Dont know what to do!

I feel the same as you, Binney. However, at the end of the day we have to make the decision for ourselves. No-one can or should tell us what to do. There is still so much more to learn about statins. I have a packet by my bed. I look at it every night, then get in to bed with it still unopened. I have no idea if I have made the right decision or not.

binney said:

Hi everyone I have a dilema regarding taking cholesteral lowering medication.I am a type 1 on Novorapid and Insulatard.I was put on Simvastin a few years ago but couldnt get on with them.Like so many got the side effects of joint and muscle pain so I stopped taking them.Recently my cholesteral level came back as 5.5mmols and I was started on Atorvastin which although hasnt given me the same side effects as Simvastin did give me nightmares.This occurred around the same time as the articles came out regardinfg the conflicting opinions on the real truth about taking this medication longterm.This concerned me as was very sceptical about taking it after the experience I had on Simvastin,so I stopped taking the Atorvastatin.I am so confused by all the information being published that I just dont know whether to take them or not.Is there anyone that can ease my confusion and help me to make an informed decision.

Many thanks
Binney

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I agree that the decision must be personal.

I quit lipitor several years ago. I have high LDL but good HDL and trigs.

My personal lay opinion as a T2, giving some reasons, is here: Cholesterol, Fats, Carbs, Statins and Exercise

First, statins have nothing to do with diabetes. Cholesterol is vital for the body to repair itself and so on and blood cholesterol does not result from eating fats; it is more to do with eating excess carbs. The evidence for lowering cholesterol thru statins is very weak. So, if you Google the web and look at more recent reports and evidence the argument for having statins is weak unless you are at high risk of cardio type problems.

My Cholesterol levels are considered to be too high. I have endured the side effects of three different Statins. One serious problem I experienced was the difficulty in forming a cohesive sentence and even the ability to remember what other side effects I was suffering.

For a good read about Cholesterol and Satins try Dr Briffa's Blog .

binney said:

I am a little over weight and my current BMI is 29.7 am trying to loose weight so am very interested in bluetit1802 BMI reduction method. Well done on excellent drop so far! Regarding your comment on there is still a lot to learn about statins, I completely agree and I will not be taking them again. Any other thoughts will be much appreciated.

Thanks again
Binney

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It's no secret Binney, I cut the carbs and increased my fat consumption whilst sticking to 1200 calories. I reduced my carbs gradually by trial and error using my BS meter, starting at 126g a day and now down to an average of 63g. I can't cut them any lower or I wouldn't be able to sustain the diet, which I hope to do for the sake of my blood sugars. As for the fat, all I did was ditch any low fat products I was eating, changing over to the real thing. I don't deliberately eat more fat, I just don't actively avoid it and have stopped being frightened of things like bacon and egg fry ups. It has worked for me, and in all honesty has been easy. I am rarely if ever hungry, have never snacked anyway, and on the odd occasion I am hungry I either drink water or have a mug of tea. I have also been lucky not to have any carb cravings leading to temptation. (apart from that vanilla slice that keeps floating across my mind). I have 3 meals a day as evenly spaced as I can. Having now reached my goal weight I am struggling a bit to increase the calories without increasing the carbs, but I'm getting there!

Why not go an see your doctor and ask for a breakdown of your LDL - you need to know the particle size. It will be another blood test, but hold him to ransom on it. Maybe all your 'bad' cholesterol is the big fluffy stuff that actually does no harm whatsoever, maybe its very high in the small dense particles that are harmful. Until you know you cannot really make an informed decision. If your doctor just says you have high cholesterol take the statins, just say, OK, you show me the complete breakdown and I will consider it, without it, you can keep your statins. The bottom line is that it must be a personal decision, but you need the full story before you can realistically make that decision.

Funny you should mention this because this is one of my areas of concern. I haven't been diagnosed yet, but I have been asked to go to the GP tomorrow to discuss my results (I'm taking that isn't a good sign), so I'm arming myself with as much info as possible in the meantime.

Thing is, my mum took statins and I remember her always complaining about her legs and body aches. Now, I'm very overweight and I can ache enough as it is without adding to it, so that's one strike against taking a statin. Quite honestly, the side effects terrify me and I'm dubious about the clinical evidence that they work - I mean, to what extend was it skewed by pharmaceutical companies etc. I don't know, I'm just not convinced the ends justify the means. If I'm offered them tomorrow, I'm going to ask to see how it just reduces naturally over the coming weeks/months as I've already made a bunch of dietary changes, mostly lowering my carb intake.

As Harpar says, it's a personal decision, and the way I feel right now I think I'll be exercising the right not to take them.