Increased cholesterol

I am 15 months post surgery and down 130 lbs. My cholesterol numbers, which were perfect before surgery are now extremely high (they have tripled since my pre-surgery blood draw). Has this happened to anyone else?  If so, any advice you can offer would be appreciated. I'm trying to avoid medication if at all possible. Thanks in advance!

Hi stacyrg,

Have you talked to your doctors?  What do they say?  

I am not a doctor but I do know some have this issue due to hereditary  and not just what you eat?  You didn't mention what surgery type you had and it's not posted on your profile.  

To reach out to those that had the same surgery as you, post this on your surgery type forum.  Here are some links:

Duodenal Switch Forum (DS)

LAP-BAND Forum

Revision Weight Loss Surgery Forum

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery Forum (RNY)

Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum (VSG)

Please keep us posted on how you are doing

My surgeon and Primary care doctor are working together on the problem but as of now they have no definitive answer. My primary care is concerned that the increase is my body's response to an extended low carb diet so we are trying a higher carb diet for 4 weeks with a re-test after that. I had VSG in May, 2014. I trust my doctors completely and know they will find a solution I was really just asking if anyone else has experienced a cholesterol spike after surgery.  Thanks again for any input!!!

I had normal cholesterol prior to surgery too (although my "good" cholesterol wasn't as high as they wanted it to be).  Now my good cholesterol is off-the-chart good and my overall cholesterol hangs out around 220 - and they would like to see it under 200.  

I eat a lot more meat now, which could be part of the problem. But my overall number is also impacted by the "good" cholesterol number.  My doctor isn't worried about it because I've been hanging out at 220 for over a year now with no change.  

But tripling your cholesterol?  That's worrisome and I can see why they are concerned.  I hope they hit on a solution for you! 

In your diet, have you been eating foods higher in cholesterol than before? Perhaps your saturated fat intake has significantly increased since pre-surgery?  Might be a silly question to ask, but I figured I would throw it out there! :)

Not a silky question. But no. I track everything including fats and cholesterol and I'm always under where my Dr. would like me to be!  

As we lose weight - our body goes crazy.. same with cholesterol..

Unless you eating a lot of processed foods - low carb diet - as long as it is natural - whole foods - should help you with lowering the numbers. 

btw: when you say high - what is high? 

i.e. my Triglycerides went down (good), but good cholesterol went way up HDL = over 90... (very good), my LDL is normal - - 100..but my overall cholesterol went up,making it look like my cholesterol is too high...(the very high HDL is causing my cholesterol to go up). . 

also - there is a whole new thing about cholesterol... this in example...

or check this... http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/the-straight-dope-on-chol esterol-part-v

I'm waiting for my doctor to give me my numbers from my test last Friday, but high is in the 300's. 

ask to be retested,,, before you agree to any meds.. and they need to test the LDL - checking what particle size they are. 

If you still losing weight- fluctuation - may cause increase cholesterol. 

Plus - how is your thyroid? Hypothyroid can cause high cholesterol...  

Thank you so much for the articles. They make sense to me. I'm going to forward them to my medical team, they are very receptive to any ideas I may have and open to a collaborative relationship!