new blood work for DHEA/ESTROGEN/TEST... stopped creatine and ALT and AST when down a LOT

[animal-inside]

5 mg crestor is a very tiny dosage. Almost all the studies about the negative affects of statins are when the dosages are close to 40 mg.

It is a harsh drug, but you’re on a low dosage. Have you had your calcium score done? If the calcium score shows that you have plaque buildup in the arteries, you don’t have much choice.

There’s a big difference between needing a statin to prevent a stroke and creatine to maybe add a little more muscle. If your blood work, and doctor say, drop the creatine, do that to start.


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No, never been sent for the calcium score.. I asked and I was dismissed..

I was given the statin based on my bad cholesterol and my family history (every one on my dads side has bad cholestrol).

I was told the statin for me is a good preventative, but not a must.. But then again, I've been told so many things from each doctor and none really agree.

I did drop the creastine since oct. Now its add it back in to see what happens in 3 months.

 

[Bigbear]

In AB we have "myhealthrecords" which gives us online access to our blood work results.

ours gives a refernce range for normal and tells you if its high/low..

My ALT numbers are:
Oct 25, 2019= 61
Mar 30, 2020= 64
Dec 21, 2021= 69
Feb 25, 2022= 99
Oct 7, 2022 = 87
Dec 23, 2022= 66

the reference range for normal on AB health care system says anything less than 70 is normal. So I've been high normal since 2019. I did start a statin around 2018 along with 5g creatine a day. My keto/high fat diet started in 2020 and switched to low carb/high fat diet started in August of 2022...


You can see my ALT numbers have been slowly climbing and jumped 30 poijnts in 2 months between Dec 2021- Feb 2022. No idea what caused it.
I stopped creatine usage entirely In Oct 2022 and my ALT has dropped 20 points.. I haven't done anything else different. I kept using the 5mg statin as well..

I did get my ALT reguallry tested starting in 2018, but I can't access the numbers until Oct 2019.. Unfortunately, I can't access those ALT results that were done before starting the 5mg statin...

No doctor has ever said anything about my ALT numbers.. Even in Feb 25th when they jumped 30 points the doctor wasn't concerned, but I was and insisted a 30 point jump is reason to figure out the csause.. He said it's most likely due to my keto diet and not to worry much.. I pushed a bit more and he said he'd send me for a liver ultra sound to see if its fatty liver desease.. Turned out not to be and there was nothing on the ultra sound for my liver.

My AST numbers are:
Oct 7 2022= 64
Dec 23 2022= 37

Referance range for AST in AB is less than 55 is healthy and normal. Oct 7 is the first time I've ever had AST tested.

No, never been referred to anyone for my ALT/AST numbers.


So at this point, I am starting creatine, but staying on the statin.. This should rule out if it actually is creatine or something else.


Do I need a statin??? my cholerstol isn't really bad... My good cholesterol is very high and my bad cholesterol is on the higher end of normal.. my tryglycerides are better than text book... So ask 5 doctors about wether i should take a statin or not and you'll get very contradicting answers..

One important factor is that your cholesterol may be good now while on stations but take them away and maybe it worsens. Something I'm curious about though is lots of data suggesting cholesterol isn't as important of factor. People with good cholesterol have heart attacks, baby's are born with extremely high ldl cholesterol and the science still can't even differentiate what diet is good and what's bad fat wise. I'm leaning more towards asking my doc to check my apo-a to apo-b ratio.
The apoB/apoA-I ratio is better than the cholesterol ratios to estimate the balance between plasma proatherogenic and antiatherogenic lipoproteins and to predict coronary risk. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2004;42(12):1355-63.

 

[animal-inside]

One important factor is that your cholesterol may be good now while on stations but take them away and maybe it worsens. Something I'm curious about though is lots of data suggesting cholesterol isn't as important of factor. People with hood cholesterol have heart attacks, baby's are born with extremely high lfl cholesterol and the science still can't even differentiate what diet is good and what's bad fat wise. I'm leaning more towards asking g my doc to check my apo-a to apo-b ratio.
The apoB/apoA-I ratio is better than the cholesterol ratios to estimate the balance between plasma proatherogenic and antiatherogenic lipoproteins and to predict coronary risk. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2004;42(12):1355-63.

