TAH/BSO and High Cholesterol....Do they go hand and hand??

Hello
I've just had my cholesterol checked for the second time since my TAH/BSO and it just keeps going higher and higher. This time it was 288! Up almost 20 points from last year!!
I'm using the sublingual tablets.
Has this happened to anyone else? I'm wondering if I need to go on the patch since I heard this is a better choice if your cholesterol is high. I'm waiting to speak with my doctor now--- Anyone have any insight on this......I'm really depressed now.

There does seem to be a link with menopause itself and higher cholesterol levels. And that link must be to do with lower hormone levels because some younger women here who have gone into surgical menopause have noticed a difference. That's SOME........not all by any means. Paying particular attention to diet and exercise seems to help combat this, also taking supplements such as essential fatty acids has been reported to help. Here's an older article that Trish wrote on heart disease which has a bit on cholesterol. There's more research all the time about this, but the jury is still out.
http://www.hormonejungle.com/heart.php

Dimples,
I am going thru the same thing right now. I had my TAH/BSO in January 2001. I have a yearly physical in November and for the first time ever my cholesterol was high. I excercise at least 4 times a week, sometimes 5 or 6 times a week. I try to eat healthy and low-fat. My doc had me come back in for blood work this week and my cholesterol is even higher. Now she wants me to start on medication, I don't know what it will be yet, she had already gone from the office when her assistant called me today with the lab results.
I'm really depressed too. I've been trying to lose a few pounds and no matter what I do it just doesn't seem to happen. Now this. I feel like why bother to excercise and watch what I eat, it doesn't seem to make any difference!
Peachy

Thanks for replying Peachy and Lilly----
That's the kicker---I thought my diet was pretty healthy but obviously-not healthy enough. I exercise twice weekly by walking- I'm not a total cough potato. I forgot to mention before that my triglycerides are on the upswing too. I didn't think I consumed a large amount of sugar but I will have to reevaluate this. It just seems that the higher my progesterone level is the fatter I get. I think there is some correlation between high cholesterol and progesterone too!
The information about fatty acids is very interesting....I definitely will be adding this to my diet.
Has anyone heard whether the patch is better for high cholesterol...I recall reading in "Screaming to be Heard" that patches were better if cholesterol was higher than normal.

Yeah, sometimes no matter what we do we struggle in the jungle But.......at least we can try and do all the right things and keep that level reasonable.
In theory a patch or trandermal might be better JMHO My reasons for thinking this: less load on the liver as far as processing, so the liver may be able to concentrate on processing cholesterol better. I'm not sure about the progesterone/cholesterol connection - one thing I am sure about though is that there needs to be more research on all this

Strange, my gyn ran some blood work for hormone, thyroid
levels ect at my routine yearly 2 years post op from TAH BSO,
he always sends the results to my Family Dr who called me and said everying was normal except Choelestral, I went in and he wanted me to go on meds but I said no. It was 285. I have no insurance and this Lipetrol is about 125.00 a month. He told me I could try diet and excersise for 3 months then get rechecked.
My brother, sister and mother are all on meds for this. He said sometimes its genetic, that you can eat like a monk and it won't help. I've been getting excersise and eating healthy so I guess I'll see if it helps