Thank-you so much, N&W! I can remove the posts later if it does get to be too much. I really appreciate it.
Shimmie, if my cholesterol were 175 I think my doctor would do cartwheels. I know I would. My cholesterol is 319, and my LDL is 249.
No, that's not a typo.
Cholesterol does run in my family, but even I was taken by surprise. I was so shocked because I thought I wasn't heavy, I couldn't possibly have those types of numbers. But my doctor said it has nothing to do with weight. She told me she has overweight patients who don't have those types of numbers. She said it was serious, and there was no question I would have to start medication immediately. That was a month ago.
My mother has been on cholesterol meds for years, and she took Crestor and suffered as you did. She refused to stay on it, so her doctor kept trying different brands until she tried Pravastatin. It's the first one she took that didn't leave her with muscle pain. She takes it along with one Fish Oil pill, 1000mg, and she has no pain. None at all. So when it came time to discuss what brand I would take I asked for Pravastatin. The doctor would have prefered to start me on 60 mg, but started me on 40 mg to give me a chance to adjust. I take the Fish Oil pill as well, and I have no aches or pain. Talk to your doctor about switching brands.
Pebs, I cried when I read these numbers. They shall indeed come down in Jesus' Name and in the ideal way that the Holy Spirit leads and guides you, in Jesus' Name... Amen and Amen.
If you feel lead of the Lord, please add fiber capsules to your regime. And please drink the beet juice to protect and cleanse your liver. I am in total agreement for your health and healing all the way. I support whatever you decide... stay on the Rx until the Lord releases you via your doctor.
Add beets to your new diet.
Beets... Protect the Liver
Beet Juice for Liver Cleansing
http://www.everynutrient.com/benefits-of-beet-juice.html
Among all the health benefits of beet juice, the most well known are the health
benefits that beet juice provides for the blood and liver. The liver is a vital organ that provides many functions in the body including detoxification of the blood, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion.
Like beet roots, beet juice is a great source of a wide range of nutrients. Its most significant phytochemical is betaine.
Betaine helps the liver and kidneys recycle the amino acid methionine in order to maintain the body's stores of s-adenosyl-methionine (commonly referred to as SAM-e). SAM-e occurs naturally in the body and is required for cellular growth and repair. Although SAM-e is distributed throughout the body, it is produced and consumed mostly in the liver. SAM-e contributes to maintaining mood levels.
It's involved in the biosynthesis of several hormones and neurotransmitters that affect mood, such as dopamine and serotonin. Studies show that elderly people and individuals suffering from osteoarthritis, depression, and various liver disorders tend to have low levels of SAM-e. Although SAM-e supplements are available, further research is being conducted about the safety of taking the supplements.
Betaine also helps the liver to process fat, thereby preventing the accumulation of fatty tissues in the liver. Fatty liver disease is a reversible condition where large vacuoles of triglyceride fat accumulate in liver cells through steatosis (the process of abnormal retention of lipids within a cell).
Fatty liver disease has many causes, but it's often associated with heavy alcohol intake and other diseases that influence fat metabolism such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Malnutrition and excessive weightloss can also cause fatty liver disease.
Since the liver is the primary mechanism for detoxification of the blood, it is essential that it functions properly.
Aside from beets and beet juice, three well known herbs that provide liver cleansing benefits are milk thistle, burdock root, and dandelion.
All four of these super foods provide natural detoxification for the liver and they also help to keep it functioning properly.
Sources:
Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia
Murray , Michael N.D.. The Encyclopedia Of Healing Foods.
New York: Atria Books, 2005.
Bowden, Jonny, Ph.D., C.N.S. The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth.
Fairwinds Press, 2007
No, none of that... No blaming yourself. It happens due to so many additives that are in today's foods (even fresh foods) that our liver has to process. 
