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Statins or not

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Dizzydi

Dizzydi

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I had my 6 monthly review with my consultant on Friday. Went through the usual, hba has come down, leave the cgm for now, slight weight gain, liver and kidney function OK.

Cholesterol 4.1 (good fat 0.7, bad 2.3) but still happy with it. However he wants me to go on statins now as a preventative measure going forward. i.e. due to higher risk of heart disease etc .Mentioned USA guidelines age 30, Europe 50 & UK 40. I asked about side effects and he said yes 'some people do experience them' he also told me he has been on them since he was 40! He said we could leave it another few years but he recommended to start now.

I must say I didn't expect him to bring up statins - took me by surprise.

I'd like to hear other folks opinions in the argument for and against statins please x

Blinking eck title is spelt wrong...... Daft predictive text. Can a moderator please amend to statins x
 
Last edited:
Changed title, as requested.🙂
 
Personally I would not go onto statins at 4.1. Statins are a thorny issue and there is much confusion, but I am increasingly of the opinion that cholesterol is like BG - you can have too low a level as well as too high. I also have concerns over the data calculation and mortality estimation (rather than measurement) that some use to define outcomes.

You might want to look into your chol/HDL ratio and some of the other ratio measures that can indicate LDL particle size.

You also need to try to work out your own personal level of risk (family history etc)

I also am beginning to believe that the problem is perhaps not cholesterol at all, but arterial inflammation (caused by high BG) that some cholesterol 'plasters over'. I wonder whether it might be better for me to concentrate on normalising BG levels rather than driving down the cholesterol that my body is naturally producing.

Having said that many 1000s of people take statins with no apparent ill effects. Look into the groups who have special concern (women who may become pregnant? Post-menopausal women etc etc) and if you are not in those groups then it may be prudent to try them - since there is some evidence that they are effective for primary prevention in T1
 
I was prescribed 20 mg Atorvastatin daily as a preventative measure several years ago. Then from autumn 2011 into spring 2012 I started to feel tired and aching, especially my legs. This showed itself especially when I went hiking or did any other exercise. I put this down to being unfit or getting old, but eventually it reached a stage when I realised there was something wrong.

I saw my doctor, who was very reasonable. As my cholesterol levels were around 4.5 we decided to stop the statin and just monitor the cholesterol level. That was May 2012. There was improvement after a week, getting steadily better and I managed a couple of backpacking trips in October.

Since then my cholesterol level has been unchanged at the same acceptable level, though it could do with being a bit lower. I now have more of an incentive to exercise, lose weight, eat correct diet etc., and am more able to do that as I don't ache or feel depressed, sitting around eating junk food etc.

If you search the Internet you will find lots of references to statin ache and side effects, and the pros & cons of taking them, though as with everything on the Internet you have to treat it with a bit of caution.

I suggest you talk to your doctor and see if statins are really necessary. If he says yes, try to get the lowest and weakest dose you can, and be aware of any aches and side effects.
Doctors, you see, don't like it if you refuse to accept their advice or medication, so try it first. Then if you do detect any side effects you can go back to your doctor with a much stronger argument or justification for discontinuing statins.
 
Statins

I was put on these, my cholesterol was 6, within 4 days of taken them I could not put my shoe on my left foot I was in agony, even to get up stairs I had to go up on bum, so stopped taken them and got in touch with my doctor, he said keep taken them but halved the dose 40mg to 20 mg, but again after a week same problem , went back to doctors so he changed the tablet to another statin, but again same problem, ( I have to go to work as I work on my own so cannot phone in sick as the business would not open and on my feet 10 hours a day ) so had to go to work in my slippers not ideal...got back in touch with doctor then he said it was gout so wanted to put me on another tablet for the gout and another statin, my argument was if I stopped statins the pain went away right away? But he would not have it said I must keep taken the statins.. I said I was not willing to take them which did not go down well at all with him. That was about 3 years ago and since stopped taken them I have never had that pain again, when I say pain I mean agony....( I need to change my doctor as he just will not listen to what I say ) that's my next job..
 
I was put on simvastatin when first diagnosed T2 in my early 40s. After a few weeks I started getting debilitating pain in my right upper arm. When it didn't go away, my doctor swapped me over to atorvastatin and the pain stopped. My cholesterol is now about 3.5. I still take the statin for the same reasons I haven't stopped metformin despite a non-diabetic level HbA1c: I get no side-effects, and with my family's medical history they may help prevent something nasty. Everyone's circumstances are different, and what feels right for me won't suit all.
 
As with any medication there will be probably be some side effects, these do however need be looked at in context. Some patients are given statins as a preventative, some as a possible life saver.

I am now in my 20th year being on statins, I had been referred to a lipid specialist as my cholesterol was 8.4 and had not been reduced with the then standard treatment, some form of fish oil gloop and diet.

The lipid specialist diagnosed FH [Familial hypercholesterolemia] had this not been diagnosed at the time he said that my chances of living to 60 would have been 50/50.

