Hi Ardberg
Well done on your recent test results
I was diagnosed with T2 in Feb and put on Simvastatin straight away without any discussion. Within a month my cholesterol came down from 5.6 to 2.1 which seemed excessively low to me. I think around 4 is regarded as normal for most people but my GP says for long term control of a diabetics general health, he would like to see my cholesterol levels at around 3.
However, a couple of days after starting on Simvastatin, I experienced a couple of side effects, constipation and small red acne spots, mainly on my forehead. The doctor didn't take it seriously at first, said it could down to a number of factors and to give it a few more weeks. The constipation persisted and laxatives didn't have much effect. The acne would settle down after a week or so but then flare up again and has left permanent faint marks on my forehead. When I stopped taking the statin, the symptoms cleared up. I went back to the doc and he suggested trying me on the lowest available dose. Again, a couple of days later the constipation was back and after a few more days, so was the acne.
The GP finally agreed that Simvastatin wasn't for me. Constipation is a recognised side-effect but not very common and apparently acne is even rarer. He's now put me on Atorvastatin and admitted that the only reason he didn't put me on it sooner was because it's a much more expensive drug than Simvastatin. He advised me to take it every other day instead of every day, firstly to allow my body to get used to it, and secondly to help keep the costs down!!
There's an on-going debate about statins, not just on this forum but elsewhere too. Some people swear by them, others believe they do more harm than good. I don't yet know where I stand on the subject. I've only just started on Atorvastatin so don't know if there's going to be any side effects. I'm not opposed to taking a tablet that will lower my bad cholesterol levels but then I'm still learning and there are many people out there who know a whole lot more than I do on the topic.
For me, becoming a diabetic has been a real shocker and it's forced me to have a good hard look at myself. I think I've been lucky compared to some other people as it seems the condition was discovered whilst in it's early stages, although the doctors did seem keen to put me on every medication possible. At first I tried making drastic changes to my diet but it was a real struggle. So now I'm taking small steps one at a time but my overall goal is to improve my diet and general lifestyle to the point where I can come off some, if not all, of the meds I'm currently on. There are many people on this forum who have achieved that and I find their stories positively inspiring.
Ultimately, whether you decide to take statins or not, it has to be your choice. A level of 4 isn't considered high. If you don't want to take statins, try reducing your cholesterol levels through diet and exercise. If you can get it nearer to 3, then I don't see how the doctor can insist you take statins. Or maybe, use statins for a couple of months to get the ball rolling until you can make the dietary changes required to keep your cholesterol around the 3 mark.
Whatever you decide, Good Luck
