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Statins or not... advice requested.

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Sharron1

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi,
I wonder if anyone can give me some info to read re statins. My GP rang and said my cholestrol is a bit high for diabetics and she would like me to.try statins. I know very little about statins,apart from the fact that Drummer threw hers away. When I asked her if they have any side effects, she prevaricated and then told me not to look on the internet. We agreed to.leave it until my next blood test in the Autumn. Oh she also it is almost impossible to lower it without the statins as in most cases it is hereditary. Is that correct? This GP is pretty quick on the prescribing. I saw her when i was first diagnosed, no discussion about metformin, or anything, you are diabetic here is your perscription and off you go. I hadn't a clue what was going on and learnt from this forum how to manage it. Which is why I now ask more questions. She is the GP that deals with diabetics in the practice.

The numbers i have jotted down
I know that 6.4 is highish and I believe they prefer diabetics to be around 4. I just need some info. Not resistant to the idea, just want to know what I am letting myself into!



Serum 6.4

HDL 2.7

LDL 3.1

Trigs 1.3

Her attitude was rather unhelpful especially when she said 'we don't want you to.have a cardio vascular event'

My sugar levels are excellent.

I just felt.she wanted me to immediately agee and that would be that.

Look foreard to some helpful advice
 
Sharron1 said:
Hi,
I wonder if anyone can give me some info to read re statins. My GP rang and said my cholestrol is a bit high for diabetics and she would like me to.try statins. I know very little about statins,apart from the fact that Drummer threw hers away. When I asked her if they have any side effects, she prevaricated and then told me not to look on the internet. We agreed to.leave it until my next blood test in the Autumn. Oh she also it is almost impossible to lower it without the statins as in most cases it is hereditary. Is that correct? This GP is pretty quick on the prescribing. I saw her when i was first diagnosed, no discussion about metformin, or anything, you are diabetic here is your perscription and off you go. I hadn't a clue what was going on and learnt from this forum how to manage it. Which is why I now ask more questions. She is the GP that deals with diabetics in the practice.

The numbers i have jotted down
I know that 6.4 is highish and I believe they prefer diabetics to be around 4. I just need some info. Not resistant to the idea, just want to know what I am letting myself into!



Serum 6.4

HDL 2.7

LDL 3.1

Trigs 1.3

Her attitude was rather unhelpful especially when she said 'we don't want you to.have a cardio vascular event'

My sugar levels are excellent.

I just felt.she wanted me to immediately agee and that would be that.

Look foreard to some helpful advice
Click to expand...
I was prescribed Atorvastatin back in February and have had no issues. My cholestorol was a bit high but they've bought it down to 4. When i queried taking them, my GP said that it was now recommended that all PWD take them.
 
I was advised to take them even though my cholesterol isn't high. I had a long chat with my GP about pros and cons of taking them and I agreed to try them. I've had no side effects from taking them.
 
Stitch147 said:
I was advised to take them even though my cholesterol isn't high. I had a long chat with my GP about pros and cons of taking them and I agreed to try them. I've had no side effects from taking them.
Click to expand...
/Thanks. I think tbh I was just a little bothered by her lack of interest. I know telephone consultations aren't ideal, but she could have been less dismissive! I thought I had reasonable intelligent concerns.Clearly not.
 
freesia said:
I was prescribed Atorvastatin back in February and have had no issues. My cholestorol was a bit high but they've bought it down to 4. When i queried taking them, my GP said that it was now recommended that all PWD take them.
Click to expand...
Thanks. What is PWD? I have a lot to learn!!
 
Sharron1 said:
Thanks. What is PWD? I have a lot to learn!!
Click to expand...
people with diabetes 🙂
There's a whole post of acronyms here:
forum.diabetes.org.uk

Abbreviations & Acronyms

A guide to some of the diabetes abbreviations and acronyms that you may find being used throughout this forum, as gathered and collected by members. :) Diabetes Acronyms A1c - Shortened version of HbA1c. An average blood glucose level from approximately the last three months. Different...
forum.diabetes.org.uk forum.diabetes.org.uk
 
I was put on statins and bp meds nearly 15 years ago for hypertension and high cholesterol. My gp tweaked the brand and dose over a six month period to minimise side effects. My cholesterol immediately plummeted.

I had reason to see a neurologist 8 or 9 years ago and he was quite adamant that “everyone should be on statins”. He said that every doctor he knows or that he meets at conferences and seminars is on statins.

