My experience is that I had been on Atorvastatin for a few years at 40mg per day, until early this year, when my increasing cholesterol numbers led to my GP doubling the dose to 80mg per day. I've had annual HbA1c tests for years now, because I'm the typical T2 apple shape mostly, I think. Within a month or so of the increased dose of statins, I basically fell off the BG cliff, with a very sudden change in BG and all the classic symptoms - crazy unquenchable thirst, running to the loo several times a night, blurred vision, feeling like I'd been run over by a bus and having no energy and extraordinary cravings for sweets. I'm not usually a sweet tooth, so it was really quite extraordinary. Initially, after I read about the link between statins and T2 diagnosis, I felt really angry and incredibly let down - I wasn't told of the risk, and as we humans tend to, I blamed the statins, because they were an easy target, especially after the really bad wrap statins get on this forum -this was the only source of information I felt I could trust at first, and mostly, still is. I felt completely betrayed by my GP, who knew I was working hard to get my life in order.
However, 6 months have past since then, and I have come to believe I truly was T2D just waiting to to be formally recognised, despite normal HbA1c test results. I do believe it was the straw which broke the camel's back, but it came on top of intense stress for a prolonged period of time, homelessness, violence, very poor eating habits, depression and crazy weight fluctuations with a background of a lifetime of drug and alcohol abuse and poor decision making. Part of my healing is taking full responsibility for my poor choices and a deep acceptance of my flaws. From that moment, I took control, and things are looking up. Not perfect, but I'm planning to die young, but for that to take a very long time. I take statins again, along with antihypertensives, antidepressants and metformin. I got scared into it really. I'm not scared of dying, but I'm terrified of living sick. I also eat low carb healthy fat, and try to move my body for no good reason for about 40 minutes each day. I've lost 18 kg in 6 months, and in 2 kg time, I'll be overweight for the first time since childhood.
I'm overdue for my next lot of blood work, which I'll probably have done next week. I have been back on statins for about a month and I have all my test results for the last few years, so once I have the new results, I'm going to have a chat with my new GP to review the plan. I'm not crazy about statins, but I had a close relative who had her first heart attack before she turned 50, followed by several strokes and years of quite devastating disability. I fear that more than the side effects of statins. Of course, your mileage may vary.. but I figure I've spent a lot of time thinking about this and read a lot of research and watched far too many hours of youtube videos about it. I temper that with the fact that I had pre eclampsia with all 5 of my pregnancies and several TIAs while pregnant, and hypertension ever since along with a first degree relative who obviously had serious cardiovascular issues. I'm also doing a degree in neuroscience, and I was pretty distressed when I realised that I have all the risk factors covered for developing dementia, or at least I did 6 months ago - T2D was like the last one I didn't have yet! I guess if I have that, it's too late to do much about it, since it's insidious onset is often 20 years before symptoms. I am hooked up with the healthy brain project which is a research project tracking cognitive decline in people over 50. I'm also involved in some diabetes research as well. Sorry
@gardengnome42 - I should probably have started a new discussion. I'm such a rambler!