Text 32708, 102 rader
Skriven 2009-12-26 22:56:42 av Michael Loo (1:18/200)
     Kommentar till en text av Stephen Haffly
Ärende: LEGWORK 583
===================
 SH> I only tried simvastatin (Zocor) which, although quite effective,
 SH> caused my liver enzymes to be off.

I believe that the liver numbers are a precursor not only
to liver problems but to the muscular problems that I am
prone to.

 ML> I keep a supply handy just in case I have a hugely gross
 ML> meal (say, a pound of pork belly) - this off-label use has
 ML> been frowned upon, with the public told to never, ever do
 ML> it; but physicians disobey their own advice, and I've seen
 ML> them use them for this purpose.
 SH> So, you are saying that you use a statin with a high-fat meal but not
 SH> at other times?  Have you had any problems doing that?

I used to routinely use a statin (went through most of the
standard ones) but went off because of the muscle effects.

Then I went on niacin, with dubious results (even the doctor
who recommended this wouldn't say that the numbers got better,
because they didn't). I still take niacin.

The latest scare put me back on Lipitor, but the problems
started up immediately. Instead of tossing the pills, I saved
them for fatty meal days, which is highly unrecommended by
the medical profession, but as I've pointed out, I've seen
doctors do just this.

If you go by the published literature, intermittent use of
statins should not do any good. In fact, the drugs that should
work in this usage are the ones that directly interfere with
cholesterol uptake - ezetimibe, cholestyramine, and so on.
Unfortunately, recent research indicates that ezetimibe (Zetia
and Vytorin) may well not work any better than niacin in 1 g or
larger doses. Also unfortunately, cholestyramine, which would
be the best drug for me, also causes bleeding, which I can't
handle.

Some friends have suggested red yeast rice, but that fails for
a number of reasons. 1. It's more expensive than the prescription
drugs. 2. Its active ingredient is lovastatin, which causes the
myopathies. 3. The FDA has claimed control over any red yeast rice
product that is effective (contains lovastatin) - paradoxically,
it does not have jurisdiction over red yeast rice products that
are ineffective.

One further oddity is that oyster mushrooms have been found to
contain lovastatin in huge concentration. If the Internet is
to believed, the amount is between 0.4 and 2.8 percent by dry
weight. I'm wondering if the real number is mgpct (milligrams
per hundred grams - a 1000 fold difference).

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v7.07

      Title: Hot-&-Sour Mushroom Soup (Tom Yum Het)
 Categories: Thai, Soups
   Servings:  4

           Stephen Ceideburg
      2 c  Defatted reduced-sodium
           -chicken stock
    1/2 lb Oyster mushrooms, trimmed
           -and halved
    1/4 lb Straw mushrooms, trimmed and
           -halved
      2    Serrano chilies, with seeds,
           -cut into thin strips
      1    One-inch piece fresh lemon
           -grass or: *
      2    Fresh kaffir lime leaves or:
           -**
      3 tb Fresh lime juice
      3 tb Fish sauce

  * 1 Tbsp. dried, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes and drained ** 4
  dried, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes, drained, or 1/2 tsp. grated
  lime zest

  This classic central That dish is traditionally made with shrimp or
  chicken, but we prefer using oyster mushrooms since they are just as meaty
  in texture and yet more subtle in taste. Although it is served as a soup
  course in North American Thai restaurants, it actually falls somewhere
  between a soup and a curry. In Thailand, it is served as a condiment to
  rice, just like any of the other dishes on the table.

  In a medium-sized saucepan, bring stock to a boil and add mushrooms and
  chilies. Tie lemon grass and lime leaves or zest together in a cheesecloth
  bag and add to the stock mixture. Cook over medium heat for about 5
  minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender. Reduce heat to low and add lime
  juice and fish sauce. Discard the cheesecloth bag. Serve the soup hot,
  accompanied by steamed rice.

  43 CALORIES PER SERVING: 4 G PROTEIN, 1 G FAT, 7 G CARBOHY- DRATE; 397 MG
  SODIUM; I MG CHOLESTEROL.

  From "Eating Well", Jan/Feb, 1992.

MMMMM

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