low cholesterol levels and liver enzymes

[frenchmoxie]

Hi all,

Hoping someone might be able to help! I had my cholesterol levels tested about a year ago and was found to be on the low end at 129 (with the range being 125-200).

HDL = 61 mg/dL
LDL = 57 mg/dL
Triglycerides = 53 mg/dL

I am a vegan, so I understand that this contributes to the low levels, but if most of the cholesterol in our bodies is made in the liver (about 80%), then how is it possible that I have such low levels?

Another interesting thing is that my sister, who is NOT vegan or even vegetarian, was found to have low cholesterol levels as well. She is also Type 1 diabetic.

In addition, I’ve always had low (or normal?) levels of liver enzymes ALT and AST, Alkaline Phosphatase at 36 IU/L (range 25-150).

Does anyone else here have low cholesterol levels? Or low liver enzyme levels?
Do you think there might be a connection between the low liver enzyme levels and low cholesterol levels?

[Maz]

Hi FrenchMoxie,

Just a fellow patient two cents, but your cholesterol and LFTs seem to be in pretty optimal ranges. 🙂 It’s the ratio of cholesterol and trigs that are important and your HDL (the good cholesterol) is in great shape! If that one was low, it might be more of a concern. Here is a calculator for you to figure this out. You just have to insert your numbers into the various fields and you’ll get a reading on where you stand:

http://www.hughchou.org/calc/chol.php

Some of these cell wall-deficient bugs, including mycoplasma, are voracious cholesterol consumers and love sterols, needed to reproduce and for their outer lipid layer. When I was at my sickest, my Total cholesterol was 131…can’t remember the other numbers off-hand, but I remember my doc saying how great this was to be on the lower end of the scale. However, I also recall my cholesterol was in the moderately high range only 6 months prior (235), just before I got sick. So, in my case, there was no doubt the bugs were enjoying a nice cholesterol meal at my expense. In your case, however, all your levels are pretty good, ratio-wise, so wouldn’t worry too much. No doubt your vegan diet has been to good effect and will be helping to reduce bio-film formation, too. 🙂

For anyone with RA…the following study is sorta junk science, as lots of folks have whacky high cholesterol and trigs and it doesn’t necessarily mean they will get RA down the road, but these researchers feel there is a correlation. I can’t help but feel it’s one of those cases where correlation doesn’t always imply causation and maybe more valuable if these folks were tracked consistently after getting sick, as well, but interesting nonetheless:

http://www.rxpgnews.com/rheumatiodarthritis/Unfavourable_blood_fat_levels_predict_rheumatoid_a_4380_4380.shtml

[kater]

I have myco p and am taking 4 caps a day of plant sterols and sterolins. This is very expensive and has been highly recommended by several docs but seeing your comment about myco loving sterols I am now questioning this. What do you think? Having both my daughter and I on treatment now I am looking to streamline the program and cut out anything that is not the most helpful.
Penny for your thoughts
kate

Systemic Scleroderma since 2010. Lyme and Myco P. AP and many other antibiotics and treatments since Nov. 2011. Presently mostly in remission other than fatigue.
Teva Minocycline 100mg a day. Dessicated tyroid, LDN 4.5, LDI, hawthorne, curcurmin, berberine,, caprylex, reishi mushroom, liver protect, zinc,, fish oils, magnesium, vit K2, d3, bcomp, E, C

[Maz]

@kater wrote:

I have myco p and am taking 4 caps a day of plant sterols and sterolins. This is very expensive and has been highly recommended by several docs but seeing your comment about myco loving sterols I am now questioning this. What do you think? Having both my daughter and I on treatment now I am looking to streamline the program and cut out anything that is not the most helpful.

Hi Kate,

Some myco species are reliant on sterols for their outer lipid layers and growth and others aren’t according to the following:

http://aem.asm.org/content/23/3/659.full.pdf

This is getting into an an area of microbiology that is pretty complex and in-vitro (test-tubes in the lab) studies can’t always be compared perfectly to what happens in-vivo (in the body). Perhaps it would depend upon why the docs have recommended the plant sterols (also found in some lipid-lowering butter substitutes, like margarines) and this would be a reasonable question to ask them. I was prescribed liposmal artemisinin, which is an amazing anti-protozoal herbal that is compounded in a fatty substance in capsule form. It’s purpose is so that bio-films (which love fats) soak up the fat, but then get hit with the artemisinin. So different fats can be used as a kind of “transporter” to kill bugs, too…sort of playing at their same game.

