Quick update from me

[MarcLister]

I saw my GP a few months back for a blood cholesterol test. It was 5.7, which he thought was a bit high for me being a diabetic, although probably normal for the average population.

So he put me on 40mg Simvastatin to try and get the blood cholesterol down a bit. I had the blood test last week and saw the GP again for the results.

The nurse panicked me a bit when before taking my blood she asked when I'd last eaten. I said I'd had breakfast about an hour and a half before. She said I'd have to re-book the test because it's a statins test. She then asked me if I was a diabetic, which would have been on the computer surely? Yes, I said. We carried on the blood test!

So the result was 3.5, down from 5.7! 😎 GP says that the statins I'm on appear to have a protective effect on the heart, and that diabetes tends to cause the heart problems and Simvastatin appears to undo a bit of that nuisance so he's keeping me on them as a general medication almost like a daily aspirin or Vitamin C tablet.

He also checked my blood pressure and thought it was a tad too high so I've just been started on Ramipril 5mg.

Nice to see my GP being proactive with my diabetes. 🙂

Over and out.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Marc, good to hear from you again, thanks for the update 🙂

I hope this doesn't sound alarmist, but do be aware that statins are powerful drugs and not quite the benign little daily pill that you might consider a low-dose aspirin or Vit C tablet to be. They can have side-effects, so I would recommend being on the lookout for things like sore or aching muscles, cramps, and also any memory problems. If you do get side effects from them, let your doctor know - if you wish to continue on a statin there are other types available that you may tolerate better.

Personally, I wasn't happy taking statins when my cholesterol fell to 2.3. Cholesterol is actually essential to life, as if helps form the protective sheath around nerve cells and also contributes to the structure of every cell in your body. Perhaps more important than the total cholesterol is the split between 'good' and 'bad' - the HDL as opposed to LDL. I have a total level above the 4.0 recommended for diabetics, but with a very good HDL level, so my consultant has not persuaded me to go back on statins.

I would also say the same about ramipril - if you experience any side effects, go back to your doctor and let him know as there are alternatives you can take 🙂

I'm afraid I've become a bit cynical about the advice given by doctors when they are putting me on 'preventative' medications, as you may have guessed! It's always worth reading up and getting other people's experiences so that you have a bit more knowledge to balance the doctor's 🙂

 

[DeusXM]

The crazy thing is, statins have been shown to reduce heart disease even in people with normal or low cholesterol - which suggests that cholesterol actually has very little to do with heart disease!

 

[MarcLister]

Hi Marc, good to hear from you again, thanks for the update 🙂

I hope this doesn't sound alarmist, but do be aware that statins are powerful drugs and not quite the benign little daily pill that you might consider a low-dose aspirin or Vit C tablet to be. They can have side-effects, so I would recommend being on the lookout for things like sore or aching muscles, cramps, and also any memory problems. If you do get side effects from them, let your doctor know - if you wish to continue on a statin there are other types available that you may tolerate better.

Personally, I wasn't happy taking statins when my cholesterol fell to 2.3. Cholesterol is actually essential to life, as if helps form the protective sheath around nerve cells and also contributes to the structure of every cell in your body. Perhaps more important than the total cholesterol is the split between 'good' and 'bad' - the HDL as opposed to LDL. I have a total level above the 4.0 recommended for diabetics, but with a very good HDL level, so my consultant has not persuaded me to go back on statins.

Hi Northener. Have we met before? These statins are really affecting my memory! 😛

My GP didn't say they were equal to a daily aspiring/Vitamin C, just that he wanted me to carry on taking them as a daily medication. He wants to see me in the new year to see how things are then. I'd rather be on some medication now to try to prevent longer term health issues related to diabetes. I've not had any noticeable side effects from the statins, but if I had, I've probably forgotten about them. What what? 😛

 

[Northerner]

Hi Northener. Have we met before? These statins are really affecting my memory! 😛

My GP didn't say they were equal to a daily aspiring/Vitamin C, just that he wanted me to carry on taking them as a daily medication. He wants to see me in the new year to see how things are then. I'd rather be on some medication now to try to prevent longer term health issues related to diabetes. I've not had any noticeable side effects from the statins, but if I had, I've probably forgotten about them. What what? 😛

Hehe! 🙂 Well, it's good that he is keeping a close eye on you. Hope all is going well work-wise for you also. Did you know that the forum is 5 years old on Thursday? Good to see you are still looking in on us 🙂

 

[MarcLister]

Hehe! 🙂 Well, it's good that he is keeping a close eye on you. Hope all is going well work-wise for you also. Did you know that the forum is 5 years old on Thursday? Good to see you are still looking in on us 🙂

Yes, work is fine. Flipping busy! But hey when you get promoted! 😎 It was nice of my ex-boss to disappear a year early and vacate his job. Pity he had to get political and favour some colleagues with pretty silly stuff over the summer. I stood my ground and got what I think is fair. Could be better but it could have been so much worse. I do have a lot of work to do to sort things out long-term and get plans in place for future work. I do like spending my new boss' money.

Incidentally TODAY is the 5th anniversary of me becoming a life-long junkie! Yep, 5 years ago today I jabbed myself with a needle and injected insulin for the first time ever. Brings a new meaning to REMEMBRANCE day eh?

I tend to have a look every so often but just don't post as much. I find that with most forums I go on nowadays. I just felt a few years ago that I wasn't up for massive posting contributions.

 

[Northerner]

Happy Dia-versary! 🙂 Hope you had some cake to 'celebrate'. Bet you know a heck of a lot more than you did back then, I certainly do!

 

[MarcLister]

Happy Dia-versary! 🙂 Hope you had some cake to 'celebrate'. Bet you know a heck of a lot more than you did back then, I certainly do!

Haha. Cheers. It was my birthday on Saturday. Turned 30!! 😱 Some cake was had. 😉 Yeah I had my blood test that diagnosed me as having T1 on Friday 7th November. Saturday 8th was just another day. Sunday 9th was my 25th. Monday 10th, the first day of the rest of my life. Got a call from my GP frantically trying to contact me before 10pm so I could have another fasting blood test on Tuesday morning. I was meant to call for the results after November 14th so to have them calling me the very next working day was a bit of a hint. Quite an interesting few days that was.

And as for knowing more now than then. Oh hell yes! I could do doctorates in biochemistry and advanced mathematics I reckon. Still a lot left to learn, problems still to resolve but I've come a long way in 5 years.