If I could list off all the different doctors opions I have been told in person over the years, it'd be hard to make sense of it all. I have seen lots of different doctors since we have had a HUGE turn over of dr's in my town in the last 2 years. I like meeting new ones and getting them talking..

What I find about human nature is that we are more likely to agree with the opion we want to be true lol



I agree though, Cholesteral isn't always the enemy we have been told it is since the 80's..

A very young resident doctor told me what's a better inicator of mortality is blood pressure and to a lesser extent heart rate (at rest and during stress)..

 

[Bigbear]

If I could list off all the different doctors opions I have been told in person over the years, it'd be hard to make sense of it all. I have seen lots of different doctors since we have had a HUGE turn over of dr's in my town in the last 2 years. I like meeting new ones and getting them talking..

What I find about human nature is that we are more likely to agree with the opion we want to be true lol



I agree though, Cholesteral isn't always the enemy we have been told it is since the 80's..

A very young resident doctor told me what's a better inicator of mortality is blood pressure and to a lesser extent heart rate (at rest and during stress)..

I agree fully and also might add inflammation on to that and c-reactive protein. Sorry about all my previous typos as well I just looked through my post and it's horrendous lol

 

[Oldguyjiujitsu]

No, never been sent for the calcium score.. I asked and I was dismissed..

I was given the statin based on my bad cholesterol and my family history (every one on my dads side has bad cholestrol).

I was told the statin for me is a good preventative, but not a must.. But then again, I've been told so many things from each doctor and none really agree.

I did drop the creastine since oct. Now its add it back in to see what happens in 3 months.

AB health will not cover a calcium score unless you have a heart attack and then its the very first thing they do. Get your dr to write a script and next time in EDM get it done at a private clinic (there is one in Meadeolark). I have a VERY good dr and says its the number one thing a male over 45 should have done. It will cost you $450. Bit of background - despite high LDL and low HDL i never had plaque in arteries for 20 years. (i get calcium score done every 5 years). ONLY when plaque started to form did we start 5 mg crestor.

If on statin and work out, you MUST take ubiqinol (CoQ10). Crestor blocks the body from producing ATP, ubiqinol replaces it. That said, i don't know the science but i believe creatine works off ATP....SO if you are on statin and not replacing ATP this could explain the impact of creatine on the your liver.

 

[animal-inside]

AB health will not cover a calcium score unless you have a heart attack and then its the very first thing they do. Get your dr to write a script and next time in EDM get it done at a private clinic (there is one in Meadeolark). I have a VERY good dr and says its the number one thing a male over 45 should have done. It will cost you $450. Bit of background - despite high LDL and low HDL i never had plaque in arteries for 20 years. (i get calcium score done every 5 years). ONLY when plaque started to form did we start 5 mg crestor.

If on statin and work out, you MUST take ubiqinol (CoQ10). Crestor blocks the body from producing ATP, ubiqinol replaces it. That said, i don't know the science but i believe creatine works off ATP....SO if you are on statin and not replacing ATP this could explain the impact of creatine on the your liver.

Next time I have an appointment I will ask for that script. I don't mind paying out of pocket for my health..

I have been taking CoQ10 for years, but I didn't know crestor blocks ATP?? That's crazy and I doubt many doctor's who write that script know that... Yes, you can not have an ATP cycle without creatine...

I'm not sure if low ATP would affect the liver or not though?? Do you ?

 

[Bigbear]

AB health will not cover a calcium score unless you have a heart attack and then its the very first thing they do. Get your dr to write a script and next time in EDM get it done at a private clinic (there is one in Meadeolark). I have a VERY good dr and says its the number one thing a male over 45 should have done. It will cost you $450. Bit of background - despite high LDL and low HDL i never had plaque in arteries for 20 years. (i get calcium score done every 5 years). ONLY when plaque started to form did we start 5 mg crestor.