I will be 67 next month, so I for one will accept some side effects of statins. It is down to individual requirements, if you can lower your cholesterol by diet and exercise fine, if not take the statins, they may well save and extend your life.
 
I had similar problems as Pete H, tried three different types and suffered agonies. When I stopped taking the things, the pain stopped too. My doctor tries to get me back on them from time to time, but I won't do it unless my cholesterol rises, it's at acceptable levels for now. At the level you are currently, I would refuse.
 
Di

Looking at your avatar it would appear that you are a female and well within child-bearing age. No Doctor should even offer them to you if there's even the teensiest chance you could get pregnant as they are teratogenic i.e. they deform fetuses. It would appear your GP doesn't know this. In any case why would you want a chol level less than 4.1? Chol can be too low as well as too high.
 
Pattidevans said:
Di

Looking at your avatar it would appear that you are a female and well within child-bearing age. No Doctor should even offer them to you if there's even the teensiest chance you could get pregnant as they are teratogenic i.e. they deform fetuses. It would appear your GP doesn't know this. In any case why would you want a chol level less than 4.1? Chol can be too low as well as too high.
Click to expand...

im sure dizzy would tell you herself but she is unable to have children but in the process of adoption of 2nd child however interesting point i had no idea they are teratogenic
 
It has to be your decision Di but I took them and got quite ill with them, as soon as I stopped I was ok. I would look at diet if I was you - there are foods that will help - not so much the expensive stuff but things like tomato juice are supposed to be good. Give it a good go with a few dietery changes and see if you can get the good cholesterol up a bit.
 
Pattidevans said:
Di

Looking at your avatar it would appear that you are a female and well within child-bearing age. No Doctor should even offer them to you if there's even the teensiest chance you could get pregnant as they are teratogenic i.e. they deform fetuses. It would appear your GP doesn't know this. In any case why would you want a chol level less than 4.1? Chol can be too low as well as too high.
Click to expand...


Hi everyone, thank you for your views / situations etc. Its interesting to hear how others get on or not with statins. I'm going to try them, but with a right to stop if I think I get side effects/drop to low.


Hi pattidevans, I was aware of the potential dangers around pregnancy. Consultant and gp at diagnosis said they wouldn't introduce statins then (nearly 6 years ago) as I wanted children. As AM kindly said I'm unable to have children and in the process of adopting another baby within 12 months.
 
Dizzydi said:
Hi everyone, thank you for your views / situations etc. Its interesting to hear how others get on or not with statins. I'm going to try them, but with a right to stop if I think I get side effects/drop to low.
Click to expand...

Glad you have reached a decision Di. Hope you find a statin you can tolerate. Just to mention (because it hasn't been mentioned so far) to keep a look out for any memory problems. I've have no personal experience, but I have read on other forums that some people seem to get memory problems as well as the aches and pains others have mentioned.

Hopefully you won't have any of this to contend with!
 
You should really read the evidence that the Dr`s use to back up this `diabetic prescription` must have! I drew the conclusion that they used a group of poorly controlled diabetics - unlike myself - for the trial!
 
Di, I have been on statins since the mid 90s because of my cholesterol levels and long before I was diagnosed diabetic. I remember that I was started at the lowest level as for years I had been able to control my cholesterol through diet. I knew the routine, regular blood tests, told to watch cholesterol, adjust diet, good cholesterol result. But one day that stopped and the overall rate actually increased. After seeing my shocked face my gp told me she knew I had adjusted my diet because my triglycerides had gone down, first time I had ever heard about triglycerides!! It was always going to happen because of family history. Think the lowest dosage was 10 which was doubled to 20 at some stage and then after the big D diagnosis doubled again to 40. Since then my levels have gone back up to where they were before the diabetes diagnosis but my gp is not going to increase the meds again. I asked her how come and she said there is some concern about possible side effects and whether they are worth the increased dosage.

Think it could be key that you are started at a low dosage and built it up rather than being put on a drastic blast of a powerful drug.

Take care and will see you soon.
 
Di, thank you for telling me about your situation. I do wish you happiness with your new adoption process and hope all goes smoothly.
 
First time I've logged on this year so happy new year to all.

I take a very low dose statin as althought total is OK was under 4 at one stage & last check it was 4.4; but without most of mine was the "bad stuff"; since being on a tiny dose of 10mg of Simvastatin the ratio is now corrct mostly the good stuff.

I have a family history of heart diease/stroke on my late fathers side of family where the T2 is also found. So for me & since I've had no problems with them I'll carry on for the time being.

Best wishes for your 2nd adoption Dizzy

Take care
:ynne
 
I couldn't get on with simvastatin, aches and pains etc, so was switched over to atorvastatin (more expensive) and my aches and pains have not reappeared (apart from middle-aged ones!) my last cholesterol reading was 3.5. 🙂
 
This happened to me too - I couldn't fathom where these sudden horrendous joint aches were coming from until I mentioned it to a friend who immediately said Simvastatin! So I told the GP who nodded and straightaway gave me a low dose Atorvastatin. The pains disappeared and haven't returned. My last reading also was 3.5 :D.
 
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