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Statins
- Thread starter Sharron1
- Start date
- Status
Eddy Edson
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Oh, well, just another little thing to add to the daily routine.
Bruce Stephens
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
The pills are at least very small. (Mine are anyway.)
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I took Atorvastatin and Metformin for around 5 weeks and it had a devastating effect on my body and my memory too - I have had to relearn so much, though to be fair, I do sometimes suddenly recall something I know I had forgotten. It has taken almost 7 years though.
My cholesterol levels have reduced from what they were at diagnosis, even though I am eating saturated fat now and I was avoiding it for years before diagnosis.
My cholesterol levels have reduced from what they were at diagnosis, even though I am eating saturated fat now and I was avoiding it for years before diagnosis.
MikeyBikey
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I started on a minimal statin dose when I was first diagnosed with PAD (Peripheral Arterial Disease) and in retrospect wish it had been a higher dose as besides reducing cholesterol it also stabilises any existing plaque and reduces irritation often a precursor to plaque formation.. You may need a number of iterations to find the statin and dose that suits you. I am currently on 40mg Atorvastatin.
Eddy Edson
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
After my PAD diagnosis I had to harass my doc into upping the dosage to the max, as recommended in guidelines.
Statins generally are quite underprescribed, contrary to Internet lore.
MikeyBikey
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
The other InterWeb lore is their horrendous side effects. One person blamed them for not being able to perform in cycling road races and time trials at 75 like he did at 50!Q No male on the male side of the family has made it past 65 and some only just over 50 due to atherosclerosis. The only female did reach her seventies but was totally unaware of it having developed vascular dementia (i.e. impeded blood flow to the brain).
After diagnosis of PAD I was put on Simvastatin which caused muscle pain. It was suggested CoQ10 would help with this but the only thing it did was hammer my credit card. A change to Atorvastatin overcame this but I was only on a trivial 10mg. My cardiac surgeon upp'ed it to 80mg but I came down to 40mg as my liver was unhappy (probably my alcoholic student days!). I always wonder if the low dose contributed to the loss of my leg but I mainly blame the useless vascular surgeon who cancelled angioplasty to the left and a bypass on the (now poorly) right saying you only intervene when there is an ulcer or gangrene. So I got a small ulcer and lost my lower left leg. I won't express my opinion of him but it rhymes with Charlie Hunt! Glad you got the guideline dose Eddy!
Can argue with myself but can't argue with the blod test numbers!!
Ohh my surgery, i get to chat to the pharmacist about cholestrol. That's new to me.
nonethewiser
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Said this before that statins have to be one of the most researched drugs in recent times, they are considered safe & very effective at lowering cholesterol levels so reducing cardiovascular events, there's lot of rubbish about them on net about side effect but very few experience them.
Eddy Edson
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
The classic "wait until it's too late" strategy, excellent.
I just thank Geebus for my collateral system. Comment from my cardio: If you could work why some people grow lots of collaterals & other people don't, you'd get a Nobel prize.
@Drummer, which med do you attribute to your memory problems or was it both working in conjunction?
Did you change meds to reduce your cholesterol?
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I started an stopped both on the same day - I was affected quite quickly and would never have gone on taking them for 5 weeks if I had been in my right mind. It was coming up to Christmas and I just realised that my world had fallen apart - plus I was contemplating suicide. I went home from shopping and looked at myself in the mirror by the front door not really recognising myself.
The surgery have offered alternatives but I have refused medication several times since - my cholesterol is lower than it was when I was eating loads of 'healthy' carbs - but I do not really accept that the whole fats/cholesterol/heart problems hypothesis is correct - and taking statins shows no benefit for older females anyway. I did read it on the internet, but I have asked the nurses I have seen for the corroboration they believe exists, left my card with them - and I am still waiting. I'm a scientist and engineer - show me the numbers and then I'll believe.
@Drummer my wife (not diabetic) has done Atkins and keto in the past and her hdl went high and ldl reduced so we also do not believe the simple fats / bad cholesterol ideology if people are sensible with where they get the fats from. She’s a scientist and I’m and an R&D Eng so yeah we like to check research and not simply take the establishments word.
Although mine is happy for me to use diet to correct my high cholesterol.
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I don't do Atkins, just low carb usually about 70-90g a day but I do eat quite a lot of fat and most of it saturated fat and this seems to agree with my body and my TC has come down from 5.2 at diagnosis when I changed to a LCHF way of eating to 4.5 where it seems to be reasonably stable. What I find is that my LDL increases slightly when I am actively losing weight but then seems to drop back when my weight stabilizes. I have just refused statins yesterday for the second time as I do not feel that my individual situation warrants medication even if the Qrisk says otherwise and my cholesterol levels have been pretty stable for the last few years in what would be considered the normal range if it wasn't for the fact that I have diabetes. I work very hard at my diabetes management to keep my BG levels in range and as stable as possible, so I really resent that I am clumped in with all the other diabetics who are not as fit and healthy and well managed and restrained with their diet as I am, when it comes to this calculation of risk..... and I also resent that I am put in a situation where I have to reject NHS advice as it feels kind of ungrateful and disrespectful to my health care providers.
I know what you’re saying, it’s going to be interesting after 4 months (in dec) to see what my new levels are after working hard these last 3 months after diagnosis.
Seems like you have everything under control and I think I’d be the same in your position.
Hi,
Another confusion for me and Statins. I have learnt to be prepared b4 I enter in any discussion with my surgery, the GP is excellent at prescribing but not alot else!).
My total cholestrol is a whopping 7.2 ⁿbut the cholestrol ratio is 2.3. I assume they are using the TC number in a bid to reduce my LDL (3.4), does that sound correct? I have no problem with Statins but I would like some answers to my reasonsble questions.
As for my caution it is to do with metformin (4 tabs daily 2 in morning and 2 in evening); as can be seen my hba1c levels are good but I still cannot get any response as to why no reduction. I am curious and my question is simply batted away. Which really irratates me. They make a simple query into a battlefield. Ridiculous behaviour
Another confusion for me and Statins. I have learnt to be prepared b4 I enter in any discussion with my surgery, the GP is excellent at prescribing but not alot else!).
My total cholestrol is a whopping 7.2 ⁿbut the cholestrol ratio is 2.3. I assume they are using the TC number in a bid to reduce my LDL (3.4), does that sound correct? I have no problem with Statins but I would like some answers to my reasonsble questions.
As for my caution it is to do with metformin (4 tabs daily 2 in morning and 2 in evening); as can be seen my hba1c levels are good but I still cannot get any response as to why no reduction. I am curious and my question is simply batted away. Which really irratates me. They make a simple query into a battlefield. Ridiculous behaviour
harbottle
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
That's odd, as my Metformin was reduced from 1000 to 500 as soon as my hba1c was in the 30s (3 months after diagnosis) and they said if was like that next time round they'd stop it. It was, but I decided to keep on it, although I have gone weeks without taking it and don't much difference in readings.
My own cholesterol is different in every test. One minute's slightly risen, next one it's ok, then back up a little again. My diet remains the same, as does my level of exercise, and I don't eat much saturated fat (Pretty much all of it comes from yoghurt and nuts and olive oil.) which is not intentional, but just really based on the fact I don't eat much red meat.
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