Better HbA1c, but now high cholesterol

[pollensa]

Well done on your HbA1c. That is a nice drop.

I agree with @bulkbiker

You need the full breakdown of your cholesterol before making any decisions. Your 6.1 is the total of the good and the not so good. If the good is high, the total will also be high. Do ask for theses details - HDL/LDL/Triglycerides. I also have to ask if you fasted for this test. If you didn't fast your triglycerides will have been higher than normal and this will also have affected the total.

I like the phrase "They like diabetics to be about 4" This is a number plucked out of the air with no scientific basis. It is the HDL and triglycerides that matter most.

You can ask for a print out of your test results - they are all important and this includes not only glucose and cholesterol but also liver and kidney functions. You need these for future reference so you can keep an eye on whether you are improving or deteriorating. A doctor or nurse will brush them off with a "they are fine" but that is their opinion. Yours may be different. If you are in England your surgery should have put test results on line, so you could also ask how to register for this facility. The surgery receptionist can help with the print out and on-line registration.

Well said, could not agree more, pleased to here others feel this way regards threshold numbers, totally agree regards numbers plucked out of the air no scientific basis, to my knowledge as acknowledged by Ada and World health Geneva, cut off thresholds for A1C and finger real blood testing, too are Arbitrary, at whim random choice by so called experts, sitting around a table, as I understand if not mistaken, without clinical or medical support for the Final cut off figure decided upon. I think it may be called big business or something like that, who knows more medications if you don't hit the air numbers??? doubt and confusion continues sadly.
Mallorca.

 

[Ino]

I'm also in same shoes - cholesterol 7.1! Unfortunately for me, I succumbed to the statins.
Why exactly do they do as I'm very convinced my go practice is not doing their job! I was recently diagnosed with diabetes, in September 2017.
In January 2018 after a blood test,non fasting, my HbA1C was 54 and cholesterol 7.51 and was told well done and bye, you don't need to be seen anymore!
I was not convinced and continued to monitor my bloods and have readings all over the place! Highest 14! Please help!

I know exactly what you mean. All of my diabetes related results are good but my cholesterol is 7.2 (HDL 2.7, trigs 0.5, LDL...well....sigh. I have read all of the advice on this forum (thanks Bulkbiker) and have made a decision that for now at least, I won't go on statins. I don't give a monkeys whether they approve or not and I certainly won't be pressured into making excuses every time I see them or trying to fudge the figures. Yes, I would love to get the LDL down (but total under 4????, as if!!!) but if it ain't going down whilst I am following a text book (fairly low carb of 60 a day and an ounce of cheese a day and running 5 miles a day), well then that must be MY physiological make up.

 

[Bluetit1802]

In January 2018 after a blood test,non fasting, my HbA1C was 54 and cholesterol 7.51 and was told well done and bye, you don't need to be seen anymore!

That is complete rubbish! With an HbA1c of 54 you should be on 6 monthly reviews at the very least, possibly even 3 monthly if your HbA1c hadn't dropped at all. This is all part of the care plan recommended by NICE that should be followed by all surgeries. You may well not see a doctor (I never have) but you should be seeing a nurse. You should consider calling in and asking exactly what is going on .... not just for the diabetes, but also for the cholesterol and the statin checks. My advice is chase it up!

 

[Santa_Fe]

Well said, could not agree more, pleased to here others feel this way regards threshold numbers, totally agree regards numbers plucked out of the air no scientific basis, to my knowledge as acknowledged by Ada and World health Geneva, cut off thresholds for A1C and finger real blood testing, too are Arbitrary, at whim random choice by so called experts, sitting around a table, as I understand if not mistaken, without clinical or medical support for the Final cut off figure decided upon. I think it may be called big business or something like that, who knows more medications if you don't hit the air numbers??? doubt and confusion continues sadly.
Mallorca.

All I can do is relate my experience.

