Diabetic Review - statins, testing, and and strips

Bluetit1802 said:

HbA1c 46 (6.4%) down from 50 two months ago
BP 110/80
Urine clear of any nasties
Weight loss 2st. 8lbs since February
Full blood count all normal
Liver and kidneys all normal
eGFR 79 up from 68 two months ago so going in the right direction
Total cholesterol 5.2
Triglycerides 0.7
HDL 1.55
LDL 3.3
total/HDL ratio 3.4


I told her my concerns about consuming insufficient calcium. She took a blood test to check the levels in my bones. (which was normal on my last test in January but that was before my low carb diet). Results tomorrow.

Discussed low carb. She agreed about real butter, real mayo and real yogurts etc being better for you than artificial stuff and to forget low fat products. No objections to my 70g carb target but did say to eat some bread every day, which I do anyway.

Discussion about statins. I confessed I had stopped taking them 4 weeks earlier. She laughed and said she gathered that from my increased total cholesterol and LDL scores! She suggested I think about having the 20mg simvastatin rather than the 40mg prescribed for me on the grounds that the pill itself actually has beneficial effects on the arteries as it makes them more flexible (in addition to lowering cholesterol). I will have to look this up before I decide what to do.

Discussion about testing. She was impressed how I am using testing to sort out meals suitable for me. She then said "This is not coming from me .... but .....the NHS has clamped down on the provision of testing strips for non medicated diabetics due to cost ..." She said as I am self funding to carry on as I am being sensible and what I am doing is clearly working for me, but I am not to get obsessed as this will lead to anxiety etc. I can't have a prescription for more strips.

I have now been put on 6 monthly tests and reviews. Does this mean I can eat chips for the next 3 months then stop again?

Click to expand...

Bluetit1802 said:

Thank you, but I have a way to go to be as good as you. We have a different nurse. Mine is JMc. I told her straight I was on about 70g carbs. She looked stunned and that's when she told me to eat some bread every day and asked me if I felt OK. She then warned me to increase the carbs if I exercise a lot. I just nodded. Other than that there were no comments. She is very anti low fat products.

Click to expand...

Bluetit1802 said:

HbA1c 46 (6.4%) down from 50 two months ago
BP 110/80
Urine clear of any nasties
Weight loss 2st. 8lbs since February
Full blood count all normal
Liver and kidneys all normal
eGFR 79 up from 68 two months ago so going in the right direction
Total cholesterol 5.2
Triglycerides 0.7
HDL 1.55
LDL 3.3
total/HDL ratio 3.4


I told her my concerns about consuming insufficient calcium. She took a blood test to check the levels in my bones. (which was normal on my last test in January but that was before my low carb diet). Results tomorrow.

Discussed low carb. She agreed about real butter, real mayo and real yogurts etc being better for you than artificial stuff and to forget low fat products. No objections to my 70g carb target but did say to eat some bread every day, which I do anyway.

Discussion about statins. I confessed I had stopped taking them 4 weeks earlier. She laughed and said she gathered that from my increased total cholesterol and LDL scores! She suggested I think about having the 20mg simvastatin rather than the 40mg prescribed for me on the grounds that the pill itself actually has beneficial effects on the arteries as it makes them more flexible (in addition to lowering cholesterol). I will have to look this up before I decide what to do.

Discussion about testing. She was impressed how I am using testing to sort out meals suitable for me. She then said "This is not coming from me .... but .....the NHS has clamped down on the provision of testing strips for non medicated diabetics due to cost ..." She said as I am self funding to carry on as I am being sensible and what I am doing is clearly working for me, but I am not to get obsessed as this will lead to anxiety etc. I can't have a prescription for more strips.

I have now been put on 6 monthly tests and reviews. Does this mean I can eat chips for the next 3 months then stop again?

Click to expand...