Blood Labs | Arthritis Information

I got my blood labs...the doctor said they were fine.

BUT my cholesterol is high the total is        224.0 (H) ...normal range 0.0 - 200.00
Triglceride is                                               305.0 (H)... normal range10.0 - 173.0
HDL                                                              37.3                                27.0 -58.0
LDL                                                             125.7
VLDL                                                             61.0

I admit I do not really know what the above numbers really mean. I tale Vytorin 20/20
everyday to control my cholesterol...and my diet is really pretty good. I wonder if I should try something like Crestor. My husband takes this and his numbers are perfect.

What has me a little concerned is my TSH ( thyroid) numbers. I am in the normal range but just barely. I take synthroid every day, but it seems over time the numbers start to creep back up. I have a call in to see maybe about increasing the synthroid...I can eat cardboard for weeks and exercise and the scale will not budge :( if my numbers are not in the low normals. And it is not getting any easier as I get older.

TSH                                                               4.136            Normal range 0.490 - 4.670

Anyhow, I am just putting this out here. Anyone else take synthroid and what is your "feel" best number?

I have just this week started Fish Oil Omega 3 wich is suppose to benefical to your heart and help lower triglcerides.

I really just like the way fish OIL sounds...would like to apply it to my joints Hi Lisa, I have just had similar results and have been put back on Lipitor to lower my cholesterol, my GP said my Cholesterol is disgusting, but my diet is good, she feels it is a side effect from the steroids and genetic factors at play here. So I have been even more careful with my diet, I take fish oil, and hopefully the into of Lipitor back into the mix will help. I was taken off of Lipitor due to muscle weakness and it did improve, if it returns then my gP is changing Lipitor to something else. My thyroid seems ok, but iron is terrible always. I am sure the fish oil will help you in lots of ways, what is Crestor? Is it available over the counter? Good luck Janie.

Lisa, if this is the first time your choles/tris have been elevated I'd wait and have labs done again in a month. Make sure you're fasting before labs. They're not that abnormal and it might have been your diet the day before the labs were drawn or you weren't fasting. Talk to your doctor about the benefits and the side effects of the choles. lowering drugs.

It looks like your thyroid panel was normal and there's no reason to adjust your meds when the labs are normal, even though it's high normal. There are no "best numbers" for labs as long as they're within the normal ranges, unless it's labs for certain diseases and you need to monitor the numbers daily.

I know when my thyroid numbers are low. I have the physical signs to go along with the drop in numbers and usually a tweak to my meds works miracles. As we age our thyroid numbers flucuate more. Several years ago I had to have my meds tweaked every 3 months for a year. My thyroid was too low or too high and it took almost a year to regulate. Let us know what your doctor has to say, Lindy

No advice, but sorry your cholesterol is so high...I am always leery of lipid panels [HDL, LDL, Triglycerides] unless you've fasted from 8-12 hours before the test.

And for those who don't know it, here is the formula for calculating total Cholesterol:

[HDL+LDL+(Trig/5)] = Total Cholesterol

Your thyroid is fine. Trying to get in the middle of the normal range is silly. Just be happy you're within the normal range and focus on your cholesterol.

Certain drugs can raise your cholesterol, but perhaps it's time to take a close look at what you're eating.

I fight like crazy to keep my cholesterol down. I have EXCELLENT HDL and borderline LDL and Triglycerides. I've been on Lipitor, Vytorin, and two others; each time I've had that rare reaction where the muscles become very weak and had to get off the drug. So for me it's diet!

Janie: Crestor is a different brand of cholesterol medicine and it is a prescribed drug.
I also have tried Lipitor and I had muscle pains so I was switched to Vytorin.
I totally respected the fasting before the blood test. I wanted my numbers to be good. My husband had his done and his was smack in the middle perfect. He and I eat the same diet and I we kind of try to out do each other in having healthy numbers...I know it sound silly...but it is a little competitive motivation ...
I am thinking that hereditary, medication. And maybe not enough exercise...( I really eat a healthy diet of vegetable and low fat) Mainly because my Husband can not eat RED meat. we eat chicken, fish and turkey...I might eat red meat once every couple months. We eat mostly whole grain...But I will look closer at my diet...gosh hate to give up the chocolate..lol
Sam: As far as my thyroid goes, I do not believe I am being Silly at all. I have dealt with hypothyroidism for 18 years. Over the years I can tell, how I feel where my levels might be. I also, believe medications interact with the synthroid meds...I am careful to take the pill on a empty stomach and I do not eat breakfast for at least 30 min. I want the med to work.
But over the years it is reasonable to adjust the meds to get a more optimum result. Just because it falls in a normal range does not mean I am feeling the best I could be feeling.
Actually there is GREAT controversy over the old blood values that doctors use...there are NEW values being embraced by many large hospitals and Endocrinologist
with normal range high being 3.000..(well below my TSH).
It seems to creep up as I get older...not unreasonable to increase the dosage....certainly not silly.#1inflamedOnline2009-12-01 17:52:49

I almost forgot to say thank you to everyone who posted....

So Thank you!

OK - "silly" was a poor choice for a word. The priority should be on your cholesterol as opposed to the TSH.

Incidentally, my lab uses the following for the normal TSH range for the third generation, highly sensitive TSH test: .4 - 5.5.

[QUOTE=Sam1234]OK - "silly" was a poor choice for a word. The priority should be on your cholesterol as opposed to the TSH.

Incidentally, my lab uses the following for the normal TSH range for the third generation, highly sensitive TSH test: .4 - 5.5.

[/QUOTE]

One more thing: The Doctors office returned my call today...the Doctor is out for the week and will be back monday...so his nurse will call me back then.

It's not imperative that you fall in mid range for your thyroid levels. The important thing is that they're within the normal range. I've never known a doctor to prescribe more or less of a thyroid med for a person to achieve the optimum mid range normal. It can't happen because there are too many things that affect the thyroid levels. You might have thryoid labs drawn next week and it will show normals in the mid range or next month's draw might show normals in the low range. There are too many variables and as long as it's normal there's no reason to change doses. Thyroid meds are one of the more sensitive meds and the slightest change can give you too much or too little.

They're always on vacation or gone when we need them. Lindy

I have a matrix will all my bloodwork for the last 20 years. It gives me a good idea as to what events might have triggered drastic changes in my test results.

As I look back at my TSH over the years [hypothyroidism preceded diagnosis of PsA in my case] it was well under control with Synthroid. Then, almost two years ago I got a Tdap [tetanus, diptheria, accellular pertussis] booster and things started going to hell in a handbasket. My TSH [3rd generation test] had been around 4.2 for years and then after the Tdap it tanked to 0.2. Moderate adjustments were quickly made in thyroid med and the TSH tanked even further to .02. Every three months the thyroid med was reduced and I'm hyperthyroid now, but still taking Synthroid in minimal doses.

Immediately after that Tdap booster my glucose elevated. Other things went whacko, too.

So has anyone had a Tdap booster lately? And if so, what did it do to your lab results?

One thing I know about my body: never, never, never introduce something new or dramatically cut or increase drug dosages.