The human body, if it is working properly, imposes quite tight limits on important chemicals in the blood and organs, sodium from salt is only allowed to vary in a range of 4%, calcium in blood varies in a range of 3%, oxygen is controlled in the range 80 to 100 mm of mercury and directly affects respiration and heart rate to try to stay within that range. Glucose in a non-diabetic person varies around a level of 70 milligrams per decilitre, this is where the notional less than 7 reading for HBA1C comes from.

Cholesterol on the other hand does not have a control mechanism in the body! So what should the level be? The implication is that if everything else is working well the body doesn't care what the level is. My total cholesterol hovers around 4, when I took statins it was about 5.2, I gave up the statins because of the side effects and my TC level dropped to what it is now. My diabetic nurse no longer mentions taking statins.

Breakfast has remained a constant throughout my 15 years of being type 2, it is fried bacon and eggs and 1 slice of toast with butter, I never use margerine. According to many people not the best way to start the day, but I then don't get hungry until about 3pm, unless I get bored and have nothing to occupy me. Cereals for breakfast and I'm starving by about 1230.

All I can say is that you have to think for yourself about whether statins are necessary for you and be guided by the results, but don't be panicked into doing something you are no comfortable with

 

[TheBigNewt]

So the guy I saw today's LDLc is 5.9, down from 6.9 on a good diet, his right carotid is 90% blocked, BP 180/90, and he smokes. He's pretty skinny and doesn't have diabetes. And he doesn't want to take statins, but he agreed to take BP pills. Who's gonna sell him some life insurance? Health insurance? Disabilility insurance? the make statins for a reason, and when you Google "reason for statins" this guy's picture came up.

 

[Ino]

Thanks! You're very right! I've been meaning to write a complaint letter as they cannot push that under the carpet.

That is complete rubbish! With an HbA1c of 54 you should be on 6 monthly reviews at the very least, possibly even 3 monthly if your HbA1c hadn't dropped at all. This is all part of the care plan recommended by NICE that should be followed by all surgeries. You may well not see a doctor (I never have) but you should be seeing a nurse. You should consider calling in and asking exactly what is going on .... not just for the diabetes, but also for the cholesterol and the statin checks. My advice is chase it up!

 

[jcbman]

So the guy I saw today's LDLc is 5.9, down from 6.9 on a good diet, his right carotid is 90% blocked, BP 180/90, and he smokes. He's pretty skinny and doesn't have diabetes. And he doesn't want to take statins, but he agreed to take BP pills. Who's gonna sell him some life insurance? Health insurance? Disabilility insurance? the make statins for a reason, and when you Google "reason for statins" this guy's picture came up.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. So, if you believe high cholesterol is good, and you enjoy life, so what.
And if you're wrong, and it does kill you, at least you had a good innings.
Live and let live.
(And if you die, you only have a few moments to say oops)

 

[TheBigNewt]

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. So, if you believe high cholesterol is good, and you enjoy life, so what.
And if you're wrong, and it does kill you, at least you had a good innings.
Live and let live.
(And if you die, you only have a few moments to say oops)

And before you stroke out of the inning stock up on diapers and a wheelchair!

 

[Speedbird]

https://www.dietdoctor.com/who-should-be-taking-a-statin

This may be of interest x

 

[Lorraine Cannell]

