High levels of bad, LDL, and low levels of good, HDL, have been a problem for me all my life. The total level was 300 with the good, HDL, being lower than 40, below the recommended minimum for women. I was able to get the total down to 240 with diet, but then finally gave up and started medication.
I was on 20 mg daily and it did help the LDL, but continued to keep the HDL low. The nurse practitioner suggested taking it only every three days which would continue to help the LDL without reducing the HDL.
After 2 weeks on VEMMA, I had to cut it down the medication from 20mg to 10. I kept getting leg cramps which stopped when I reduced it to 10mg, but returned when I went back to the 20mg. After 3 months, I reduced it to every three days which had been recommended previously.
My total level after 5 months on Vemma daily and medication every three days, was 160. My HDL was finally just above 40. My triglycerides, which were normally 260, were down to 216 (still not the 150 recommended level, but improving.) My goal is to get completely off medicine....we'll see...Judy
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