If on statin and work out, you MUST take ubiqinol (CoQ10). Crestor blocks the body from producing ATP, ubiqinol replaces it. That said, i don't know the science but i believe creatine works off ATP....SO if you are on statin and not replacing ATP this could explain the impact of creatine on the your liver.

Doctors in my area are even more strict with calcium score tests and only request them usually for patients about to go under for surgery. As of for heart disease prevention I've been told by doctors they don't bother because plaque is "aparently"irreverssble and knowing it's there doesn't aid in any treatments. Until it's obviously I think 70% or more obstructed then more serious measures are taken.

 

[Oldguyjiujitsu]

Next time I have an appointment I will ask for that script. I don't mind paying out of pocket for my health.. OGJJ - Totally worth it.

I have been taking CoQ10 for years, but I didn't know crestor blocks ATP?? That's crazy and I doubt many doctor's who write that script know that... Yes, you can not have an ATP cycle without creatine...

I'm not sure if low ATP would affect the liver or not though?? Do you ? OGJJ - I don't know the mechanics of the science and there are likely no studies. Just offering a hypothesis that if both substances interact with ATP, then if ATP reduced by statin then there may not be an uptake of creative so the body does not utilize the creatine. This MAY create a excess which our organs then have to get rid of, cause stress on liver or kidneys. Just a theory to account for you blood work results.

End of day...my take away would be:
Get calcium score
Take the Ubiquinol with your statin.
Don't take the creatine if you have BW that shows a negative impacts. The risk/reward ratio is not worth it.

PS not a doctor

Cheers

 

[animal-inside]

I had my follow up for this blood work with the private clinic yesterday.. What we discussed.

DHEA- I was first prescribed 25mg back in oct. I started it and told them 25 was pointless if they wanted me between 11-14 on my bloods as I took 100mg before and only got to 11/12.. They bumped it up in November to 50mg a day.. My blood work last week came back 7.2, so they bumped it up to 100mg everyday.

AST/ALT- they said its still high even though it went down substantially. They still want me not taking creatine and I agreed.. They said keep taking the 5mg statin, but this lady told me it could be contributing. For now, I stay on statin and off creatine.

**they did tell me to make sure to take 400mg CoQ10 with the statin..

Free test- on upper end of range at 100mg a week taken 50mg 2x a week so I stay there.

Estriodal- before with no arimeidex it was 135 in bloos. I agreed to 0.25x2 aweek taken with my testosterone.. Went down to 112. They said they want estrogen to fall into 30-70, so I agreed to take 0.75 arimdex a week.. I told the lady I orginally was prescribed 1mg a week and I felt like it crashed my estrogen, so we just bumped it to 0.75 and see what happens.


I asked if I could get my sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium tested and they said at that clinic they don't do that and to go through a GP.. But we discussed my cramping and knotting in my muscles. I told them I'm taking 500mg of magnesum oxidie and the lady said that version of magnesium really only helps the bowels.. She said "Magnesium glycinate... take before bed alone at low end dose.. after a few days if no loose stool, move up a dose and repeat.. keep bumping until symptoms of loose stooll happen then back down 1 pill".

**Interesting... I mentioned I donate 2 times a year for high iron/Hematocrit.. She said my ferrintin is 175 and hema is 0.52 so both not on upper range and therefore post pone the donation for another month or so.

***** She also said do not take arimedex on the day I donate blood because they will refuse me as they only recongnize it as a breast cancer fighting drug... She said if I don't take it that day I can legally tell them I am not taking it

 

[ironwill]

If you cannot get calcium score BP on ankle and compare BP to arm. This will tell you what you need to know...I do it often and it aligned with calcium scores each time...
I was able to get calcium score in AB in 2015, it may have changed now as i just moved back, so i haven't tried again.
I was open with my doc about roids and all, he advised it and got a shot of my heart to see if enlarged or left ventricle thickness etc, all was good..