High cholesterol and pregancy

[Deb2of9]

My daughter told me today that she got her cholesterol results back. I forget how high, but the number was in the 400's. She is not allowed prescription meds to control it because of being pregant. Are there any safe natural remedies that would be safe while pregant or nursing that she can try. She already knows about oatmeal, but was looking for advice. I told her I would see what I can find out. I think she needs the oatmeal for baths as well if she can get the time. She is also suffering from hives due to nerves and can't take anything to help them either. I guess having 6 kids, many with health issues themselves, a high risk pregnacy and now hubby being home from work because he broke his foot so not only is he under her feet all day long, he is not able to bring in a pay check while he is off work. All this is adding to her stress and that has caused the hives.

[mom11]

HI Deb..

 

I don't know if this might be causing any of the high cholesterol, but I have a friend that has genetically high cholesterol. She didn't want to go on the meds., unless absolutely necessary. She is very careful about her diet and thin, but her levels wouldn't go down. She finally went to a dietitian for one final try, before taking statins. The dietitian told her that sugar is converted into cholesterol. Each day when my friend ran around with her chicks, her treat was one Sonic Route 44 Coke. Maybe your daughter could be getting a bit too much sugar? Hope she is ok!

[Lois]

There is a natural cholesterol reducing med, Policosanol, use 10 mil morning and evening. This was suggested by DH's Heart specialist. She can ask her Dr, but I don't believe there is any reason why she cannot use this. A good stress reducer could be St Johnswort tea. Do some reasearch on these yourself and get more information.

[Deb2of9]

Thanks for the input Lois. I will look into it before I mention it to my daughter. Besides,It will work better if she is well armed with information before she sees her doctor. Along with being pregant, my daughter also has heart problems, asthma, arthitis and hypoglecemia. She also really suffers from anxiety. She is miserable that the one med that she took for her anxiety, the doctor took away from her. Not because it was not safe, but because it was a herbal remedy that he didn't have clear cut evidence based on clinical trials as to how safe it was. So looking it up and arming her with information on it before she goes to her doctor will help.

[Mother]

Deb, I'm really sorry your DD has all these problems. There are several different herbs that are useful for cholesterol but I'm pretty sure that her doctor wouldn't approve of them for obvious reasons. Instead of trying to convince her doctor that some herb is safe, why not start with something that doctors will understand. Vitamin, minerals and diet. I'm sure she probably takes prenatals but adding calcium and magnesium will both help the heart problems and the anxiety. Make sure it's balanced at least two calcium to one magnesium. I'm sure her doctor has told her to watch her salt so have her switch to a potassium salt replacer. She probably really needs the potassium unless she's had tests that show otherwise. A bit extra vitamin C, E and CoQ10 would help too.

 

Additionally, the doctor probably wouldn't object to her adding LOTS of fresh vegetables and garlic to her diet. Switching from regular oils to Extra virgin Olive Oil will be a big plus and if she can have it, adding yogurt to her diet is also good. You already know about the oatmeal but be sure to try to get her to switch to mostly whole grains as opposed to processed ones.

 

Stress has been proven to affect the cholesterol levels so anything she can do to relieve that would only make it better. There are many ways to do that even in a hectic lifestyle but a person has to WANT to do them first. Even five minutes 3 or 4 times a day of going off by herself and deep breathing can be helpful and finding and outlet for frustration is even better. Laughter and singing are two ways that come to mind. Yelling is another LOL.

 

Have her practice purposely tightening and then relaxing each muscle group in her body several times a day. Have her concentrate on one area at a time starting with her feet and then working up her legs to her torso and arms and then to neck and even head. She can do this even while doing dishes or waiting at stop lights. It only takes a few minutes to do but works to give one the feedback they need to be able to bring relaxation to their body no matter how stressed.

 

Relaxation, meditation, visualization, biofeedback, and even mild exercise are all known to releave anxiety and it's accompaning ills.