There are, of course, opposing views.
 
Well it's absolutely true that a lot of people can take them and have no prob whatsoever. Same with BP tablets and any number of other drugs. The prob with higher than normal LDL is that they don't test the LDL to find out whether they are good 'fluffy' ones or the horrid ones which are the ones that cause plaque to form on the insides of your arteries and cause what used to be known as 'hardening of the arteries' and it is that which causes medical concern as it definitely is a sign that you are more liable to either have a heart attack or a stroke. The ratio between the 3 elements of total Chol is also important, but they don't actually measure the LDL anyway - it's calculated from the HDL and Trigs that they can and do measure. It is not a simple thing for anyone medically qualified or not to decide whether you are at dire risk or might be OK.

Not being rude, but what approx age are you? What did the immediate members of your family die either from or with? How 'at risk of a cardio vascular event' do you think you could be?

Anyway - I think (had I not been adversely affected by them already) I'd probably try them TBH cos I'd really rather not have a heart attack or a stroke.
 
Hi. The important thing is your lipids ratios and not the total. If the ratios are out of line then start with a minimal statin dose to get you below 5. The figure of 4 is plucked from thin-air by NICE. Everyone should NOT be on statins - that's ignorant by the GP and dangerous. My wife had serious liver pain within days of taking statins and had to stop. The stupid GP didn't spot that she had had Hepatitis A. I do have statins mainly to keep my cardiologist happy and fortunately I don't have any problems. Never have a statin dose that takes you much below 4 total as the body needs cholesterol for repairs.
 
LucyDUK said:
people with diabetes 🙂
There's a whole post of acronyms here:
forum.diabetes.org.uk

Abbreviations & Acronyms

A guide to some of the diabetes abbreviations and acronyms that you may find being used throughout this forum, as gathered and collected by members. :) Diabetes Acronyms A1c - Shortened version of HbA1c. An average blood glucose level from approximately the last three months. Different...
forum.diabetes.org.uk forum.diabetes.org.uk
Click to expand...
Thanks for the list. Its helpful
 
I was put on statins at diagnosis with D but my cholesterol was 7.5
I have not noticed any side effects and am happy to have been able to reduce my cholesterol for the protection that this offers for the the other side effects.
 
From my non-expert reading of expert guidelines: Taking a statin will get your LDL down, which is the main thing. The lower the better, but anyway you'd want it down below ~2 if possible. The extent to which lowering LDL will lower your CV risk depends on your circumstances & really yr doc should walk you through this, but anyway it's likely to be a substantial amount.

Diet etc changes can have some effect - less saturated fat, less refined carbs, more fibe - but as yr doc says, unlikely to be enough by themselves without a statin.

I'm on the max dose of rosuvastatin & never had any side effects.
 
Thanks . I now have tine to think about this, but not dwell on it.
 
I don't take mine. I hates taking tablets. Sometimes I think the cure kills you rather than the original illness. :D
 
i think personally that statins were too hyped up as the wonder drug and brought in to question how much protection they really offer. partner has been on them for years but then suffered 3 heart attacks along with a stroke this is why i began to question their value.
 
I am beginning to realise it is horses for courses. But everyone has been so helpful. I have my blood test in the Autumn and see what my cholesteol is like then. I will.also make sure I can have a sensible chat with the GP rather than her not really wanting to bother with the nuisance patient who has questions ie me.

Thanks again
 
Sharron1 said:
I will.also make sure I can have a sensible chat with the GP rather than her not really wanting to bother with the nuisance patient who has questions ie me.
Click to expand...
It may be that once the GP knows that you will be looking into things and asking questions, they will respond quite positively. I have also found that now they are doing most calls by phone they seem to have more time. I am always armed with a list of questions and also what I think I want the outcome of the call to be. He never seems to mind and the calls are always very focused.
 
i cut out bacon,butter,cheese and eggs and my cholestorol levels dropped significantly,still can't take statins as they start to affect mobility in lower legs and hips after about a month on them, as well as increased pain associated with PAD and claudication
 
SB2015 said:
It may be that once the GP knows that you will be looking into things and asking questions, they will respond quite positively. I have also found that now they are doing most calls by phone they seem to have more time. I am always armed with a list of questions and also what I think I want the outcome of the call to be. He never seems to mind and the calls are always very focused.
Click to expand...
Thanks That is exactly what I hope. It seems reasonable to me.
 
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