[leftyf]

I am a regular platelet donor, donating 2 units every 2 weeks. I have had high cholesterol for about 25 years. The Dr put me on Lipitor back then but I refused to take them, I modified my diet instead. My cholesterol usually stayed around 200 to 240, too high. When I donate platelets, they do blood work and I get my cholesterol numbers every time I donate. Anyway, I thought what a good time to try Garlique. I have nearly finished my first box of 60 pills at one pill a day and my cholesterol has dropped from 210 the last donation before Garlique to 184 last Friday. I'm going to buy 60 more and see if it keeps going down. Anyway, I really do believe Garlique does lower your cholesterol. No, I am not a TV commercial.

[jnieman]

Originally Posted by leftyf

I am a regular platelet donor, donating 2 units every 2 weeks. I have had high cholesterol for about 25 years. The Dr put me on Lipitor back then but I refused to take them, I modified my diet instead. My cholesterol usually stayed around 200 to 240, too high. When I donate platelets, they do blood work and I get my cholesterol numbers every time I donate. Anyway, I thought what a good time to try Garlique. I have nearly finished my first box of 60 pills at one pill a day and my cholesterol has dropped from 210 the last donation before Garlique to 184 last Friday. I'm going to buy 60 more and see if it keeps going down. Anyway, I really do believe Garlique does lower your cholesterol. No, I am not a TV commercial.

Very interesting to know your final testing results. I have tried so many different cholesterol medications and get aching bones with every one even Zetia which is supposed to work differently. Do you get any bad breath or indigestion from the Garlique? Do you think it would be a problem for someone with reflux?

[leftyf]

I don't get any taste or anything from Garlique like I did with the cheap garlic capsules. I can't even tell I took them and I take one every night with dinner.

[jnieman]

Originally Posted by leftyf

I don't get any taste or anything from Garlique like I did with the cheap garlic capsules. I can't even tell I took them and I take one every night with dinner.

Thanks for the info. After you test them for a while, would you mind PMing me or posting here your results? I hesitate to go off the meds I'm on now but I'm not happy with them.

[leftyf]

I have been using them for 56 days, but I will update this post every time I donate platelets. Hopefully my number will keep going down.

[NotGolfer]

Where do you purchase this supplement? At Vitamin Shoppe??? I refuse to take the statin drugs for many reasons and my numbers also range in the 200's. Did folks on this thread know that up until the 1980's...300 was the normal top range for Cholestrol. THEN the drug companies got involved and we know the rest of the story.

[rubicon]

Originally Posted by NotGolfer

Where do you purchase this supplement? At Vitamin Shoppe??? I refuse to take the statin drugs for many reasons and my numbers also range in the 200's. Did folks on this thread know that up until the 1980's...300 was the normal top range for Cholestrol. THEN the drug companies got involved and we know the rest of the story.

I've been taking a low dose pravastatin and also concern about the side effects. Yet each and every time I approach this topic with my cardio guy he patiently walks me through the pro's and con's.

As to the numbers there will always be on the one hand and then on the hand. I focus on diet, exercise and pharma concerned about a stroke or a heart attack in that order

[RickeyD]

Originally Posted by NotGolfer

Where do you purchase this supplement? At Vitamin Shoppe??? I refuse to take the statin drugs for many reasons and my numbers also range in the 200's. Did folks on this thread know that up until the 1980's...300 was the normal top range for Cholestrol. THEN the drug companies got involved and we know the rest of the story.

Interesting, can you site articles ? My numbers are high and I too believe they raised the bar to have us believe we need to be medicated.

[John_W]

I had been on Atorvastatin, the generic brand of Lipitor, since 2007 when I was given a stent in my heart. My last reading while on statins was April of 2015 my cholesterol was 108, and I was taking two 80 mg of atorvastatin a day. So it was well within the good range of less than 200.

That spring I had started to develop rashes everytime I went out in the sun for more than a couple of minutes, especially when not wearing long sleeves. After two trips to the VA dermatology in Gainesville and they had taken two biopies they were unable to figure it out. I take about a dozen different pills a day, I started reading online the side-effects of each of my pills and found that statins can cause sun sensitivity.

On June 5th on my own, I stopped taking the statins and within 5 days my sun allergy went away. However, here's the problem. On my next lab work in November my cholesterol was 247, the VA lists 200-239 as borderline and 240 and above as high.

So in November my doctor started me on drug Zitia and I added the herbal 'Red Yeast Rice' to my pills along with the 3 Fish Oil pills I already was taking. The Zitia made me fell bloated and I had some diarrhea. He next tried Niacin, which is vitamin B3. The Niacin I've had no problems and with the herbal pills my last cholesterol reading was in April was 211. It's not in the safe range but it's coming down. I get tested again in two weeks.

[John_W]

PS - where do you find the Garlique? On Walgreens website they say not sold in stores. Walmart lists only 30 pills and doesn't say if it's available in the Villages store. CVS can't find it.

[smallstonefan]

I'm mostly a lurker here, but I feel compelled to chime in. If you haven't looked into a ketogenic diet, you really should. If you believe the modern research, then you will find that pretty much everything the government has taught us regarding the food pyramid is WRONG. I struggled to get my triglycerides and cholesterol under control for a decade. My old doc wanted me on statins and I refused. For the record, I am only 46. A ketogenic diet is essentially very high fats and very low cards (in my case less than 50g a day). I did this under doctor supervision, measuring my blood before and after. In just two months, my trigs FINALLY went way down. Good cholesterol up, bad cholesterol down, and total up but form 150 to 160, which is negligible. This while eating TONS of bacon, butter, eggs, and meat! Also, mental clarity came back and energy and mood were elevated - this is the way we are supposed to eat. I was desperate NOT to go on statins or get diabetes - and unfortunately I was showing the early signs.

If you think about it, obesity in this country started about the time the government started telling us to eat a lot of grains and stay away from fat. :/

The best book to get introduced to the subject is called Keto Clarity by Jimmy Moore.

I'd be happy to answer any questions, or go back to lurking!

PS: I read these forums almost daily because my parents moved to the village of Charlotte last year and my wife and I consider the Villages our #1 retirement destination so far. I like to keep up on the things happening and the attitudes of the villagers.

[leftyf]

I bought the Garlique I am taking at Walmart on 441 in Summerfield, but it's cheaper on Amazon. I wouldn't recommend anyone dropping their statin drug without knowing how you are affected, don't forget, I get my blood tested every 2 weeks with my platelet donation. I am developing a history. Because this is not a fasting first test, my Dr said these numbers would be about 10 points higher than the test he gives me. I have been trying to lower my cholestrol for about 25 years without taking statins. I used to eat beef 14 times a week, now only 2-3 times a month and we only use olive oil for everything.

[leftyf]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Garlique-C...-of-2/46235971

[leftyf]

Just an update, I donated platelets again on July 15 and my cholesterol was 211, so it looks like the Garlique doesn't really work.

[chachacha]

the garlique did not work for me either but red yeast rice 4 pills a day has lowered my cholesterol 40 pts...however, my dr says that is usually a plateau and i am waiting to see next jan if it stays the same or continues to go down. i also do the life line screening every two years or so to make sure my arteries are not clogged because i really don't want to take statins!