If you are registered for the Low Carb diet then you will see a U-Tube video with Dr Aseem Malhotra a Cardiologist explaining that Statins are just a con. He recommends to the Diabetes Association Doctors and Practitioners that they do not actually save your life and should not be given to you just to keep cholesterol figures at the level that the NHS have set. He recommends that we have a Mediterranean style diet and has actually named the Pioppi diet which is Mediterranean Low Carb High Fat and will cut your risk of heart disease. He has blown the whistle on Statins in such a way that the Pharmaceutical Companies are paying GP's large amounts of money to prescribe them. I have recently read a book written by Dr Malcolm Kendrick called the Great Cholesterol Con and Wow what an eye opener. Statins will not save your life for more than a few hours if you have a heart attack and he writes about what really causes heart disease and how to avoid it. I had been taking Statins for nearly 8 years and all this time I have been asking my GP why I was in so much muscle pain. Over the past 3 years she has fobbed me off by sending me to the hospital for X-rays and scans and not one person would admit it was the statins. They did say it might be the Metformin so I stopped taking that at my own choice and have been managing my diabetes on diet only for 2 years now my HbA1c has come down from 58 to 45 now but I was still finding it difficult to lose weight and ate so healthily at a great expense too. Counting my Carbs and calories too. When my GP retired at Christmas 2017. I saw her on her last day and she just casually said I should try a different statin to see if that made any difference to the pain and exhaustion I had. At that point I could hardly walk and certainly couldn't sit down, lift anything and had difficulty in getting out of bed without pain in the muscles in my chest, stomach, arms, legs and feet as well as losing my memory too. I tried the new statins for only 2 days and they made me feel so much worse I lay in the armchair waiting for my heart to be hit. I was experiencing the symptoms of a heart attack without it really happening. That night I lay awake all night feeling like I would die in the night and didn't take the statin. The following morning still alive to my surprised and very tired I felt a little better and had a short sleep during the day. Feeling all the problems were caused by the statins I didn't take one the next night but still felt dreadfully week. I knew if I saw another GP they would insist I went back on these killer drugs so I went to see the Pharmacist as soon as I could walk again. He said stop taking then instantly which surprised me as I thought after so many years I would have to decrease the dose little by little. They apparently take 14 hours to get out of your system but maybe a year to get over the damage they do. Statins actually block the nutrients getting to your muscles and bones making you have cramp and getting weaker daily. All this wonderful healthy food and the supplements I took too just wouldn't get through to make me healthy. It was near to the point of me needing a walking frame and certainly stopping driving. 5 and a half weeks later I am a new woman from following all the advice of Dr Aseem and reading the Great Cholesterol Con book. The way to get your cholesterol in line is eat the right fats that will lower the bad stuff and make the good cholesterol higher, and not line the pockets of the GP getting paid large amounts for insisting you take statins. Also look at BBCiplayer - Trust me I'm a Doctor Series 7 Trust me I'm a Doctor https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09m62j5/trust-me-im-a-doctor-series-7-episode-2 Dr Michael Moseley explains all about the right fats to correct your cholesterol. Just use Olive Oil and organic butter or Coconut oil in future and as long as you keep away from processed foods and keep your carbs low then you will never look back. Those Statins were ceasing my body up so that my digestive system didn't work properly and they told me I had IBS. I had dreadful indigestion and constipation. Since coming off the statins and eating the good fats all that has gone and as i say I am a new woman and even remember more nowadays too. Good luck in your quest and remember the GP can prescribe medication but It will be your choice whether you actually put the tablet in your mouth and swallow it. I now know that all the research I have don in the past 5 weeks makes me feel I don't trust any drug unless I research it first. Read that book and see what I mean and it will explain to you how to avoid a heart attack without statins. Available from Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_s...+great+Cholesterol,aps,153&crid=1AS9MY7231IEF

 

[jcbman]

And before you stroke out of the inning stock up on diapers and a wheelchair!

Me.
I'm keeping my cholesterol low.
I'm in there for the long run.
I don't want to be saying oops through a lot of bubbles.

 

[Chuckannuck]

I am one of those low carb 'hyper-responders' faced with high LDL but not low HDL or high Trigs. So, 'what should I be concerned about?', 'what should I focus on?' and 'what should I do?' are all questions that I also have.

My current doctor is an old school "LDL=bad" type guy who places great reliance on statins. So, where to turn in the face of the contradictory evidence?

This video from Dr Ken Sikaris at the Low Carb Down Under conference provided a good perspective on the state of current LDL research that I found helpful.

 

[jcbman]

I am one of those low carb 'hyper-responders' faced with high LDL but not low HDL or high Trigs. So, 'what should I be concerned about?', 'what should I focus on?' and 'what should I do?' are all questions that I also have.

My current doctor is an old school "LDL=bad" type guy who places great reliance on statins. So, where to turn in the face of the contradictory evidence?

This video from Dr Ken Sikaris at the Low Carb Down Under conference provided a good perspective on the state of current LDL research that I found helpful.

