I have a concern. I know I can trust you to give me a straight answer. I had blood work done yesterday. My ALT Serum was 16 in June 2010. Yesterday it was up to 36. I understand it should be below 33. The only difference was the Dr. put me on SloNiacin 500mg 2x/day. She did this for my cholesterol (which I don’t believe in and after taking Lipitor 2 times and having bad reaction to it I will not touch Statin drugs.)
My cholesterol went from 282, June 2010 to 219. Chol density lipoprotein went from 5.2 to 4.8, HDL from 44 to 46, LDL from 160 to 158 and triglicerides from 121 to 75. So the niacin appears to be doing its job there , but I am concerned about my liver.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all you do.
I consider liver enzyme levels below 26 as being healthy. The normals typically go up into the 30s and 40s, which demonstrates the difference between alternative medicine interpretation and conventional medicine.
Because any number of toxins may make the levels rise, the best way to find out is to stop the Niacin, see the levels drop, re-initiate the Niacin and watch the levels rise again. There is a form of Niacin that will never cause liver abnormalities, but that form may not do what you need it to do. Since from my perspective there is no need for cholesterol levels in the 200s to go down, I don’t see the need to use anything that lowers the total cholesterol level. However, other options to lower cholesterol include gugolipids, red yeast rice, fiber.
My doctor says I can get all the vitamins and minerals I need from my food. What is your opinion on this?
I used to say the same thing to my patients, back in the days before I studied healthy alternatives. It is the party line of allopathic medicine, although that is starting to change. Here's the bottom line, and I'll follow up with some info on what allopaths are now doing:
5 responses so far ↓
1 droundy // Aug 27, 2010 at 11:03 pm
I had liver disease for many years (Glaucomatous hepatitis caused by a reaction to drugs) and finally with the work of alternative medicine and work with an NLP health coach, I am now free of liver disease, the liver disease I had been told would eventually be fatal. My medical doctor wanted my cholestral down so he prescribe niacin. I took it for just a bit of time, a few days at most, and could immediately tell that it was causing problems and irritation to my liver. It caused me to spin back where I had been several years before with tiredness, lethargy, forgetfulness and a funny pain in my back where it indicates liver problems.
Niacin may work for some people, but I sure wouldn’t be one to recommend it to a friend.
2 Sharon Beyler // Aug 30, 2010 at 8:47 am
I agree with you on the cholesterol count! Conventional doctors want it below 200. I don’t agree. Thanks, D Roundy for sharing your experience with Niacin.
3 Susan Cropper // Aug 31, 2010 at 2:13 am
I, too, took several statins - and then rheumatism symptoms caused an internist and my regular doc to put their heads together and decide it might be the statins. It was; took quite a few months but slowly as the statins dissipated and left my body, the aches went away, the rheumatism factor went down, and the cholesterol count went up. However, niacin, garlic, losing weight [also slowly], exercise, less salt, fewer fats, and other things have helped. My same two fingers have begun to show rheumatism symptoms [weakness, pain & swelling]; but so far, so good, they are still straight; no statins going in, just Zetia. I wonder if Zetia has any statin reaction to it???
SC
4 Sharon Beyler // Aug 31, 2010 at 10:28 am
Susan, I am going in to the Rheumatologist this next week. My blood also shows signs of RA. I firmly believe it is a result of taking a statin called Lipitor. My legs started aching after I took the statin, but only if I am sitting for a while. Once I get moving I am OK. I took Zetia, also, but discontinued it after researching it. A good site to go for statin research is spacedoc.com.
5 Dr. Stan Gardner // Sep 4, 2010 at 11:30 am
Susan, Zetia and statins work in different ways. Statins interfere with the production of cholesterol synthesis, and at the same time interfere with the production CoEnzyme Q10, which is very important for our energy systems in our body. That is why the leg aches–not enough energy being produced for the muscles to function. Zetia blocks the absorption of cholesterol and ‘related phytosterols.’ Since I think the higher levels of cholesterol is healthier for us, I do not recommend anything that lowers cholesterol levels, except good diet.
Leave a Comment