intake and looking at whats in a single egg lol So you are on your own to figure that out - my approach was to just keep it all low to be safe lol

 

[Bluetit1802]

As far as I am aware, dietary cholesterol is less than 20% of our cholesterol. Because we need cholesterol to stay alive - every single cell in our body needs it, our livers and some other cells manufacture it. The older we get, the more cholesterol we need. This is to keep us alive and accounts for at least 80% of our cholesterol. Apparently, if we eat dietary cholesterol our livers manufacture less to compensate. If we eat no dietary cholesterol our livers manufacture more. In other words, we have similar amounts in our bodies whether we eat it or not.

Even the American Nutrition people put eggs back on the menu last year.

Fasting before a lipid test is to check on the Triglycerides as they can be raised following food. As far as I know (and I may be wrong) it does not affect any of the other lipids.

 

[Snapsy]

Thanks @Bluetit1802 - that's really helpful!

Was beginning to worry about eggs so I've had a count-up and I had 4 yesterday (two for breakfast on their own, one for lunch in a low carb low fat (but only by coincidence - am clean out of avocados!) salad, and one in my fish un-pie for supper. Positively sparing (!) - I'm not really snacking much at the moment thanks to no exercise since last week (not too well at the mo) so am much less hungry. On a swimming or running day (5-6 days a week, just not this week) I eat more.

I'm so grateful to everyone for their input - as you may have gathered all those numbers (plus the unanticipated tests for conditions that hadn't been on my radar) had totally freaked me out, and it's so lovely to have people's support.

Diabetes.co.uk = a giant, diabetically-aware hug!

 

[Snapsy]

Update: I got myself into a right paddy so rang my DSN.

The new results are 5.8 for non-fasting cholesterol (not that bad), 15 for TSH (still high but less than 2 weeks ago) and negative for gluten antibodies (this one is academic as I don't eat starchy stuff now I low-carb).

Had a chat with the DSN, and then the registrar I'd seen on Wednesday gave me a ring to say he would be speaking to the consultant next week and one of them will be in touch. Apparently all my vitamin levels are perfect so that means it's not an absorption issue. So that's sounding good.

Anyway, he's told me to calm down and have a good weekend - and I'm totally on board with both of those suggestions!

Much happier now. Numbers are just numbers, right? Daft Snapsy!

 

[AndyS]

Hmmm... just been checking some of my symptoms and I seem to have a warped dry sense of humour. Think I will self medicate with wine later

 

[Snapsy]

UPDATE: the registrar I saw at my review rang earlier - he's now spoken to the consultant (he had been off sick).

They want me to do a 'thyroid absorption study', which means going to the hospital on five occasions and taking my thyroxine there. I gather they do this with 'non compliant' patients who don't take their thyroxine. Although I DO!

So, I am expecting a call from the endocrinology nurse on Friday.

The doctor said that my lipids being high and my TSH being so high are almost certainly connected. My T4 is in range (21) so this makes it all the weirder. He says that this 'study' will shed some light on it.

Sounds a bit weird to me, but there you go. I guess I'll find out exactly what he's on about on Friday.

 

[AndyS]

Might be they need to stick you on a thyroixine combination drug not just Levo (which I believe is synthetic T4)

/A

 

[Snapsy]

Thanks @AndyS - didn't know about it being synthetic - have just Googled (I MUST STOP GOOGLING) thyroxine combination drug and let's just say if that's what I end up on then it's a good job I'm not vegetarian!

 

[AndyS]

Yeah some scary stuff when you start to poke Dr/Phramacist Google.

I mention the combo T3/T4 stuff since I used to know a few post RAI Graves Disease folks that never got on with Levo on its own so ended up on the combo stuff (after much tweaking) they found that it suited them better. But those requiring that tend to be a very tiny amount and it may just be that they want to be sure of your thyroxine uptake.

/A

 

[Snapsy]

It's great to hear that the people you knew with this had more success with the combo. That might be an option.

The weird thing is that this is a change that has happened since the previous test, with the only things I'm doing different being that I'm much fitter, and that I've reduced my carb intake and raised my fat intake - but not dramatically. Interestingly my T4 is fine - but my pituitary gland obviously doesn't think it is, so is kicking out all this TSH.

I need to just calm down and go for a walk or something!

 

[AndyS]

I go for the calm down then wait and see approach.

Dr's seem to always get very excitable until they have done a bunch more tests, understandable I suppose... better than just having them guessing.

/A