Telaprevir and Lipids?

[dmhrdh]

Since I have begun Prove 3 my cholesterol has continued to raise.  I started out with my triglycerides in the normal range.  My latest labs show it is now 587 and they have put me on Lopid.
I understand that interferon can increase triglycerides but the last time I treated the highest they went was in the 200's.  And, of course, the amount of fat we have to consume with these drugs can't help.....but, I'm convinced there's more to it than that.  Has anyone else run into this problem?
Thoughts?

[jmjm530]

My cholesterol signifcantly fell during treatment, almost right away. Four weeks post treatment it returned to pre-treatment levels. I have heard this from others as well. Also heard from some that their cholesterol went up.

-- Jim

[mremeet]

If your labs are still being done by Covance (as they were for us prove 1's), they should have your lipid panel broken down into separate LDL, HDL, trigylcerides and total cholesterol. Just ask for complete copies of your labwork, they should be in there. Also, keep in mind the study referenced in the linked thread indicates that the high LDL levels associated with higher SVR rates were for those who entered treatment with high LDL levels. Although if the viral obstructing mechanism they describe in these studies has merit, I can't see why elevated LDL's during treatment wouldn't provide a similar benefit as well. And of course make sure your doctor is cool with your high cholesterol, especially if you have a pre-existing problem with high BP, stroke, heart disease etc. Take care...

[dmhrdh]

THanks for the link.  Somehow I missed this thread.
I find this subject fascinating.  I've studied insulin resistance and response rate but never anything about cholesterol and response.
My labs copies don't break down the HDL and LDL.  They only give me total cholesterol and triglycerides.  I'll have to get the details from my nurse the next time I speak to her.
My fasting cholesterol on the day I started, April 27, were:
Total cholesterol: 205
Triglycerides: 117

My fasting cholesterol at my 12 week mark on July 20 were:
Total cholesterol: 262
Triglycerides: 587

I have to admit to a diet high in carbs right now.  We were told to take the Telaprevir/placebo with a 300-500 calorie snack consisting of 30% fat.  My diet has gone from a stop at Starbucks every AM to whatever I can choke down.  Sometimes it may even be an ice cream sandwich....I'm embarrassed to admit...  I've lost any taste for meat and get most of my fat from high carb foods or cheese right now....  But, after reading that thread I think I'll look at this as a positive and go with it!
Think I'll add more Klondyke ice cream sandwichs to my grocery list :-)

[mremeet]

Do you know what your LDL levels are? There are some recent studies which show that elevated LDL levels (LDL is the "bad" cholesterol) seem to quite strongly correlate to rapid viral response (RVR), early viral response (EVR) and sustained viral reponse (SVR). In other words, for once in our lives a high bad cholesterol level might actually be good for us. At least temporarily in the sense of getting rid of the virus. Your triglycerides are high though, have you been gorging on sugars and/or carbohydrates (breads, pasta etc)? From what I've read a high carb diet can give you high triglycerides. On the other hand, IFN/riba can definitely alter both your diet/appetite and some people's lipid profiles both up and down, so it may not be significantly altered/controlled via diet during your treatment. Also triglycerides levels can only be accurately measured in your blood after a good 8-12 hour fast (did you fast that long prior to having your blood sampled?). Here's a recent thread on some of the LDL stuff (including references to studies):

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/222581

[dmhrdh]

Thanks for your take on it.  Whatever the reason for the increase, I'll take it as a positive.  So far no real sides from the Lopid so what's one more drug added to the arsenal I'm already taking!!
Thanks again for your response.

[Whrose]

there certainly "can be more" to the rise in your levels but to specifically identify them would be difficult.
my thoughts are that this may be a very good sign for you as one of the ways hcv gains entry in to the cell is by using the lipoprotein receptors. perhaps your increased levels are not only because of the increased fats in your diet but also to the fact that those virons are being destroyed! yeah!!!!!
it will be interesting to evaluate your levels after tx and SVR!  and you will SVR, yes!