Hello everyone, please forgive my ignorance and I suppose laziness on this one but I got a call earlier from the gps' about an appointment for tomorrow to discuss my lft and maybe introducing statins.., all I've heard about statins is to avoid them but I don't know why or what it is they're supposed to do and all this is down to is the courses of antibiotics and now steroids that I'm on. I asked both a Dr and a nurse about the doubling, tripling of my blood sugars but they both said "as it's short term sometimes you have to compromise". My query is, is a short term course of statins ok and nothing to worry about or is it another box I tick on my repeat prescription list and have forever?
Steroids raise blood sugar levels. There is a type of diabetes known as steroid induced diabetes,, so it is very common and well known that they raise levels. Once you come off them, blood sugars should go back to normal. Could this be what your doc and nurse was talking about?
Statins are to lower cholesterol. That is all, and they too can raise BS levels but not as much as steroids. Before you embark on the statin debate you need full details of your cholesterol test results. (HDL/HDL/Triglycerides) Without this information you are working blind. When you get this information, we can help you understand what it means. Ask the nurse/doctor for a print out so you have the results in black and white.
Another point is, did you fast at least 12 hours for this test? If not, you can expect your triglyceride levels to be raised. If you want to avoid an argument with the doctor/nurse about statins, it may be easier to accept the prescription, then go home with your results, post on here, and then make up your own mind whether to take them or bin them.