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High Cholesterol & Statins... what do i do??

AabBsStTaA

Member
Messages
22
Location
South Devon
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I've been t1 for 15 years. For many different reasons I lost contact with my diabetes team for nearly 2 years and its only been in the last 7 or 8 months that I have began to see a diabetes specialist at my local surgery again, which wasn't an easy thing for me to do, to build back up trust in them after being so let down by them so many times before.

Anyway to the point with my cholesterol, I had a blood test where they checked everything like they do and got the results back a couple of weeks later.
She showed them to me with all the other things they checked but the cholesterol was the only thing that was slightly high. At the time I got the results I was rather upset and emotional with other things that were happening in my life besides the diabetes and the nurse had told me not to worry about doing anything for it at the time as it wasn't a major worry.
I then had to go for another appointment to the doctor about another issue unrelated to my diabetes a few weeks later with a doctor - who as they always do turned the appointment around to be about my diabetes. she said it flagged up flashing on her screen about my cholesterol.
She didn't talk to me about what I could do to lower it or even really explain to me what it was she just straight away prescribed me statins - stating that loads of people are on them.

She prescribed me the statins and told me to take one a day......now before I even get the chance to ask are they safe with my diabetes, will they effect it at all she had basically walked me out the door. For one the level of care she gave to me was appalling having already read aloud my previous record with my diabetes nurse, picking fault at anything she possibly could. She made rather rude and insulting comments about the other issues I had discussed with the other nurse and at one point told me try out internet dating. To say I walked out of there angry and once again upset would be an understatement!!

But now you see I am left with the issue of the statins. what do I do??? are they safe to take?? do any of you other t1's take them?? From what I've read about them before they aren't something I want to be taking, but I don't know what to do? surely there is other things I can try and do before I take the statins??? Someone please help me!!
 
Statins- up to individual... However, they should have talked to you about lifestyle ie exercise (this is a MUST under NICE guidelines) and possibly eating.. Ie what foods are you eating?
You do not have to take them especially as it appears they have not advissd you of side effects.
 
She never explained them to me.... And although I have a vague idea on cholesterol it just shocked me more than anything.
For many years I've lost trust in the doctors and nurses and this just took me back 3 steps after going forward 5.
At the moment I'm not taking them. I've looked into other ways of treating it... But it's besides the point. I feel like I've been given the tablets because they don't have the time to give me any help. I have no idea what to do... Currently I'm looking at ways on which I need to change what I eat but I'm worried about the effect the cholesterol will have on my diabetes.
 
Statins are a big issue and the NHS prescribes them like sweets. They have nothing to do with diabetes and in fact make blood sugar slightly worse. There is growing evidence that there is no need to reduce blood cholesterol other than by exception if at high risk. Total cholesterol is largely irrelevant as it's the HDL/LDL ratio that matters. GPs and nurses rarely understand this and are told by the 'NHS' to prescribe them. Having a low carb diet will improve your LDL/HDL ratio. If you do decide to take statins then have the lowest dose that achieves the cholesterol levels you want to have.
 
She told me to take one a day and not drink grapefruit juice..... I know I'm a a bit bigger than what I should be and my weight had always been an issue for me but it's something I work so hard at. I eat healthy and I exercise regularly.... No my diabetes doesn't have the perfect control but I'm trying my **** hardest at it. I've heard so many things about the statins mainly negative and it's not something that I want to start taking unless I really need to. Im not even aware of what my cholesterol should be and at 18 I didn't really think of it as something I should be concerned about.... Obviously I was wrong!
 
I think you will find they should not be prescribed to females of child bearing age anyway. Did the Dr give a break down of the ratio?
I must admit I would have told her what to do with the prescription and I have never taken statins nor do I ever have any intention of taking them even with 50 years of diabetes under my belt.
Bottom line though it's your choice, no one can make you take them if you don't want to.
 

-carbsrok
She literally looked at her screen said "oh your cholesterol high" moaned that the diabetes nurse hadn't said anything about it and printed off the prescription and sent me on my way. She didn't explain anything, didn't give me advice on any of it... I was aware it was high but not aware of what to do.... Another thing which made me angry was that the results that she was reading from were from a blood test taken a few months back.... Surely my cholesterol could have changed in the that time?
She was patronising and couldn't give a toss about me as a person... My age, my emotional state at the time and other things werent taken into consideration what so ever....

No joke my trust in the 'NHS' is slowly slipping away again. 15 years and not once have i ever really felt like anyone cares about Me and my diabetes...

Im not planning on taking them when I know nothing whatsoever about them!!
 