 

These are only a few of the miriad of things she can do to help herself without taking products that her doctor objects to. (not that doctors always know best but sometimes it's hard for a person to go against them when they have serious health problems)

 

Above all, help her to realize that she deserves to take time to heal herself. The very first thing she has to do is give herself permission to get well. Sound strange? It really isn't especially for mothers.

 

((( ))))

[Deb2of9]

The doctor told her part of her anxiety is from lack of sun...so he has prescribed that she goes for a fifteen minute walk with her husband every day. Doctor after my own heart...this is the psycholgist that the OB doctor insisted she go to because she was anxious and had to be having depression or she would not be having child number 7 with her health problems. He also felt she was being forced to have them by her husband since she knew the risks that she takes getting pregnant. The psycholgist, called the OB doctor into his office and yelled at him ( in front of her) for keeping a known claustrophobic in a small room with out windows and not letting her leave for three hours and then complain that she had too much anxiety. So he has decided that meds that the OB wanted her on was not an issue unless she felt the anxiety was a problem. then he would find something safe for her, but in the mean time to get out in the sun everyday and do something relaxing like the walk with her husband and no kids. She was trying to do that, unfortuately earlier this week her husband broke his foot. He is on crutches when up but off his feet for the most part and out of work. This of course increases her stress level and takes away their walks.she is trying to go for the walks anyway, only her husband doesn't feel she is safe to walk alone ( or drive alone) because of her health problems. So that limits the walks. They live too far away for me to take her on the walks. Life is full of challenges and I think if she had a day without any, that would cause her stress. She would then worry about what was going to happen because nothing could be going that well.

[Mother]

Considering that the psych doctor is prescribing sunshine and fresh air instead of meds she might consider low vitamin D levels as part of this syndrome. As I said before, a person CAN pull themselves out of this whirling situation where it's a question of what came first the chicken or the egg but they have to WANT to. With six kids, even much loved and wanted kids, it might be very difficult for her to have the time or the energy even to begin to pull herself up.

 

There is very little you can do to help her with you being so far away but I can suggest one very important ingredient that you can add even from a distance. Love. I know you love her but actually sending her love, daily along with prayers (or if prayers are not in your belief system then healing thoughts work as well) can bring about marvelous changes. Purposefully taking five or ten minutes every day to send those thoughts to her is all it will take. Try not to let her know how worried you are about her as that will only foster worry in her. Never belittle her problems but always encourage her that it WILL be better. The mind is an extremely powerful healing agent. There have been numerous studies that prove prayers and healing loving thoughts sent to a person can heal even when that person does not know they are being prayed for. Dr Dean Ornish, a leading heart specialist, talks about this in one of his books. He uses it as a part of his famous programs for healing hearts.

 

I will be sending her mental hugs. She's in a tough spot.

 

((( )))

[Deb2of9]

That is one thing I do with her. We talk on the phone regularly....I let her do most of the talking if that is what she needs. I listen to her vent. She also sometimes gets online and that is another place we talk. I can't be there in person, but she knows that I am always there when she needs me, and will drop almost anything to be there for her. Today we spent the day at the hospital (or should I say morning) for her sons surgury, which went great I will add. Of course this isn't the big one. His fontanels ( or however that is spelled) are closing up too soon. They may have to open his head up to allow his brain to grow properly. If that happens, her stress level will go through the roof as he will have to stay at the children's hospital for three months and it is about two and a half hours from her house. With her being pregnant and the other kids to take care of she will not be able to be there for him. I am hoping and praying that the surgury won't be needed. They are trying a couple of other things first.

 

Thanks for the help. I guess part of it is that as her mom, I feel I should be able to do more. I know that isn't reasonable, but then when it comes to their kids,even their grown kids, mom's just aren't reasonable.We want to fix it all even when we know we can't.

[Jasminegirl]

My husband got his results back and he has high cholesterol. My aunt told me she did too and she sprinkles flaxseed on her oatmeal about 3 times a week and my mom says she sprinkles it on her cereal, oatmeal and different things , i think one of them put in their salads. Their cholesterol has come down quiet a bit when they went back to the doctor. Just thought I'd pass this by you, but we haven't bought any yet to try it, but will whenever he gets back from his job probably.