Very high cholesterol

User

Posted 25 Mar 2026 at 18:11

Hi all...Completed 6 cycles of chemotherapy mid January 2026...I have decapeptyl injection every 3 months and 2x darolutamide twice a day...Most bloods are going the right way toward normal with exception of cholesterol...LDL 114 and HDL 170...would like to know if anyone else has similar after effects and what if anything has been prescribed...much appreciated...regards David...

User

Posted 25 Mar 2026 at 21:34

I've had elevated cholesterol levels during and after ADT. We might be talking different measuring scales here as my LDL levels were <5 nmol/L on a scale where anything over 3.5 is considered high. Low, or close to zero testosterone contributes to raised cholesterol.

The good news is that treatment with statins (Rosuvastatin) brought things back into the normal range. I probably should have done this slightly earlier but during ADT I really wasn't keen to add yet another treatment to my life. Also good news is that there were no side effects from statins. There are different strengths, daily pill, starting from low strength and working up to the level needed.

Jules

User

Posted 26 Mar 2026 at 09:29

Higher cholesterol looks like it’s a common side effect of ADT. I’ve been on Prostap for just over a year, having been through chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I hadn’t been routinely checked for my cholesterol level but asked for it to be done at the same time as my PSA check. Turns out it’s around 6.5. So just waiting a call from the surgery and expecting to be put on statins. Viewing it as worth doing to lower my risk of heart issues. Glad everything else is going the right way. Hope that continues.

Norman

User

Posted 26 Mar 2026 at 18:54

I had 3 yrs of Zoladex (including 2yrs on trial with abiraterone, enzalutimide, prednisolone)with 32 sessions of RT. Treatment finished 2018. Prior to treatment wasnt tested really for likes of cholesterol as far as I can remember, I was 59 when treatment started.. Obviously during treatment you have plenty of blood testing which revealed cholesterol a bit high. It didnt get much worse so after couple of years following end of treatment GP suggested statins, I remain on statin now with cholesterol levels about 3. Nursecsaid this is a common effect of ADT.

PETER

User

Posted 26 Mar 2026 at 22:46

My Cholesterol went up when I was on ADT. My GP said that is common as Cholesterol is usually converted to testosterone, and now you aren't making testosterone it hangs around in your blood. It has taken 6 years but my cholesterol has now fallen back to just a fraction above the normal range.

Here is what AI says is going on. "Cholesterol is the essential precursor for testosterone synthesis, converted primarily within the Leydig cells of the testes through a process called steroidogenesis. Triggered by luteinizing hormone (LH), cholesterol is converted into pregnenolone, which then undergoes enzymatic transformations to become testosterone"

Dave

User

Posted 27 Mar 2026 at 04:48

Thank you all for response...my total cholesterol is well up at 8.81 mmol/l...wondered if anyone with such a high result was able to bring it back down to within limits...all my life it's been less than 3...rgds David...

User

Posted 27 Mar 2026 at 09:05

I have never suffered with high cholesterol (I'm now 56)but since starting a phase 1 trial at the royal Marsden in sutton in November last year it rose to just above 9,I was prescribed 20mg of rouvastatin daily I am now around the 4 mark.

Hope this helps regards Phil

User

Posted 27 Mar 2026 at 19:28

Thanks Phil, sounds promising....it's my HDL that's the problem at 4.4 mmol/l ...I don't suppose you remember what your HDL level was???...I have been advised that statins will not reduce HDL levels, in fact there is no medication that will, according to GP...apparently it's not uncommon during/after chemotherapy but no one has mentioned it and never bothered checking after all the blood tests taken over the last 12 months...wish you well with your progress...rgds David...

User

Posted 28 Mar 2026 at 08:16

High HDL is a good thing, don't worry about it.

User

Posted 28 Mar 2026 at 08:54

Thats what I assumed, but apparently not...anything over 2.5 mmol/l is considered excessivly high and behaves more like LDL loosing its protective effect...thank you for your reply though...wish you well on your journey...rgds David

User

Posted 28 Mar 2026 at 19:51

Your tri glycerides are more important for cardiovascular risk IMHO if they are low and your other liver functions are OK I wouldn't worry about it.

User

Posted 28 Mar 2026 at 22:04

yes you're right of course...I get a bit twitchy after many ups and downs over the past 4 years...thank again...

User

Posted 29 Mar 2026 at 17:40

Loss of Testosterone does cause metabolic syndrome, which is a raise in blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, and visceral fat. Ideally, you should have these checked at perhaps 3 months, 6 months and then annually while on ADT. This means you may need medications for these adjusted.

Loss of Testosterone (or more strictly I think, loss of estrogens which are made from Testosterone in men) also stops HDL from being a good cholesterol, so both LDL and HDL are bad cholesterols. This means that instead of looking at the HDL/LDL ratio as you would normally, while on ADT, you need to look at the total cholesterol level instead.

Note that Darolutamide has interactions with some statins (such as rosuvastatin), so the selection of statin to be used has to factor this in. Enzalutamide and Apalutamide interact with other statins.

User

Posted 29 Mar 2026 at 19:31

thank you for that info...much appretiated...i do feal that some consultants have such a big work load that they do not have the time to keep up wih current progress...my consultant , after 3 attempts at getting my condition wrong, told me we all die of something...Docters differ, patients die...ummmmm

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