Q. I was always in good health until I hit menopause. Over the next few years, I gained weight, my blood pressure rose and so did my cholesterol. The blood pressure is under control on atenolol, but the cholesterol didn't drop with diet and exercise. My doctor wanted to prescribe a statin cholesterol drug, but I dreaded the side effects.
By accident, I discovered that the psyllium hull powder I started taking for irritable bowel problems had really brought my cholesterol down. In two months the total cholesterol dropped from 220 to 180, and my LDL went from 160 to 102. I was thrilled. My doctor isn't impressed with the "Metamucil effect," but my husband has also lowered his cholesterol with Metamucil. I thought other readers might want to know about this.
A. Not everyone achieves the impressive results you have managed, but psyllium has been proven effective at lowering cholesterol 10 percent to 15 percent. This soluble fiber derived from ispaghula seeds is found not only in Metamucil but also in many other bulk-fiber products sold to control constipation.
Another reader had a similarly unexpected benefit: "I tried the remedy of pectin and grape juice for arthritis. My joints still ache, but my cholesterol plummeted from over 200 to 170, and my good HDL increased!" Pectin is a different soluble fiber often used in making jams and jellies.
Q. My thyroid levels jump up and down; sometimes they are too high, and other times they're too low. My doctor is frustrated, but doesn't seem to know what to do. My tests don't always coincide with my symptoms. My last test, for instance, came out within the normal range, but I have a number of troublesome symptoms: chronic tiredness, dry skin, depression, weight gain, broken nails and short-term memory loss. I also freeze whenever the air conditioning is on, but if I'm comfortable, everyone else is too warm.
I recall reading that Synthroid or Levoxyl might interact with other medications like Prempro or calcium supplements, both of which I take. However, I don't remember what the interactions are.
A. Minerals like iron and calcium can interfere with the absorption of levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid, Unithroid). We suggest you wait at least two hours after taking your thyroid hormone before taking mineral supplements. If you are currently taking them at the same time, that might explain your symptoms of low thyroid function.
The estrogen found in Premarin, Prempro and other hormone replacement formulations, as well as in many birth control pills, does not interfere with the absorption of thyroid hormones. But it can alter results of a thyroid test.