kendall,

seems so that your new doctor is a cautious one. Have a look upon risks and contraindications on the package insert of your old drug. But I have my doubts about value of fish oil, too because of efficacy and of growing risk of prostate cancer if this is proven to be true.

Like others, I believe it's a genetic destiny to suffer from a bad cholesterol balance.

In general:don't spontaneously believe what pharmaceutical companies via medical doctors are going to tell you about advantages of a newly prescribed drugs. Always ask for disadvantages, side-effects and contra-indications and -above all- alternatives. Sometimes it takes a decade to find out serious undesired actions of new compounds.

As a former marketing research manager for 3 top ten pharmaceutical companies world-wide I know what I'm talking about.This especially belongs to OTC-drugs. Many of them are without any efficacy. They take your money only.
Last but not least I think everybody should be aware of the fact that all compounds really effective do have undesired side-effects. This becomes more critical if other diseases are present(liver,kidney,lung etc.)

Always be critical!

Manfred (not a medical doctor)