There are studies you can search online using key words, like, “Sterol requirements of mycoplasma pneumoniae.” Here is one that came up on quick search, but you’ll likely find others:

http://mic.sgmjournals.org/content/69/2/205.full.pdf

Kate, it might be best to ask the rxing doc why the sterols are important for your protocol, as there may be some rationale for it. Mycos are intracellular parasties and so are probably sequestering cholesterol from our own tissues anyway, but if the purpose of supplementing is to use the plant sterols as a kind of chemical catalyst or transporter, they might be important. It was a real ah-ha moment when I asked my doc why the artemisinin needed to be compounded in fat when the protozoan (in my case, protomyxzoa rheumatica) is holed up in biofilms of its own making. ❗

[richie]

To Frenchmoxie –
What a fabulous reading –I can only dream of such a great reading !!
richie

[frenchmoxie]

Well thank you all for putting my mind at ease about the “low” cholesterol levels!

[kater]

Thanks Maz for your detailed response about myco p and plant sterols and sterolins. It is so technical and I wish I was a better scientist but I will talk to the doc about it next time. It was a different doc that put me on it before the myco was found, but all 3 of my naturopaths have said it is a good thing to be on. I will ask some more pointed questions as to why it is recommended and how it might react with the mycoplasma. I am trying to cut some things out of my program to save some $ for my daughter’s treatment, and in any event certainly don’t want to be taking something that is not helpful at best or antagonistic at worst.
Have a great day!
kate

Systemic Scleroderma since 2010. Lyme and Myco P. AP and many other antibiotics and treatments since Nov. 2011. Presently mostly in remission other than fatigue.
Teva Minocycline 100mg a day. Dessicated tyroid, LDN 4.5, LDI, hawthorne, curcurmin, berberine,, caprylex, reishi mushroom, liver protect, zinc,, fish oils, magnesium, vit K2, d3, bcomp, E, C

[June3443]

I have wondered about the significance of low cholesterol levels, too. My total number has always been low until this year. These are my numbers for the last year:

4/2011. 4/2012
vldl cholesterol. 20. 27
Total. 114. 157
Hdl. 34. 45
LDL. 60. 85
Trig. 99. 134
Ratio. 3.4. 3.5

The 157 is the highest my total has ever been. It has always been between 112 and 129. My sister’s ( SD and Sjogrens) total was 112. My other two siblings as well as my son have very low cholesterol. Dont know why my numbers went up. I did start using coconut oil but not daily. I am not sure what my liver enzymes are.

[frenchmoxie]

What I’ve found in my low cholesterol research is that it’s often found in adrenal fatigue/exhaustion. Since cholesterol is the precursor to all sex and steroid hormones, which includes cortisol, this makes sense in my case. I do have adrenal fatigue and have had it for at least 2 years. I also have very low levels of DHEA, and I’m only 27 years old! I should be at my peak as far as DHEA levels go. My progesterone levels are also low.

This just goes to show that my adrenals are constantly stressed and pumping out so much cortisol that my body is using up all the cholesterol it produces.

June3443, have you had your cortisol levels tested? OR any other hormones levels?

[June3443]

Frenchmoxie. No, my doctors don’t check for anything but routine labs. They are not very knowledgeable about SD and are always telling me how good my cholesterol levels are. This time my thyroid TSH was up to over 4.0 and dr didn’t seem concerned even though my hair is falling out. I am trying to find an AP doctor nearby. There is one about 5 hours away I think I will try.

[June3443]

Just went to dr with my older brother (81) who had SD and looking at some of his labs saw that he has some of the lowest cholesterol numbers I have ever heard of. His total was 104, hdl 24, and LDL was 45. Don’t remember about the tri.

His crest has been in remission, but now his fingers are becoming so hard that he is unable to draw blood to test his blood sugar. The fingers were soft last fall, but his wife passed away in November and he has been under a lot of stress which, i think, may have triggered the SD. His doctor said she was not as concerned about his SD since he has lived with it for 40 years.

I got off subject but I do think there is a connection.

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