Pay your money, take your choice.
If you scoot around the internet you can find anything that makes your boat float.
Don't ask us, all we can do is put up links to our feel good places.

 

[LeanneSpain.]

In relation to statins. Sorry its long but......Back to February 2017 my overall cholesterol was 6.0. But it was a good cholesterol i had?! I was told it should be below 5. So doctor put me on statins.i unknowing just took them. Up to this point i was feeling fine. No health issues(was at doc for general checkup) after I started taking them everything started going wrong Diagnosed with diabetes in april 2017 (type2 is a side effect of statins along with elevated blood sugars) now im out of work and off the road with all the side effects. I stopped taking them last week and starting to feel a little better but it takes minimum of 6months to get them out of your system. It wasn’t my doctor who advised this but someone else who had similar issues(doc agreed for me to stop taking them though) So imho just eat healthy (as much as you can) and try not go on statins.

 

[UbleyP]

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes two years ago. Since then I have been mostly on a LCHF diet and have shed over four and a half stone. However, my HBA1c has still been up and down, and my daily readings have been rising over the last six months, in August I was averaging about 7, last month I was averaging18, occasionally rising to 25. Then a diabetic friend told me how badly he had been affected by statins and I realised that my fluctuating reading coincided with the doctor prescribing me statins. A week ago I stopped taking the statins and my blood readings have been dropping each day, I have gone from 27.8 last week to 13.7 tonight. I have arranged to have a new HBA1c done next week but I will definitely NOT be taking the statins again.

 

[Resurgam]

I mentioned statins at dance practice tonight. All the people around me had been prescribed them and stopped after problems with their hands - one had treatment after treatment for arthritis when it was the statins - as soon as they were stopped the symptoms went - there were memory problems, muscle problems - all of them had had various treatments, all vanished when the statins were stopped.

 

[LeanneSpain.]

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes two years ago. Since then I have been mostly on a LCHF diet and have shed over four and a half stone. However, my HBA1c has still been up and down, and my daily readings have been rising over the last six months, in August I was averaging about 7, last month I was averaging18, occasionally rising to 25. Then a diabetic friend told me how badly he had been affected by statins and I realised that my fluctuating reading coincided with the doctor prescribing me statins. A week ago I stopped taking the statins and my blood readings have been dropping each day, I have gone from 27.8 last week to 13.7 tonight. I have arranged to have a new HBA1c done next week but I will definitely NOT be taking the statins again.

When did you start the statins. Cause im 90% positive they caused my diabetes. My bro has diabetes so i always asked for HbA1c when getting any bloods done and i was always in range until I started statins. And type2 and elevated blood sugars is a side effect

 

[LeanneSpain.]

 

[LeanneSpain.]

️ says it all.

 

[dwnunder]

I am new to this forum and am not a diabetic but I have been doing some research on Cholesterol, diet and diabetes. I am a hyper responder and had high cholesterol and was put on Statins. My Total Cholesterol was 8.1, HDL was 2.4, TG 1.0 and LDLc 5.2. Since doing my research I have stopped taking the statins. I am happy to have High HDL and low TG so although my total cholesterol is high I don't have too many concerns. I follow a LCHF diet and from what I can gather following a low carb diet will not give you the small dense LDL which stick to your arteries but rather gives you the big fluffy LDL which do you no harm. I only came off the statins in December so have not had another lipid test yet but I am sure that my total Cholesterol will have gone up. Somebody posted a link to a talk that Dave Feldman did. He did some research on Cholesterol and found that if he ate an anormous amount of fat for 3 days prior to having blood drawn that the cholesterol numbers came down, and fasting actually had the opposite result. He has done this test many times and gets the same results. A bit of food for thought for when I next get a lipid test done. I have also listened to Aseem Malhotra on the Statin debacle, so for me I wont be pushed into taking them ever again. It seems that it doesn't matter where in the world you are all GP's try to push them onto you. I know that they are linked to dementia and diabetes. My mother was a diabetic and so diabetes is always at the back of my mind.