Crestor (Rx) to raise good and lower bad cholesterol

[BASK8KACE]

Has anyone used Crestor (prescription) to help regulate cholesterol levels. It supposedly raises the good and lowers the bad cholesterols?

Two questions:
--How long did it take to normalize your levels?

--Did you take it while on or off cycle?

[BajanBastard]

Bump!

[einstein1905]

I've never used it, but it's a statin and similar to liptor. I'm sure doctabig or powerlifter can give you details. I assume you're considering it, or you wouldn't be asking, but have you tried policosanol already? I already know you use nolva on cycle, but that raises HDL and lowers LDL. I can't imagine your numbers being that bad...you seem very lean, so cardio and diet must be pretty good already.

[BASK8KACE]

Thanks Einstein,

Actually, I'm planning to use Nolvadex along with arimidex for my next cycle. But, I've only been using Provirion, Arimidex or nothing. I have not done any cardio. Instead I've been experimenting with eating at and below my maintenance calories to see what happens.

What I've found: depending on how far below my maintenance calories I eat, I can maintain a weight of 180-185, increase my hardness and density while loosing body fat. But now, I want to seriously bulk. So, the cuts come from something entirely different than cardio. I've been behind the scenes experimenting. I've also done things like alternated eating above and at/below my maintenance calories to see if I can leap forward then cut back leap forward then cut back on a long cycle. It works a bit, but I'm set now on how I'm going to approach hitting 200 lbs. It'll be with either a low to moderate dose testosterone only cycle or a low to moderate testosterone and low dose deca cycle eating just above my maintenance calorie level (I wrote something about this a while ago).

A while ago, I had written a post which I eventually deleted because I had misled myself into thinking that moderate doses had kicked up my gains. I killed the post to give me more time to experiment with varioius things and found that the only thing that really matters (for me) when I'm using a low or moderate doses is EATING (that's nothing new). I had changed a lot of things at once when I briefly used the moderate doses. I had temporaily raised doses to moderate, added protein drinks, changed my eating schedule and, voila!, I was growing fast. When I cut back to low-dose and kept eating the same way, I found I was getting similar results. So now I've been slowly changing one thing at a time to see what happens. The effects of fast growth, and the well known good side effects of testosterone seem to dissappear when eating below maintenance calories and reappear above maintenace calories. This is common knowledge, but I wanted to feel the difference so I'll know what to expect as I grow. I'll know what it feels like when I drop below my correct calories during a bulker.

All my experimenting has been to find out what truly makes differences in cycling--what was myth and what was fact. Now, I know which compounds work well for me, I have a feeling that I will be sticking with them for quite a while. The ones that work well for me are the basics (test cyp & prop, deca, EQ, Dbol , proviron , arimidex and nolvadex). I might use Var (although it skews cholesterol levels badly). I've decided that I don't want to get fancy using a ton of things. If I eat well and lift hard, rest well--I can continue to make good gains. Eventually I'll delve into other things, but why use a million other things which are all basically copies of the king of steroids --testosterone?

So, anyway....My HDL is low and my LDL is high right now. I've been getting regular blood tests. They will normalize eventually. I just want to have a few alternatives to normalize my lipid leves. Cardio will become part of the package between cycles and possibly during cycles.

I have not tried the policosanol yet. I think it was Rickson or Pheedno that PM'd me with a suggestion of policosanol a while back. So, thank you for the reminder.

Obviously, I had a lot on my mind when I responded...I'm itching to take it to the next level of bulking now that I have a good handle on how different aspects of the cycle truly affect me personally without relying on just what I've read or heard.

[Dude-Man]

start out with nolvadex .. see what that does for your levels.

[BASK8KACE]

start out with nolvadex.. see what that does for your levels.

Yeah, that's the first thing. But I won't use it alone. I know a few too many people in person who have experienced a rebound after their cycle. So it will be with a combination of proviron or arimidex .

