Developed high cholesterol 10 years post DS?

[Ladybug513]

Hello everyone!

I am a 53 year old woman who is ten years post DS. I never had high cholesterol my entire life until now. My total is 230 and LDL is 132. I lost 100 pounds and have kept it off. I have to eat constantly throughout the day or else my weight falls too low. I do strictly limit carbs so I eat a lot of meats and cheeses and dairy. I thought that with the DS that I did not have to worry about eating mostly high fat foods. The only thing that I can think of is that my absorption of fats has increased and therefore raising my cholesterol but I am 5'3 and remain between 100-105 for the past few years. I am estimating that I eat between 3500-4000 calories per day. Also instead of having loose or very soft stools they are much more solid and a bit less pale than before.

Has any other Community member faced a high cholesterol issue after DS? I am very confused.

 

[southernlady]

Okay, total cholesterol is high, right? Break out those numbers for us.
Mine is triglyceride. So I’m working on those. But the rest are fine.

 

[Ladybug513]

Hi Southern Lady,

You are lucky to only have triglycerides high. My numbers are as follows:

Total: 230 (over 200 is bad)

LDL (bad cholesterol): 132 (over 100 is bad)

HDL: (good cholesterol): 58 (over 50 is good)

Triglycerides: 145 (under 150 is good)

I have never had high numbers until the last 6 months.

I eat mostly high fat foods including a lot of fatty meats and a lot of butter. I guess that I need to cut back on fat?

 

[Georgepds]

Not all fats... mono, omega 3, and poly-unsaturated fats are OK... think olive oil and fish oil

The ones that are associated with heart disease are trans fats and saturated fats especially palmitic oil. If it says hydrogenated vegetable oil on the label, that's code for trans fats... the worst of all from a heart health point of view.

Try something simple first.. like cutting out/down on all trans fats and snacking on peanuts (mono unsaturated fat, high fiber) and other nuts first... Most nuts are high fat, so they should satisfy that particular urge to eat, but they are heart healthy.

There are also pills that will help ( statins), but changes in diet are always a first step.

My understanding is the high triglycerides track with carb and alcohol consumption.. I'm pretty sure about the carbs, not so sure about alcohol


Your observations on long term effects of DS are interesting, I think at least one other member here has made a similar observation

 

[aaa]

Had you eaten ice cream or anything high in fat a day or so before the test? I don’t usually have it done till the end of the week if I’ve eaten junk over the weekend.

I’d go for another test in 3 mos. to ensure it wasn’t an anomaly.

 

[Munchkin]

Had you eaten ice cream or anything high in fat a day or so before the test? I don’t usually have it done till the end of the week if I’ve eaten junk over the weekend.

I’d go for another test in 3 mos. to ensure it wasn’t an anomaly.

This was going to be my suggestion too. Always verify. Labs are not perfect. They make mistakes too.

 

[Ladybug513]

Had you eaten ice cream or anything high in fat a day or so before the test? I don’t usually have it done till the end of the week if I’ve eaten junk over the weekend.

I’d go for another test in 3 mos. to ensure it wasn’t an anomaly.

Hello,

Thank you for your response!

I always eat a very high fat diet but fast for 10-12 hours beforehand. My numbers consistently have gone up over the past year. I would think if I were absorbing more that my weight would also increase but it hasn’t. Really frustrating to talk with doctors because they don’t understand FS in the firat

 

[Ladybug513]

This was going to be my suggestion too. Always verify. Labs are not perfect. They make mistakes too.

Hello,

Thank you for your response!

I always eat a very high fat diet but fast for 10-12 hours beforehand. My numbers consistently have gone up over the past year. I would think if I were absorbing more that my weight would also increase but it hasn’t. Really frustrating to talk with doctors because they don’t understand FS in the firat

 

[aaa]

I fast, too. Maybe I’m paranoid, but I still like to wait at least 4 days after I’ve eaten ice cream and other junk.

But if you’re trending upwards a cardiologist might be your next step. Have you consulted with your PCP or DS surgeon?