Damaged by statin

[PatsyB]

well after reading some of the above posts I agree in that I think statins was the cause of my diabetes and I have stopped taking them unbeknown to my Doctor but will inform him when I go see him ...never had any side effects from taking them but do not like reading what they have caused in other people.....

 

[Daphne917]

well after reading some of the above posts I agree in that I think statins was the cause of my diabetes and I have stopped taking them unbeknown to my Doctor but will inform him when I go see him ...never had any side effects from taking them but do not like reading what they have caused in other people.....

My Hba1c went from 48 to 54 when I was on statins. I came off them due to other side effects and my hba1c reduced to 36. Although I have the statins conversation at my 6 monthly checks I am determined not to go back onto them

 

[PatsyB]

Hba1c is that the reading you get when you have your bloods done as I did ask her what mine was and she said 60 it had come down from 70 oh and I forgot to tell her I had stopped taking statins oopsss

 

[lindisfel]

Did anyone mention there has been suggestions that statins cause artery calcification!?

Derek

 

[AloeSvea]

I really like the pharmacist-and-health writer Suzy Cohen, and she is big on discussing various drugs nutritional 'mugging' effect, and specifically advises folk taking statins to supplement with COQ10

in her books:

Diabetes Without Drugs: The 5-Step Program to Control Blood Sugar Naturally and Prevent Diabetes Complications

and

Drug Muggers

 

[PatsyB]

I take enough pills as it is I must inform the Doctor though that I came off statins...not seen a dramatic drop in levels but will wait and see

 

[Klangley]

I was advised by a Doctor that I should be taking a Statin as I was over 40 and a diabetic. I politely refused and the Doctor was not very happy. My reasoning then was that I had read it does not help your diabetes and can damage your liver. But the more I have read about them the less I am inclined to go anywhere near them. Problem is my last Cholesterol reading came back at 5.1 so I can see me having to have that same discussion again.

 

[Oldvatr]

I have not had any side effects from taking either simvastatin or atorvastatin. I was a participant in the clinical research that confirmed the positive link between cardiac outcomes and statins. That arm of the ASCOT study was terminated early because of the strong results. For those who do have side effects there are other medications for reducing cholesterol. Never forget that all medications have reported side effects but that those side effects do not affect everyone!

Regards

Doug

Hi Doug,
I do not intend opening up our disagreement again, since it remains covered in the other thread on statins. I will point out that the ASCOT team appear to have used a statistical analysis that has been severely discredited in that according to the text book that describes the methodology, the method is QUOTE<< not to be used for new studies since it is open to misinterpretation and misrepresentation of results.>> I analysed the ASCOT data and was unable to correlate their conclusions, so I believe that NICE was presented with dubious info on which they determined that statins were beneficial.

 

[Osidge]

Statins worked for me immediately 17 years ago with no short or long-term side effects. A recent cardiac study that I took part in from the William Harvey Cardiac Research Institute, showed, following cardiac MRIs and arterial ultrasounds, that my heart has no sign of disease and I have no thickening of my arteries. If people do not want to take statins then that is their choice not to do so.

Regards

Doug

 

[AloeSvea]

I was advised by a Doctor that I should be taking a Statin as I was over 40 and a diabetic. I politely refused and the Doctor was not very happy. My reasoning then was that I had read it does not help your diabetes and can damage your liver. But the more I have read about them the less I am inclined to go anywhere near them. Problem is my last Cholesterol reading came back at 5.1 so I can see me having to have that same discussion again.

Start talking about getting your LDL particles measured! That's what I have been doing, with complete sincerity - as that is the newest and reasonable idea about blocked arteries - that it is small dense LDL particles that do the damage - and that LDL should be large and 'fluffy' (buoyant, I think, is what is meant), and you can have your cardiovascular health measured better by counting how many large and buoyant particles you have (and how few the small dense ones that do the damage is the idea).

Also start talking about the triglyceride/HDL ratio as being a better indicator of your heart health - rather than your cholesterol. (I have a similar high cholesterol level to you, and have had to enter into many conversations about my choice not to take statins with health professionals.)

I have found it very helpful to use the CV event risk assessors that you can do online, and start talking about my score and my risk with my health professionals also, and really address the risk and possibility of having a Cardiovascular event as a diabetic. Because, as diabetics, our risk of having a stroke is so greatly increased, the health professionals are very keen that they address this risk with us. (And an easy way to do that is by prescribing statins, hence why they do it.) So, even if you choose not to take a statin, if you get down to numbers and percentages with them anyhow - they realise they are performing, and you are genuinely making an informed choice. Having a really healthy blood pressure and triglyceride number really helps here - in greatly lowering your stroke risk, and keeping the statin convo at bay.

I haven't been able to get my LDL particles tested for size, but asking for it sure as hell stopped me being bugged about my cholesterol level!