When I was still on Metformin this happened to me, I went to chemist to collect my prescription and was handed my Metformin and a box of Statins. My doctor had offered me statins on numerous occasions and I had always refused so when the chemist gave them to me I handed them back and told her that I had not ordered them. It never happened again.Problem is, if your prescription goes straight to your pharmacy, you are then greeted with a massive great bag of statins next time you go to collect the prescription you actually wanted. After this happened the second time the pharmacist sympathised and put a note against my record, so, hopefully, she won't have to spend time peeling labels off boxes and listen to me wail in anger and frustration.
I ended up writing to the practice manager, insisting that I do not want statins - ever, had made this known to my nice doctor, who agreed with me, and said that I would take it higher if they - the practice staff and the senior doctor - continued to bully me about it. I doubt they will stop, but I feel better for making my feelings known.
Looks like @Bluetit1802 forgot the link! Easily done, but here it is (I keep it bookmarked!):
https://qrisk.org/three/
My GP asks me about statins. I refused. They raise blood sugar levels and can have massively negative side effects including severe muscle pain and memory loss. They seem to have minuscule benefits and massive drawbacks. See the film Statin Nation.
Thanks. Some of the variables are random. If I add my postcode the score goes up quite a lot! Similarly migraines - these are now resolved since LCHF. If I take out migraines, postcode and type 2 diabetes - they really should ask for HbA1c score, my heart health is equivalent to someone 2 years younger. Add any of these back in and it goes up above my age, with postcode being the highest.
slightly controversial....not eating red meat.
To be fair, I probably should have said 'reducing red meat consumption by 85g' (which is probably the same thing for a lot of people). Also the table was produced in 2012 so later studies need to be considered.slightly controversial....
Then your GP needs to go back for re-training!My main concern with statins is the side effect of increasing blood glucose - when I am working hard to keep blood glucose under control why would I want to take a drug which increases it? - but GP insisting cholesterol is more important for diabetics than glucose control??
To be fair, I probably should have said 'reducing red meat consumption by 85g' (which is probably the same thing for a lot of people). Also the table was produced in 2012 so later studies need to be considered.
Having said that, this links to the NHS guidance on red meat consumption:- https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/red-meat.aspx
So many variables though, although anything is worth a try. I have run 5 miles a day for years but still have high overall cholesterol. I have a healthy (lowish carb) diet, don't smoke, don't drink but cannot get my LDL down to a lower level (HDL and trigs are good).Perhaps you could offer to take up another behaviour that is thought to be beneficial instead of taking a statin (a bit like off-setting carbon emissions). On page 4 of this article https://understandinguncertainty.org/files/2012bmj-microlives.pdf it appears, for example, that the daily equivalent of a statin is 20 mins of exercise for a sedentary person, watching 2 hours less television or not eating red meat.
How did I guess you would say that?This being the same NHS that advises starchy carbs for Type 2 diabetics...
Possibly because bad dietary advice based on poor science is the same wherever it comes from. If you don't want to eat red meat then fine but so far as I can see the WHO was ill informed when it published its warnings.. and as for lowering cholesterol being necessarily a good thing I'd say the jury is firmly out on that as well.How did I guess you would say that?Beware of throwing the baby out with the bathwater ...
Can you reduce your trigs without statin? Are you predisposed to severe heart disease (hereditary)?I was diagnosed T2 last year and have been controlling my blood sugar with a low carb diet and exercise. I have fluctuated between 6.3 and 6.8 HBA1C, and my total cholesterol is 5.7. My HDL and LDL are within range - triglycerides are too high.
GP is insistent on me taking Simvastatin 20mg.
I am overweight and trying to lose weight despite the menopause. My blood pressure is no problem at 130/80, and my Qrisk comes out well under 10%.
I am worried about statins in general, but feel bullied by the GP - any advice appreciated...
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?