Supplements to help lower cholesterol?

Who Me?

Well-Known Member
What are good supplements to lower cholesterol? I know Niacin is one. Red Yeast Rice but that is a statin. What else when it's naturally crazy high? Dosage too please

@Remy @Upgrayedd
 

Upgrayedd

Active Member
I would be the poor schmuck with very high cholesterol on top of cfs/me. It doesn't matter if I go low fat, hi fat, veg, paleo, etc. It stays clinically high.

The question, as always, is what can I take that won't make the cfs/me worse or cause a flare. I've read about:
  • Berberine
  • Bergamot
  • Red rice yeast
  • Plant sterols
  • Garlic
  • Fiber
  • Glucomannan
  • Lactobacillus Reuteri
Plus of course Rx meds.
Who know what works without hurting us?
 

Who Me?

Well-Known Member
@Remy fish oil makes no difference for me. I think for some of us with naturally high cholesterol, we need to be more aggressive.

Red yeast rice made a huge difference for me at one point. yes I know it's a statin. LOL There is something else I can't think of the name. I took that and it didn't do much that I remember.

@Upgrayedd
Who know what works without hurting us?

Let me know if you figure that out.
 

Upgrayedd

Active Member
I'm taking fish oil - hasn't helped much. I was in cytomel and synthroid for years, didn't help much either.

Have not tried niacin. I've seen that LEF Supp - maybe I'll give it a try. How much niacin should one take?
 

Who Me?

Well-Known Member
I'm taking fish oil - hasn't helped much. I was in cytomel and synthroid for years, didn't help much either.

Have not tried niacin. I've seen that LEF Supp - maybe I'll give it a try. How much niacin should one take?

I know the niacin has to be the flushing kind. Not sure of dose. I think we need a cocktail of stuff.

Oh I take nattokinase too.
 

Who Me?

Well-Known Member
I ordered some of the slo niacin. Some reviews on Amazon said it really helped. Worth a shot.

I'm not sure how much fish oil I'm taking but I gag on those huge caps so I use the small Eskimo 3.

What about krill oil? Although that is $$$

Edit: on Amazon doctors best krill oil. One reviewer did a side by side comparison of 10 kill oils and ended up saying it has less of what we need than fish oil so not worth it.
 
Last edited:

Remy

Administrator
use the small Eskimo 3.

They say 1.5 g for three so you'd need to take at least 6 a day and maybe more. The liquid tastes gross but it's fast and easy.

I hated krill oil. I found it rancid so often and vile. I do take astaxanthin though. 12 mg/twice a day.
 

IrisRV

Well-Known Member
All my cholesterol measures improved tremendously over the past two years. Because it was so long between tests, I'm not sure which thing or things helped the most, but I'll list what I did FWIW.

1. Lost a ton of weight. Okay, not a ton, but a lot. :p

2. Increased omega-3 so that I was getting 1500 EPA, and 750 DHA daily. That's roughly 4 standard fish oil capsules.

3. More recently I started taking glucomannan -- I average between 1 and 2 g daily.
 

Paw

Well-Known Member
In addition to what's already been said: my cardiologist recently put me on pterostilbene and/or resveratrol (found in blueberries and red wine), but I've yet to procure them.

After finding I couldn't tolerate even half-doses of statins (some NPs say almost nobody with FM can tolerate statins), I'm very interested in this question too.

I'd already been using creatine, which may help (and also help rebuild muscles after statin abuse). IP-6 (inositol), CoQ10, taurine, zinc, and, of course fiber (e.g. metamucil). Lots of omega-3s and fish oil, and niacin.
 

Hello!

Well-Known Member
Watch your BP while on fish oil- it can really make it tank! Not good with dysautonomia, really, really not good!
 

Upgrayedd

Active Member
3. More recently I started taking glucomannan -- I average between 1 and 2 g daily.

When do you take the Glucomannan? And do you take it all in one dose? I read that you're supposed to take 2g about 15-20 minutes before eating. Beyond expanding and making you feel fuller, it prevents the absorption of dietary cholesterol. That would mean taking it before each meal - 3 times a day.

But then, of course, I worry about the impact on my CFS/ME symptoms. Have you, or anyone else taking Glucomannan found it having any effects, good or bad, on CFS symptoms?
 

lisaadele

Active Member
In addition to supplements, my naturopath recommended the Portfolio Diet for lowering cholesterol. It focuses on including foods like soy, oats and nuts.
 

Who Me?

Well-Known Member

IrisRV

Well-Known Member
When do you take the Glucomannan? And do you take it all in one dose? I read that you're supposed to take 2g about 15-20 minutes before eating. Beyond expanding and making you feel fuller, it prevents the absorption of dietary cholesterol. That would mean taking it before each meal - 3 times a day.

But then, of course, I worry about the impact on my CFS/ME symptoms. Have you, or anyone else taking Glucomannan found it having any effects, good or bad, on CFS symptoms?
I don't take it in any kind of routine, to be honest. My other supps and meds I have strict schedules, but this one I'm sloppier with. I take meds and supps 4x daily and need food in my stomach for most of them. I take the glucomannan at whichever of the times I'm eating the least. If I was taking it for weight loss or to absorb dietary cholesterol, I'd be more consistent about taking it before every meal. :)

I don't usually take more than 2g daily.

I'm not seeing a difference in ME/CFS symptoms, but then I don't have gut symptoms. It might make a difference one way or the other if gut issues were a problem. It's dietary fiber, of course, so it will have the common dietary fiber effects -- good if you have constipation.
 

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