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Drugs and supplements that can affect blood sugar

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So what's the advice if a GP wants to prescribe statins or meds for treating high BP?
 
Shedloads of BP drugs that don't affect BG Colin - ACE inhibitors, ARBs amongst them. First choice BP drug for someone with Diabetes is an ACE, then an ARB is 2nd choice. Not everyone needs a diuretic although other common BP drugs eg Amlodipine and others in the same class definitely have water retention as a common side effect - everything's a balancing act. Increased BG with statins is not a side effect I've noticed being raised very much at all on forums - why not then, if it's that rife? Plenty of other side effects of statins seem much more common though.
 
So what's the advice if a GP wants to prescribe statins or meds for treating high BP?
Hi @ColinUK, its worth having a conversation with your GP and making them aware of your concerns. There are alternatives if your GP feels as though there will be an interaction between the medications. Many people have dual health challenges so it shouldn't be a issue.
 
Hi @ColinUK, its worth having a conversation with your GP and making them aware of your concerns. There are alternatives if your GP feels as though there will be an interaction between the medications. Many people have dual health challenges so it shouldn't be a issue.
I’m not on anything for either of those but they run in the family so I’m half expecting the GP to mention them at some point.
 
Why would he mention them though, Colin?

Monitoring your own BG at home is cheap and easy then if it's unexpectedly high - or low - when you visit the GP, you just say eg Good God! - I used my trusty (eg Omron) this morning as per normal for me - and it was nowhere near that! in exactly the same way as we all do with our HbA1c results compared with our BG meter ones in between HbA1c tests.

Cholesterol we can't measure at home - and they have to see full lipid panel to really know what's going on - not just the 'Total serum cholesterol' result. If they haven't done a full panel, then decline to discuss adding a statin without it. All 3 components need to be correctly balanced.

Statins are the only class of drug I have ever in my life had an adverse reaction to which mattered. MY GP wouldn't even try me on any Calcium Channel Blocker for my high BP for the simple reason that they usually DO cause water retention but Diuretics are completely contra indicated for anyone whose serum Sodium is low, and mine has been low for over 20 years, which only usually causes any probs if it's accompanied by high potassium and my potassium is utterly AOK.

Without ever being ill in your life - dying is a side effect of it.
 
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