Letrozole Lipid Profile Update

[fedwin]

I just had some (non-fasting) blood work done after 7 months on about .625mg daily of letrozole, and 1.25mg daily of finasteride.

total cholesterol = 144
HDL = 44
LDL = 69
Triglycerides = 162

Kidney function and electrolytes "normal", but I don't have the values yet.


5 months ago these values were:
(fasting)

total cholesterol = 155
HDL = 53
LDL = 75
Triglycerides = 133


The triglycerides are a bit high, but were 175 at one point years ago when not on letro, and may be elevated due to the non-fasting nature of the test.

LDL looks good, and is my second best result ever (66 being the best, others being between 78 and 103.)

HDL does concern me a bit. Past values have been 52, 45, 49, 52, and 53 (after 6 weeks on letro), so 44 is the lowest ever. HDL is supposed to be above 40, but above 50 is a better goal.


So, 7 months of letro reduced my HDL by 9 mg/dL, which, since estrogen raises HDL, shouldn't be surprising.

I'm going to try breaking the pills in half again, and go with a dose of .312 mg daily and see how that goes. I've tried .625 mg every other day, and broke out with terrible acne.

I'll post any future blood work.

 

[Aztech]

numbers look good imo

 

[capospo]

Numbers are good but as you say the HDL is coming down which should be a concern as that is an independent risk factor for heart disease when it gets lower than 40. It's probably a good idea to break the pill in half as you say or even try Aromasin next time. I've heard that Aromasin is easier on lipids than the other AI's.

 

[LANDSCAPE1]

Great thread... keep us posted

 

[DocJ]

Interesting...most people would have a much larger drop in HDL then that.

 

[StoneColdNTO]

Interesting...most people would have a much larger drop in HDL then that.

Agreed !!!

 

[LANDSCAPE1]

would ''lipitor'' help while on cycle??

 

[capospo]

Lipitor will help lower LDL as it's a statin and might help triglyderides. The only known drugs that are proven to raise HDL are Niaspan (most effective) and Tricor (fenofibrate) probably being second. Both of these will also work on triglycerides as well as HDL. Honestly, if that's the worst your numbers get, you don't need to take anything. Triglycerides are a little high but not to the point you need to worry about it since 150 is the high end of normal. Hell bro, I'd love to have my HDL get to 40. I've got one of those genetic things and mine rarely gets up to 39 but we're working on raising it with Niaspan which has been working and getting it up into the 40's. I'd stay away from the Lipitor or any statin unless your numbers really get out of whack when you are on cycle. Your lipid numbers even on cycle are better than some people's numbers who aren't on cycle.

 

[capospo]

Sorry Landscape, I just realized I directed that post as if fedwin was asking. In either case, it's good information. I work in health insurance/pharmaceutical industry so this is a topic I can speak intelligently on.

 

[LANDSCAPE1]

does this lipid reading bounceback after post cycle therapy (pct)? ''turn to normal''

 

[capospo]

does this lipid reading bounceback after post cycle therapy (pct)? ''turn to normal''

Yes, they should bounce back. The preferred or more accurate is a "fasting" lipid profile. His test appears to have been done immediately after taking letrozole and was non-fasting. However, the HDL would still be roughly the same regardless of fasting or non-fasting. The triglycerides and LDL will be a little skewed (probably a tad higher) when doing a non-fasting. I'm thinking within a few months after you finish your post cycle therapy (pct) your lipid numbers should come back to your normal baseline numbers (whatever those are). This is just another reason you should take some time off between cycles.

 

[LANDSCAPE1]

Yes, they should bounce back. The preferred or more accurate is a "fasting" lipid profile. His test appears to have been done immediately after taking letrozole and was non-fasting. However, the HDL would still be roughly the same regardless of fasting or non-fasting. The triglycerides and LDL will be a little skewed (probably a tad higher) when doing a non-fasting. I'm thinking within a few months after you finish your post cycle therapy (pct) your lipid numbers should come back to your normal baseline numbers (whatever those are). This is just another reason you should take some time off between cycles.

very helpful-

 

[DocJ]

FYI - plain 'ole niacin @ 1-2g/day increases HDL by over 30% in some people.

 

[highrep]

great information

 

[adidamps2]

FYI - plain 'ole niacin @ 1-2g/day increases HDL by over 30% in some people.

flush or non-flush version? i take 100mg ED flush kind and 50mg non-flush

plus what ever is in all the food i eat.

 

[capospo]

Niacin is the main ingredient in Niaspan and although the OTC version is effective, it's also harsh on the liver if you were to take the doses mentioned above. Niaspan "extended-release" is not generally liver toxic until you get up to somewhere around 2500mg to 3000mg daily. The only drawback of course is that you need a prescription for Niaspan and you can get regular Niacin in the supermarket. Be ready for the intense flushing as you get into higher doses. You gotta ride it out because your body will adapt after time and the flushing will diminish completely or to nearly non-existant after taking Niacin for a while. If you want to know how bad the flushing is, ask a menopausal woman. I know when I first starting on Niaspan, the fervant heat is so bad it feels like pins and needles all through your head, neck and back and may last for an hour or two. Anyway, unless your HDL dips really low, like down into the 30's, you should be ok not to have to take any Niacin.