Diabetes and statins

Zilsniggy said:

I'd find a more progressive nurse, it would appear that this one is stuck in a time warp! Do some research for yourself on a low carb or even Keto diet. These have been known to reverse the symptoms of diabetes, or more accurately, put it in remission, for many of us.
A new diagnosis of diabetes needs a lot of advice and support, and it seems that yours has been lacking.
Try the DiatDoctor website for loads of info on both ways of eating, plus the Low Carb Programme on here has had huge success and is award winning.
Don't just accept what ill informed people tell you, you have made great strides already in lowering your HBA1c!

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Zilsniggy said:

Amycav85, I think your GP staff are way behind the times, especially that nurse! I think I'd push for referral to an endocrinologist. You should also have access to a Diabetes Specialist Nurse(it certainky doesn't sound like the nurse at the surgery is one of those!)There are other tests that can be done. Are they positive you are a Type 2 diabetic? There are other forms of diabetes than just Type 1 and 2. It seems that you are being palmed off!
I think if it were me, I'd investigate low carb. Most people eat a huge amount of carbs and sugar without realising, and sometimes even very small changes can make a huge difference to blood sugar.
Do you check your bloods with a meter? That's a good way to open your eyes regarding the effects of common foods on blood sugar.......I'd bet your nurse would say no, but.......otherwise how are you going to know?
Meters are generally fairly cheap, and strips tend to be more expensive. There are threads on here which will recommend one and strips if you are interested.

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DorsetJon said:

I agree with Zilsniggy’s (and others') comments. I am not impressed with the treatment you have had so far. You should first have had a full blood lipid profile done and you should then have been given the opportunity to discuss the results with a diabetes expert (from what you’ve said, the nurse is not one of these). The diabetes doctor should then have taken into account any other risk factors for cardiovascular disease that you may have before deciding whether to recommend that you take a statin. As a 34-year old woman, your risk of heart disease is likely to be extremely low, even if your cholesterol level is a bit higher than is recommended, so I am rather surprised you have been advised to take a statin. Even if statins were to be advised, it is usually better to start on a low dose (e.g. 10 mg atorvastatin) to see if you can tolerate this (i.e. with no side effects) and to measure the effects of this dose on your cholesterol level, before upping the dose in steps if necessary. (I am on 40 mg, with no side effects, but I was first given 10 and then 20 mg)

Having said all this, the first step would be to try to reduce your type 2 diabetes, and possibly even reverse it, through a change in your diet. You would definitely not then have to take a statin. On this website and others you will find a lot of advice and information about the dietary changes that can help to achieve this.

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bulkbiker said:

Which meter do you have.. the Tee2 from spirithealthcare is fairly cheap to run and I've found it very accurate.
Strips are £7.75 for 50

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/collections/tee2

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KK123 said:

Well you could but I suspect those diabetes specialists are pretty much the same all over. You are doing the right thing, researching it for yourself. YOU decide whether you want to take statins and whether you want to eat carbs or not. You don't have to justify or explain anything to the nurse if you don't want to, usually all they focus on is whether your levels are coming down which they probably will be given your approach. If you do have a chatty Nurse then you can either tell her straight what YOU have decided to do or say nothing at all and let the figures speak for themselves. x

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Zilsniggy said:

Take your metformin with food, make sure you have something in your stomach when you take it. If it is still causing issues, and this is very common, ask for the tablets to be changed to slow the release version. These practice nurses ARE NOT Diabetes Specialist Nurses, there is a very different course for that. These practice nurses do a very much shortened course which doesn't qualify them for the title of Diabetes Specialist, The DS nurses usually work in hospitals as part of the endocrinology teams, and you generally need to be referred to them by your GP.

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Zilsniggy said:

Amycav85, I'd be very surprised if this nurse has any further qualifications than her basic RGN.......she certainly doesn't appear to have any clear idea of how to treat diabetic patients I hope her knowledge of asthma is better! I'd take the dose increase very slowly, given your UC, perhaps up it to two in the morning and leave it at one at night for a while until your body gets used to it, then try increasing the evening dose, rather than trying to increase it all at once...... although that is just a suggestion, and should be done in conjunction with your GP's advice.......as should any medication change.

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