Hi. Please don't let this appalling woman's attitude further put you off getting the care you are entitled to!!!! (I refuse to call her a doctor!!). Is there another GP at the practice than you can go and talk to? If there isn't I would consider changing GPs, its actually really easy to do. Before you can make a proper decision about whether to take the statins, you really need to know what your results were, and why the doctor is deciding to prescribe them before exploring other ways of lowering your cholesterol levels. The GP may actually have a valid reason for prescribing them or may just be taking the easy route (for her not you). Whichever, you have a right to know and choose what happens to your body, and you can't make that choice unless you are given the information and reasons for their decisions. But please don't just leave it, you need to look after yourself even if that idiot doctor didn't!!!! Sue xxxxx
 
I would complain about her attitude to yourself to the practise manager. You can speak direct to him/her or write a letter saying what you have posted here. If you don't get any joy from that direction, I would seek a new GP, and write to the trust with the reason you are moving. They shouldn't be allowed to treat anyone like that.
 

The surgery is in the village where I live the next place to go is I'm the next town and not easy to get to for Me.
I am intending on putting in a complaint to who it regards over the next few days.
The whole issue I have is with the actual Dr. It was a one off appointment that had no connection with my diabetes!
No one deserves the same treatment as to what I received and I will make sure the trust are aware of what happened.
 
Hi. You said you have a healthy diet but could still lose some weight? Can you let us know what sort of foods you typically have? BTW GPs and nurses are scored on the computer for prescribing statins and are encouraged to do it. It's part of NHS madness and big pharma profits. You might like to read Doctoring Data by Malcolm Kendrick (a UK GP). His deep analysis of the data is that lowering cholesterol can increase not decrease the risk of heart problems. It's your choice as others have said.
 
Hi @AabBsStTaA, I had my first appointment with the Diabetes Consultant a month ago. He said because of my age and health, (67yrs and diabetic), I should be on statins. He showed me a chart on his computer. It was a page of red and pink hearts. There were 100 hearts on the page which represented 100 people. 18 of the red hearts were broken, this meant that these 18 people took the statins and still had a heart attack. The next 18 people took statins and didn't have a heart attack. The other 64 weren't taking statins and didn't have a heart attack. He asked me what I would like to do. I said I would like to be in the 64 group and not take statins and not have a heart attack. Before you make a decision on statins you should know what your results were, ask for them at reception. You need to make an informed decision about what medication you take. You don't have to take statins to lower cholesterol, it can be achieved by eating the right type of fats.
 
I am going to throw my hat into the ring,I am 67 years old and type 1 for close on 53 years and have taken statins for the past 20 years. I would not presume to advise you either way,for or against as I am not a doctor,the decision is entirely yours.
 
There are other ways to lower your cholesterol , I use artichoke tablets and special cholesterol lowering margarine. I was put on statins in January but only the lowest dose 10mg/dl and am always forgetting to take them. Got my LDL down to acceptable levels with these remedies within 3 months. Previously I had been trying to do it naturally by limiting fat intake but with me it was hereditary so had no chance .

In my experience if you have a family history of cholesterol problems then don't waste your time trying to get it down naturally. If statins cause you problems then try artichoke or other cholesterol lowering remedies.
 
I know exactly where your coming from.I've had cholesterol problems for years.Just like you, start taking these statins says the doc.Didn't have diabetes when i started taking them.Had all the side effects.Weight gain muscle wastage hair falling out.And guess what.Not once did they reduce my cholesterol,and now i am T2.Got sick and tired of every day,hearing on the news, statins are good for you.Then, the next day, no their not.Well, when you make your minds up if their good or bad.I in the meantime i refused to take them until someone, can prove their worth.Because they haven't worked for me As i said.Got all the side effects and none of the so called benefits.It seems that statins to the nhs,is like someone saying i'll put the kettle on and that will make it all better.They hand out statins like sweets.Dont tell you any of the problems they can cause.Hardly any follow up blood tests to see what damaged they've caused or if their doing any good.I haven't taken a statin for ages .Have high cholesterol but im still alive and kicking.Just watch what your eating fat wise and try to exercise as much and as you can.And by the way i have a diabetic nurse who quite frankly is a total waste of space.So your not on your own on that one as well.Best of luck.Statins are not the be all and end all, believe you me.
 

Did you get any advice on NICE guidelines at all regarding exercise and lifestyle changes before statins were offered?
 

I was prescribed statins a few years ago. It is on my repeat but I dont tick that particular box because I made a conscious descision not to take them. As wurst says there are other ways and using a mixture of these I have managed to keep my cholesterol ratio within range. Normally when I have my appointment with the diabetes nurse she looks at my cholesterol, sees my statins on prescription and makes a comment that the statins seem to be working to which I reply that I dont actually take them. To which the response I get is a surprised look from the nurse.
 
Strange how things differ. I saw the specialist yesterday. He said my cholesterol was high and had to recommend statins as I was over 40. He said it is completely up to me whether I want them and explained the pro's and con's. When I said no he said that is fine but I will have to get used to him asking me this every time I go in.

Maybe watch bbc2 at 8 tomorrow and see if they have some tips.
 
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