Dr. Gott: Cholesterol needs just a bit more attention

Thu., May 25, 2006

Peter H. Gott, M.D. The Spokesman-Review

Dear Dr. Gott: I’m afraid you may tell me that how I’m taking my medications (Diltiazem for hypertension and Lipitor, 80 milligrams, for cholesterol) is dangerous and wrong. I take them both at night. But here goes anyway.

Originally the side effects from those medications were weakness, dizziness and fatigue. This had been going on for quite a while until I decided to cut the Lipitor pills in half. I told my doctor about this, and he just looked at me and rolled his eyes.

I feel great now, and my cholesterol HDL is 259 and LDL 82. Not bad for a 78-year-old grandma, huh? My blood pressure is elevated in the morning but normal at night.

The only other medications I take are vitamins, glucosamine and fish oil. I walk up a mountain about 2 miles every morning, exercise and watch my diet, except for a small cocktail I have at night before dinner. I’m a small lady (4 feet 11 inches and 120 pounds).

I would like your opinion about all this, because I really value your advice and medical information.

Dear Reader: Although you may feel terrific, I urge you to return to your “eye-rolling” physician for advice and follow-ups.

Your cholesterol level is probably high, but, countering this, your HDL (the “good” cholesterol) is astronomically high, so high, in fact, that I must assume you meant to write that your total cholesterol is 259.

I am delighted that you are a grandmother who takes her health seriously, but I believe that some fine-tuning is necessary.

You are taking a high dose of Lipitor. Is there anything you can do to reduce this level? I would be content to see your total cholesterol 200, your HDL (“good” cholesterol) 75 or more and your LDL (“bad” cholesterol) 150 or less. Also, your blood pressure should be in the 130 to 140 range. Run these numbers by your doctor. I think that he may need to adjust your medications.

Dear Dr. Gott: I am 80 years old. For 25 years I have had a clicking, buzzing, pulsing noise in my left ear. Finally I found an otolaryngologist who diagnosed the condition. He simply put a tongue depressor on the roof of my mouth and held it there for a few seconds. The clicking stopped.

Apparently a nerve in the roof of my mouth close to the Eustachian tube caused the muscle to convulse involuntarily, and the sound was heard in the ear. According to data I found on the Internet, it is caused by a lesion on the nerve in the muscle and is something you live with, as I have done for these many years.

The condition even has a name! It is called palatal myoclonus.

Dear Reader: You appear to have discovered a medical condition that is unusual and annoying. Palatal myoclonus will in no way affect your hearing or lead to serious consequences.

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