[flexin-rph]

Although I could not find any comparisons of HDL changes from baseline w/ Crestor
to Lipitor, Pravachol, Zocor, etc,; I talked with the drug rep & he said Crestor
significantly raises HDL levels (of course he would say that---it is his bread & H20).
However, the package insert does show a very significant lowering of the LDL over
the other "statin" drugs. As for the time to normalize....could be 12-16 weeks
(dependent upon the person, LDL level, & dosage).

[BASK8KACE]

Although I could not find any comparisons of HDL changes from baseline w/ Crestor
to Lipitor, Pravachol, Zocor, etc,; I talked with the drug rep & he said Crestor
significantly raises HDL levels (of course he would say that---it is his bread & H20).
However, the package insert does show a very significant lowering of the LDL over
the other "statin" drugs. As for the time to normalize....could be 12-16 weeks
(dependent upon the person, LDL level, & dosage).

Thank you.

[BASK8KACE]

Update:

I was just listening to the news tonight. Apparently Crestor has caused kidney failure and life threatening damage to muscles. There's a battle to try to have it pulled from the shelves.

[Lozgod]

Niacin at a high enough dose will raise HDL levels while lowering LDL levels.

Niacin
Niacin has been used longer than any of the other lipid-lowering agents to decrease morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular causes (35). Niacin is inexpensive and available without prescription, and it favorably alters LDL, HDL, and triglyceride levels. Unfortunately, the incidence of side effects tends to be high when the vitamin is not taken under optimal conditions (ie, a gradually increased bedtime dose preceded by low-dose aspirin). As a result, many patients are reluctant to remain on this treatment for any significant length of time.

Extended-release niacin (Niaspan) is a prescription form of the vitamin that is released evenly into the blood. This decreases the incidence of flushing, which is niacin's most common--and annoying--side effect. However, even with the extended-release formulation, it is prudent to gradually increase the bedtime dose over time and to encourage the patient to take a baby aspirin 30 minutes before taking the niacin.

On average, HDL cholesterol increases by about 20% in patients who take extended-release niacin. Although the extended-release form is more expensive than simple niacin, it is less expensive than fibric acid derivatives or statin drugs, the other agents often used to increase HDL levels. Treatment usually starts with 500 mg of extended-release niacin each night and is increased by 500 mg each month. The usual maintenance dose is 1,500 to 2,000 mg.

Niacin can induce hepatotoxicity, although this complication is rare. Nonetheless, because of the small risk (1%), it is prudent to monitor liver function periodically. In addition, niacin can raise serum glucose and alter uric acid levels. Therefore, patients who have diabetes or gout should be monitored closely if niacin is given.

[Lozgod]

High dietary monounsaturated fat also raises HDL.

The role of dietary changes
Numerous studies have shown that diets high in saturated fat raise total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels and increase the risk of CAD. The evidence is so overwhelming that the American Heart Association recommends specific diets that reduce saturated fat intake. Some dietary considerations also can be helpful for treating patients with low HDL.

Replacing saturated fat calories with carbohydrates has a negative effect on HDL levels (figure 2: not shown) (25). On the other hand, replacing saturated fats with monounsaturated fats (eg, olive oil) maintains HDL levels and also lowers the incidence of heart disease (26). Therefore, patients with isolated low HDL levels should be cautioned against drastically cutting total dietary fat and should instead be encouraged to replace saturated fat with monounsaturated fat.

Patients with low HDL should avoid consumption of trans-fatty acids (ie, hydrogenated vegetable oils). These fats, which are commonly used to prolong the shelf life of baked goods, not only raise LDL, but also lower HDL cholesterol levels (27). Soy is another food that has been linked with prevention of heart disease. Although soy products lower LDL cholesterol levels, they do not appear to affect HDL levels (28).

[Lozgod]

Also some great person started this thread that briefly touches on the subject.

Blood Pressure, HDL, LDL, and AAS

[BASK8KACE]

Thank you. This is all good information, Lozgod.