Sunday, October 07, 2007

Good gravy

So, remember after the whole "you have hepatitis C and a monster cyst on your ovary" scare, I went to the doc who pronounced that my cholesterol was rather shockingly high (with my HDL cholesterol being rather shockingly low)? No? Well, I do. So there. Anyway, as the doc knew that I was trying to get pregnant he said we wouldn't try statins straight off but see how I did with diet and exercise.

So I dieted and I exercised. Like a maniac. Not so much a weight loss diet, but a cholesterol lowering diet. And I managed to drop 60 points in 6 weeks by basically going vegan. I thankyouverymuch. I am the star, I thought. The cholesterol-lowering queen. I bought a home cholesterol meter, and managed to get it down further to a fairly respectable 192 with further dieting and exercise. OK, so the HDL didn't come up spectacularly, but it came up, that's the main thing. I didn't bother going back to the doc, because I figured I'd just keep buying the home testing strips which were cheaper than a doctor's visit. Except I didn't keep buying them. Instead I went off and did an IVF. And I thought that maybe the IVF meds had been what had caused the cholesterol spike in the first place, so I'd wait a few weeks before testing again. And a few weeks stretched somewhat. And I never tested again.

I finally went and bought some test strips today. Dagnammit, if the total cholesterol isn't back up to 236 and the HDL back down to 25. Jeez louise, I have been eating healthily! It shouldn't be like this, I mean, I'm a vegetarian for eff's sake. Now I'm really going to have to try harder. AGAIN.

Makes you think, though. I wonder if IVF really does do a number on cholesterol levels?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is there any research or info on ovarian stimming meds and cholesterol? It is a very good point you make.

Aimee said...

ugh How frustrating is that!? Is there some genetic link to having high Cholesterol? Perhaps there's a good medication you can take to reduce your Choesterol..one that doesn't interfere with TTC?

Sara said...

Aw man! That is NOT what you ordered. I think that June bug momma is probably right, and that it's genetic, but the link to IVF meds is interesting. Cholesterol is produced from the same precursors as some of the sex hormones, so it's not completely crazy to think that there might be a link.

Solitaire said...

Well, the doc told me to ask the family if anyone has high cholesterol, to check for a genetic link. And nobody has high cholesterol. Not even on my dad's side who are all overweight. So, it doesn't appear to be genetic, unless it's a genetic mutation in me only. But 5 years ago my total cholesterol was 165 and my HDL was 67 so I don't think I am necessarily genetically predisposed to it. Very frustrating! But, I guess I should ask the doc for some medication that won't interfere with TTC. Sigh.

Aimee said...

I know that women who have PCOS have high levels of bad cholesterol. I do know as you age our levels increase no matter what. Stress is a major secondary contributor/causes but you are doing good by exercising, keeping the weight down, decreasing the alcohol and not smoking. Hmmm? Just don't give up and keep on working at it!!