Statins and pregnancy risk

nicola85

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi all, This is my first post since I joined the site. I was diagnosed as type 2 diabetic about 3/4 years ago. I really stopped looking after myself and stopped taking my metformin for quite a while and didn't go to any appointments for about 18 months. So in that time I had no bloods or anything tested. I had just really gone into denial. Then my surgery actually rang me and so I agreed to go in and it was enough to get me to wake up and admit to myself that I'd been very stupid. You see the metformin gave me terrible side effects and at my previous surgery I'd been refused any other option than metformin and so I expected the same response from my current surgery but they gave me slow release which I've been on for a month now and it's much better thankfully.
So I went in today for my blood results and I was told my cholesterol is really high but due to being in my 20's and the fact I may in the future become pregnant I cannot be prescribed statins. I am a mother to one son already and am not planning on having anymore children so I find it a concern that my health is being compromised upon the slim chance I may in the future become accidentally pregnant. Also upon further research it would not effect a baby until quite far along in pregnancy and I am sure I would be able to realise I was pregnant in plenty of time. I am happy to watch what I eat more closely and in the last month have increased my exercise. I realise there are many steps that I can take to lower my cholesterol and am more than willing to work on it but I just think it's very odd that I would have been prescribed them if it weren't for my gender and age. I don't really want to take anymore tablets but as she seemed very concerned about how high it was I am concerned I may not be able to get it down as quickly as I would like. As I have returned to taking better care of myself I'm going to try and get it down for when I return in 3 months.

Has anyone else experienced this as a younger type 2? Is it something that is generally assumed in the healthcare profession? Has anyone used a natural alternative that has helped them? Thanks in advance for any advise you can offer!
 

Dillinger

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,207
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Celery.
A close escape for you; statins are a real issue and will not make you, as a woman, live a single day longer than you would were you not on them.

This is a quote from the attached document;

"However benefit to survival with statins or other cholesterol-lowering agents has never been demonstrated in women (even those at high cardiac risk), in the older elderly, or in men at lower cardiac risk."

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/statin.pdf

Don't worry about cholesterol unless you have Familial hypercholesterolemia (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000392.htm)

How high is yours?

Best

Dillinger
 
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nicola85

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi Dillinger,

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. In all honesty I was quite shocked when she told me my cholesterol was high and didn't ask for exact levels but now I wish I had. To my knowledge I don't and nobody in my family has Familial hypercholesterolemia. It's definitely interesting to read how little statins have been studied. It's made me reconsider if I would ever want to take them.

Thanks again!
 
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Dillinger

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,207
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Celery.
No trouble! There are many minefields in diabetes management!

Best

Dillinger
 

Indy51

Expert
Messages
5,540
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi Nicola and welcome.

I hope you will have a look around the forums as there are many people who've had great success with their cholesterol levels (as well as their blood glucose levels) by following a low carb diet.
 
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