Another small step ...

[DeejayR]

Have just put a half-finished foil of statin pills back in the box for six months after a very helpful talk with my GP. She has agreed to a trial period without statins to see if there is any effect, good or bad, on my cholesterol levels, blood sugar, blood pressure, general aches & pains and memory.
If I need to go back on them again in her opinion, I have promised to try a new variety which is supposed to reduce side effects, whatever they are thought to be.
She raised both eyebrows when I said I was following LCHF thanks to this "rebel" forum, but since my diabetes appears to be well managed in the low-T2 range she is happy for me to carry on.
She wants to do a C-peptide test to make sure I'm T2 and not late-onset T1 or any other variation (but I said I thought that wouldn't be effective since I'm not on insulin).
She made a note to ensure their standard surgery cholesterol reading includes all the figures (which it doesn't atm) and agreed to another check in six months instead of a year. I'll try to get a full HbA1c at that time.
Meanwhile I aim to buy a cholesterol meter that will give me all the figures, and I see there are several with bells and whistles at around £100. Guidance on this please? Also, has anyone tried claiming BS meters and all the other kit we pay for ourselves against income tax?
Thanks again for all your advice

 

[noblehead]

Might be cheaper just to pop into a pharmacy and get your cholesterol checked between now and your next review, not sure if they do a full lipid breakdown like they so at the Dr's so they might just check your Total Cholesterol.

 

[Alanp35]

Might be cheaper just to pop into a pharmacy and get your cholesterol checked between now and your next review, not sure if they do a full lipid breakdown like they so at the Dr's so they might just check your Total Cholesterol.

My local pharmacy do a "total" cholesterol test for £17 by appointment, counselling included (presumably in case of results not being what was expected)

 

[Enclave]

Congratulations.. I stopped my stain a few weeks ago after being slowly weened off them .. I have been taking the little horrors for about ten years. I do feel a lot better than when I was on them. I have had a heart bypass 23 years back after a few heart attacks ..and now have heart failure..but what ever protection the stains gave me was taken away with how I'll they made me feel !
Hope you can stay of them .. Have also been googleing cholesterol meters .. Think I will flutter the wife's eye lashes at the pharmacy to get tested there ..

Edit to add .. £17. For a test at the chemist ..I think I would rather get a meter from Amazon !!!!!!

 

[AndBreathe]

Have just put a half-finished foil of statin pills back in the box for six months after a very helpful talk with my GP. She has agreed to a trial period without statins to see if there is any effect, good or bad, on my cholesterol levels, blood sugar, blood pressure, general aches & pains and memory.
If I need to go back on them again in her opinion, I have promised to try a new variety which is supposed to reduce side effects, whatever they are thought to be.
She raised both eyebrows when I said I was following LCHF thanks to this "rebel" forum, but since my diabetes appears to be well managed in the low-T2 range she is happy for me to carry on.
She wants to do a C-peptide test to make sure I'm T2 and not late-onset T1 or any other variation (but I said I thought that wouldn't be effective since I'm not on insulin).
She made a note to ensure their standard surgery cholesterol reading includes all the figures (which it doesn't atm) and agreed to another check in six months instead of a year. I'll try to get a full HbA1c at that time.
Meanwhile I aim to buy a cholesterol meter that will give me all the figures, and I see there are several with bells and whistles at around £100. Guidance on this please? Also, has anyone tried claiming BS meters and all the other kit we pay for ourselves against income tax?
Thanks again for all your advice

Great progress.

I'll be very interested to follow what you decide on, regarding a lipid meter, as my lipids are always an area of increased interest to the medics.

On what basis would you be considering claiming your blood glucose kit against tax?

 

[Bluetit1802]

That all sounds very positive, and excellent progress on your part.

I was given statins when I was diagnosed T2, and took them because I knew no better. Within 2 to 3 months I knew a lot more about them and stopped taking them. I'd had no side effects that I knew of, but my BS levels dropped almost as soon as I stopped taking them. This could have been coincidence, I shall never know.

I will also be interested in any feedback from you, should you buy a cholesterol meter. I have been wondering about one myself.

 

[DeejayR]

Thank you for your comments. The nearest chemist offering a cholesterol test (£15) that includes HDL and
TChol/HDL, but not trigs or LDL, is eight miles away. Tesco just gives the one basic figure. So I'm still looking into getting a meter
@AndBreathe : I'd like to be satisfied there's no tax relief on any medical equipment anyone needs that's not supplied by the NHS. Proof of need would be the stumbling block of course.

 

[Arab Horse]

Thank you for your comments. The nearest chemist offering a cholesterol test (£15) that includes HDL and
TChol/HDL, but not trigs or LDL, is eight miles away. Tesco just gives the one basic figure. So I'm still looking into getting a meter
@AndBreathe : I'd like to be satisfied there's no tax relief on any medical equipment anyone needs that's not supplied by the NHS. Proof of need would be the stumbling block of course.

Proof of need would be that you can no longer take statins, need to keep a close eye on your lipids and diet as it could be dangerous for you to not be regularly monitored and much more expensive for the NHS and the state if you had a coronary, stroke etc. Worth a try, they can only say no. Could you get your Dr/DN to write a letter stating that they don't offer the service but think it would be advantageous for you to do home monitoring?

 

[AndBreathe]

Thank you for your comments. The nearest chemist offering a cholesterol test (£15) that includes HDL and
TChol/HDL, but not trigs or LDL, is eight miles away. Tesco just gives the one basic figure. So I'm still looking into getting a meter
@AndBreathe : I'd like to be satisfied there's no tax relief on any medical equipment anyone needs that's not supplied by the NHS. Proof of need would be the stumbling block of course.

My take (as a non-accountant and non-HMRC person) would be that if it was justified that the state effectively sponsored your testing, it would be supported by your GP and the kit provided by the NHS, and therefore available on a subsidised basis to you. As your profile states your age, it would appear that "subsidised" would effectively mean free of charge.

You could try it, and I'm guessing that if the allowance you are seeking is very modest, it could even fall below any HMRC checking flag. Where it ciyld get tricky is if it were picked up a few years down the line and a past review of your tax affairs done, resulting in your having to repay any benefit gained in the meantime.

It's not something I would be bothered trying, but that's all my personal view.

 

[Pipp]

You may be able to get VAT zero rated at the point of purchase for your testing kit, strips and lancets.
Look at www.gov.uk. Search for VAT relief disabled medical supplies. Sorry, not able to upload the form to take making declaration.

Not sure about other tax relief though.

 

[catherinecherub]

There is a VAT relief form here,

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/vat-exemption.html

 

[DeejayR]

I'm more interested in principle than practice, especially at my age when so much is free anyway.