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Statins and type 1

M

Mrs of type 1

Well-Known Member
Messages
62
Location
Midlands
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Insulin
My husband has just had his 6 monthly check up at the diabetic clinic. The consultant was very pleased with his HBA 1C that is 6.4. My husband has normal blood pressure and quite low cholesterol, yet the consultant wants my husband to start taking a low dose of statins as he is 53 years old. Has anyone else got experience of taking them? I am concerned about body pain as my husband already has fibromyalgia and neuropathy which causes him chronic pain and fatigue.
 
When I took them for many years I ended feeling very unwell. tired all the time, no energy, problems with memory and aching all over. I put this down to aging (i'm 51) however once I read memory issues where a problem with statins I ditched them. I can honestly tell you I feel like I did when I was 21 although some of that I attribute to LCHF. Its maddening that doctors treat these very dubious drugs with such a nonchalant attitude. I would never consider taking them again unless I had already had a heart attack and then I would have to sit down and carefully consider other options.
 

Same thing happened to me - I was 45 and the doctor felt compelled to put me on Statins even though my blood work indicated that my cholesterol levels were fine. He told me some **** about someone living with diabetes as long as I had was like someone who already had a heart attack - I very seldom see him now because I didn't appreciate the scare tactics.

Anyway, I started taking them and suddenly my level of physical activity dropped significantly because of aches and pains etc. It got to the point that I could no longer carry my canoe across the road or to cycle any further than a couple of kilometers. So I stopped taking the statin - and told him - he got ****** off - but I'm 55 now and I'm back with my normal physical routine again, don't think I would be able to say that if I didn't stop taking statins.

Remind your husband that when all is said and done, he's responsible for his healthcare and maintenance, not his doctor and assuming his cholesterol levels are fine why put more money in the Big Pharma coffers.

All the best!
 
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I had heard bad things about statins, he already has pain, fatigue and memory problems due to the fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome he suffers from, really don't want to make him worse. To be fair the doctor did say it is his choice and he wrote a prescription for a very low dose statin. Really not sure what to do.
 
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My statin was only 10mg..........If his cholesterol is 'quite low' then surely your doctor should be working on increasing the cholesterol to help improve memory function.
 
psignathus said:
My statin was only 10mg..........If his cholesterol is 'quite low' then surely your doctor should be working on increasing the cholesterol to help improve memory function.
Click to expand...
His cholesterol is 4.1 which I believe is quite good, his weight and blood pressure are fine too.
 
Mrs of type 1 said:
His cholesterol is 4.1 which I believe is quite good, his weight and blood pressure are fine too.
Click to expand...

Statins have the potential for very serious side effects in some people. your consultant must have shares in a pharmaceutical company, I can think of no other reason for his recommendation of statins.
 
I also suffered from side effects of statins. I was prepared to put up with muscle pain which set in within months of starting to take them, but then my appetite completely disappeared. I felt empty but not hungry. I complained about this for about two years to my GP, other doctors at the same surgery and every time I was at the hospital clinic. It became difficult to eat enough carbohydrate to balance my insulin. At the same time I began to have short term memory problems and lost the ability to think clearly. At first, I put all this down to getting older. My GP wanted to put me on anti-depressants when I went to the surgery in desperation. ( My husband told me afterwards that my personality changed as well. ) I put all this down to getting older. Finally, I was made redundant.

A few weeks later I read a letter in a Diabetes UK magazine by a professor of History who had found himself unable to do his job within days of starting to take statins. I stopped the tablets. After a fortnight, my appetite was back. My memory took longer to recover. I don't think it was completely right for a year or more.

The really devestating thing about statins is that doctors do not recognise the side effects, even those that are well-known. Try putting 'side effects of statins' into the NHS Choices website. It lists memory problems, but since reasoning depends on memory I reckon that is compromised as well. Mine certainly was. Trying to identify a problem and argue with HCPs when your memory is not working properly puts you at a real disadvantage. I wouldn't suggest anyone should take them, but some evidently can without apparent ill-effects. You need to make up your own mind and research this yourself.
 
Mrs of type 1 said:
His cholesterol is 4.1 which I believe is quite good, his weight and blood pressure are fine too.
Click to expand...

4.1 is very good, my TC is the around the same which my diabetes consultant is very pleased with

Given the on-going medical conditions and side-effects that your husband already suffers I'd be reluctant to take the statin (just my own opinion but don't let that sway you or husband's in any way).
 
The side effects sound terrible that you suffered JMK1954. The consultant thought the statins would help lower the risk of a possible heart attack in the future as my husband has been a type1 for over 30 years, of course that highers the risk. Yet on the other hand he said my husband wasn't a high risk as weight, cholesterol and blood pressure are all good, doesn't really make sense. Everything I have read about statins is negative.
 
Isn't the recommended total cholesterol for diabetics under 4?
 
Yes, they are just guidelines and pretty poor ones in my opinion. If anyone wants my opinion, it is:
I wouldn't worry too much about total cholesterol or LDL
HDL should be over 1.5
Triglycerides should be less than 1.0
 
Don't touch them with a barge pole! Especially if your cholesterol level is normal. I was put on them and by a stroke of luck had to come off due to a course of antibiotics. It was as though sunlight had penetrated fog. I didn't realise how ill they were making me: tired, listless, loss of memory, snappy - the list goes on. Doc has put me on Ezeritide now and no side effects after I point blank refused to go back on statins. It's your body. You can say no. I'd rather have ten years feeling amazing than twenty feeling like a zombie. Hope that helps.
 
Doctor put me on them when I was diagnosed with T2, after about 3 months I developed a very painful Achilles muscle strain. After 12 months of pain I looked into the issue and found that one of the side affects of Satins was muscle strain, so I went back to the doctors with what I had found and told him I was not taking them anymore. He just said OK, 6 weeks later I was without pain in my acchillies for the first time in over 12 months. Avoid the Satins as much as you can.
 
Tell your husband to point out the results of the metastudy recently published in the Lancet, which found that 92%of people followed in the study who had "high" cholesterol lived longer than their "low" cholesterol counterparts.
 
As usual everyone is different. I have been on a large dose (40mg) for a few years with no side affects but my Cholesterol level has dropped to 3.8. I have been a type 1 for 45 years. I asked my consultant last week if I could drop my dose to 20mg but was told that as my level was only just under 4.0 that it would be better to stay on the higher dose as 4.0 is the desired level for a Diabetic. I did learn something interesting though - I am on Simvastatin which apparently is not as powerful as the Atorvastatin that my husband takes. He also has no side affects but is a non-diabetic. I know that some people do have side affects but there's nothing to say you can't try them and then stop if you do have side affects.
 

Statins are known for causing muscle problems/weakness and memory problems too. Also certain ones can increase your blood sugar (in type 2's not sure about type 1's). If you were considering taking them I would ask your GP about taking coq10 supplement which lessens the bad effects of the statin (the muscle weakness & memory problems, doesn't help with the blood sugar though). My brother lives in the USA and said his doctor recommended him taking coq10 with his statin. I've also been told by a German pharmacist that they are prescribed with statins over there.
 
I went on statins for three months I had difficulty going to the toilet and my hba1c jumped from 45 to 56 with no increase in my weight. I am type 2. Back off the statins and waiting to see if it improves. My spot checks appear to be improving since stopping.
 
I've been on 40mg simvastatin for a couple of years now with no side effects. It has brought my cholesterol levels down to just below 4.0 as planned and recommended for type 1's.
So it's not all bad news for statins.
 
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