How did my cholesterol get so high?

I'm a woman in my late fourties - 5'7" tall - 145lbs.   I've always had low cholesterol until the past couple of years.  I had it tested 3 months ago and it was 245.  I tried to lower it with diet and exercise - started exercising 4 times a week for the past 2 months (have really embraced it) and I feel great.  I try to eat healthy, no fried foods but I do have a big problem with sweets.  I had my cholesterol rechecked this week, expected it to go down and it's now at 262.  I feel helpless and don't know what else I can do.  Can a prescription lower it to an acceptable, non-dangerous level?

[ehrkad]

hi there! my mother had that exact problem she had very high cholesterol count and tried the change in diet and excercise route but to no avail it didn't change a thing. She was put onto a tablet by her doctor and it went down in conjunction with her healthy lifestyle and excercise.if it so high it might just take that little extra something to get you back on the right track.Best of luck

[LivingInHope]

There's prescription medicine to lower triglycerides and medicine to lower LDL I believe.  I have an immediate family member who didn't do well with medicine- muscle cramping and with one darkening urine.  She was told to follow a mediterranean diet and eat only up to two desserts a week.  It's great you're exercising.  I wonder if you are in menopause, because that can affect your cholesterol.  See PM for more info.

[Londres70]

Elevated cholesterol can run in families and/or given the fact you are in your late forties could be another reason why your cholesterol is elevating.  

I would not recommend following any "wacky diets" to lower it.  Please discuss with your physician other options tailored to you.

[LivingInHope]

Just in case you now have the impression that what my loved one was advised was a "wacky diet", it's not.  She was told to do this by a well researched internal medicine doctor.  See PM for more info on it.

[bunky17]

Thank you for the helpful information.  Yes, I am in menopause - have been since I was 41.  I think the information you provided is spot on and I feel much better now knowing menopause can cause cholesterol to spike.  I also checked out the Mayo Clinic Mediterranean diet which seems very sensible.  

[LivingInHope]

Glad you found it helpful.  If you can take the medicine, my grandma on my dad's side did well on it.  My immediate family member, not so well with medicines they were on- their doctor I was informed, was on medicine and that diet.

Another immediate family member had their internal medicine doctor want them to be on a certain medication that his patients didn't complain about the common side effect of muscle cramps, but it wasn't covered by insurance and they don't remember the name of it.  Maybe your doctor would be familiar with one like that?

I'm in surgical menopause myself and am concerned about my own increased risk to coronary artery disease.  I hope you can find the right treatment that works for you.  I had an acupuncturist who informed me that triglycerides can form plaque in blood vessels and it's related to sugar intake, so that's what she was most concerned about (saw her prior to my hysterectomy).