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Statins

C

CallMeAlan

Active Member
Messages
26
Location
Newbury
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi all. Received a letter from my GP surgery a few days ago which said that new guidelines suggest that all diabetics take a statin to reduce their cholesterol, regardless of their actual cholesterol level. She has presribed Atorvastatin, 20 mg, one to be taken at night.

I have no idea what my cholesterol level is - it wasn't tested at my last blood test, when my HbA1C was 40.

Are there any views on this please?

Alan.
 
I would say you need an up to date cholesterol reading with a complete breakdown of trigs, HDL, LDL etc. That is the only way to make an informed decision
 
Oh my. You've opened a can of worms there.
 

I was told exactly that, in more or less the same words, when I was first diagnosed in January 2014 - 8 long years ago! Hardly new guidelines. You could ask your GP what these new guidelines are, who issued them, and when they were originally issued.
 
You could also argue that HbA1c 40 is not even in prediabetes range, @CallMeAlan .
 
I was offered statins, when I only in for my pneumonia vaccine, a couple of weeks ago. I declined and a note was put on my records that I had declined.
 
I took Atorvastatin and Metformin for about 5 weeks - very very bad and it took some time to recover. I had to relearn over 300 folk songs I used to know by heart but ended up having to have the words in front of me.
After 5 years I an just about getting back to where I was, but it dented my confidence severely.
 
@Rachox: I'm due another blood test so I'll ask for the lipids etc to be done at that time.

@ianpspurs: worms: whyfore?

@Resurgam: do you mean it affected your memory?? Mine is bad enough already! I don't want to lose any more.

Well so far I've only taken one Atorvastatin, so we'll see if I still know my name in a week or two!

A.
 

Never.
 
I've been prescribed statins and no way will I take them. A risk/benefit analysis comes out very heavy on "risk" especially as statins raise blood glucose (sigh) but also come with a whole lot of other very unpleasant side effects. Please note I am NOT recommending this as something others should do: it's my decision.

Some time I will have to have that conversation with my GP and I can't say I'm looking forward to it, but I've done a lot of research on statins as well as proper peer-reviewed modern research on cholesterol levels. I know many people personally who have had the kind of side-effects from statins that I don't want, so I'm not taking 'em.
 
They keep being pushed at me and I keep refusing. All my lipid readings are in range apart from the total cholesterol, which is falling anyway. There is very little evidence that suggests to me that statins would give me a significant health benefit, and quite a bit suggesting the reverse. I found Verner Wheelock's book "Healthy Eating - The Big Mistake" very useful.
 
Nothing I’ve read, as a woman a few years till 50, that having low cholesterol is of any benefit to my well being.
I no longer get mine tested.
 
They can jump for one as far as I am concerned from a rather high height
 
Hotpepper20000 said:
Doctors can suggest but it doesn’t mean you have to take them.
Read as much as you can on the subject and make your own decision
Click to expand...
I already have but my surgery cannot help themselves and keep touting statins. My mum and dad took them and had terrible symptoms. They might be okay for some but not for me.
 
Hi Alan,

I’m 38 and type 1 (diagnosed at 15 months old) my consultant at my last appointment said they same thing - even though all of my results were good - HDL, LDL, Triglycerides and the ratio between them was good. The conversation went along the lines of that although my cholesterol is good as diabetes is a metabolic disorder my risk of heart disease is high so to reduce this risk anyone who is 40 or over should take statins. I said at the time I wasn’t 40 and would like to have the same conversation again when I have turned 40!
 
Yes. I was diagnosed late 2016 and I did the Christmas supermarket shop twice.
I called at my daughter's house on the way back from the first shop and forgot it was in the car. Two days later I went out again, wandered around the car park looking for the car, then opened it up and found all the things still in the back. It was a nasty shock. I went home and threw out the tablets, but for some years I was realising how bad it had been.
 
Statins destroyed my short-term memory to the point that I was no longer able to put together a reasoned argument at work. I was made redundant as a result and completely lost my confidence. My memory took several years to recover fully, though the improvement started within 2 weeks or so of stopping the statins. I would recommend anyone who starts taking them to be extremely cautious. GPs and practice nurses have no knowledge of the more serious side-effects. They only know about aching muscles and joints.
 
For a non diabetic the LDL range is 1.5-4.5 mmol/L,
but according to guidelines a diabetic has to be below 2.5
or if he is older than 40 below 1.8 even.

There is discussion of giving all diabetics statins no matter what their cholesterol levels.
If we all get diabetes they can put them in the watersupply after all.
 
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