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Statins

B

bonerp

Well-Known Member
Messages
400
Location
Dorset
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi Ive just been put on SIMVASTATIN 40mg.

Bit miffed cos it says I cant eat grapefruit anymore which is part of my diet and really enjoy!

Are there other types of this medicine that I could go on to save me giving up my fav fruit??

thanks
Paul
 
Hi bonerp,

Do you mind me asking what your cholesterol levels were when you were prescribed statins? I don't mean to be nosey, but everyone seems to be being prescribed these things.

All the best,

fergus
 
Grapefruit contains a chemical that inactivates an enzyme in the liver that breaks down Zocor (simvastatin) and many other statins. Therefore, regular consumption of the fruit can lead to body levels of Zocor that are too high. Patients taking Zocor and most other statins should be advised not to eat grapefruit, the investigators conclude.
SOURCE: Neurology, February 24, 2004.
Publish Date: March 02, 2004”

However, in answer to the question does large amounts of grapefruit juice affect other drugs, the British Heart Foundation on its website states: “Drinking grapefruit juice or having the grapefruit should be avoided if you are taking a statin drug called simvastatin. However, if you’re taking another statin, such as atorvastatin, then grapefruit juice (or the grapefruit) can be taken in small quantities.”

You should check with your doctor to see if the above is true and then maybe change to Atorvastatin.
 
cholesterol is fine - was given them as preventative heart attack measure. Sick of pills tbh - rather just live healthily!
 
Beware of muscle pain - my Chol was 5.0 & they wanted it below 4. I started on 10 mg. After a few months I had intense leg pain when I tried to get up in the morning. I did associate it with statin until I read a letter in Balance. I stopped at once, & the pain was gone within a week. The Dr & chemist confirmed the side effect.
 
my doc and nurse warned me about muscle pains and that for my nurse it took 6 months to recover from it! Great! Think might give it a miss. Not started it yet cos still got another grapefruit to enjoy first!!!
 
I am steady on 5.0 with a low salt/sugar/fat diet, + oat bran & chol reducing margarines. (Mainly Flora ProActive extralight) On diagnosis I was 7.6 & a few years before diagnosis was 6.4. The Dr then assured me that that was not a problem, as I had no other counter indications, though I was overweight. I do eat grapefruit, & lots of other fruit.
 
Hi Bonerp,

The only thing that simvastatin does is to reduce the amount of cholesterol that you liver produces. That is the way in which it reduces the risk of heart attack. A question that you might like to ask of your GP is why do I need to take a med which will only reduce cholesterol when I don't have high cholesterol and therefore am not at high risk of heart attack? Would he recommend that you should also take a paracetamol each day in case you get a headache? Could it by any chance be connected with the recent target that all GPs were given to put all patients that are deemed to have a higher than average risk of heart disease (i.e. all diabetes patients) onto statins whether or not they need them?
 
Dennis, Sue, bonerp, I only wish there were more people with your clear thinking on another murky area.

I was sent a statin prescription through the post by my doctor, because I'm now a diabetic over 40. My cholesterol is fine, but Dennis is right, GP's are paid to prescribe them. Anyway, I took the prescription back to him because it's of no use to me.

What next, eh? Prescribe me a zimmer frame, just in case I become a little unsteady on my pins in another 50 years? Jeez.
 
I did some research into whether there is an alternative to statins for people who need to reduce their cholesterol. What I found was almonds. Here's a summary of what I found:

- 3oz (85g) of almonds a day lowers cholesterol by 14 percent.
- 90% of their fat content is monounsaturated with some polyunsaturated, so they help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the bad cholesterol, while not touching the high-density, or good cholesterol.
- Almonds contain no cholesterol of their own.
- Almonds are loaded with protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, selenium, copper, phosphorus, biotin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, vitamin E and other antioxidants and phytochemicals.
- The folic acid in almonds reduces levels of homocystein, the amino acid that contributes to the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries.
- Studies have shown links between almond consumption and lower risk of cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and other chronic illnesses.

Interestingly I haven't yet found a single piece of research, or even a criticism, that suggests that the claims made for almonds have been exaggerated or overstated. Given a choice between statins and almonds (which fortunately I don't have to make!) I know which way I would go.
 
Hi Dennis

My last results for cholesterol had risen to 4.4 from 3.2. I had been taking simvistatin but because of aching muscles I decided to stop taking them about a week before the tests. Do you think that it could have made that much of a difference in just over a week - I hate taking simvistatin and am off to buy some almonds (Although I still have aching muscles four weeks on and that's without simvistatin). I also asked what my triglyceried reading was and that was 4.4 which to me seems high. I have read that high triglycerides can cause inflamation of the liver. Strangely enough I recently had tests for high ferritin levels (632 - should be 200) and when I looked up information on this it seems that if you have inflamation of the liver then ferritin levels are affected. I don't know how to lower the triglycerides (I think I read somewhere that a reduction in carbs would be beneficial). I find it so frustrating that doctors don't seem to see the total picture - keep taking the tablets is the stock answer.

Regards Val
 
Hi Val,

I've not come across mention of triglycerides affecting the liver, but high TGs are a trigger for pancreatitis, which is why high levels are dangerous for a diabetic, who may well already have some pancreas damage. The recommended way of reducing TGs is to reduce intake of carbohydrates, fats (saturated and monounsaturated) and alcohol. In addition getting more exercise and taking additional doses of Omega-3 fatty acids from fish, flax seed oil or other sources. In Europe the daily recommendation is 2g of Omega-3 together with 1g of Omega-6 fatty acids.

The recommended levels and risks for TGs are:
below 1.7mmol/l - very low, low risk
1.7 - 2.25mmol/l - borderline high, average risk
2.26 - 5.65mmol/l - high, high risk
above 5.65mmol/l - very high, very high risk
 
Hi Dennis

Thanks for your reply. It looks as if I'm in the high risk. Why on earth did my doctor not pick up on it when I asked her what my levels were. It makes me despair.

Cheers Val
 
Of course the patient must have the final say about whether they take meds. But when you say your cholesterol is not high, bear in mind the target for diabetics is at least one notch lower than normal (typically sub-4 instead of sub-5). As far as statins are concerned we've already had one heart attack and are trying to prevent another.
 
Three years ago my cholesterol was 10. I was put on statins for 6months but they played havock with my stomach so I was advised to stop. My cholesterol has stayed at 7.5 ever since and I am not taking statins. Should I be worried. The doctor seems to think they are raised because of both family history and also my blood sugar control. I eat a very healthy diet and exercise. Any advice would help! :?
 
Sugar Pie, 7.5 is a very high level. The medics generally consider below 5 to be low risk, 5 to 6 medium to high risk and above 6 as very high risk. As Littlesue said they generally consider below 5 to be the safe level for diabetics.

Although you say you eat a very healthy diet you also mention you don't have good blood sugar control. What are your BS readings and HBA1C like? What do you consider to be a healthy diet for you? Although your overall cholesterol is 7.5, did your doctor tell you what is the breakdown of LDL, HDL and triglycerides? The individual lipoprotein levels are regarded as a far better guide to risk than just the overall value.
 
SugarPie,

Cholesterol is another one of those issues a bit more complex than it first appears. The overall cholesterol number is actually fairly meaningless. It's quite easy to have a low cholesterol count with a high cardiac risk and vice versa!

As Dennis said, the proportion of LDL and HDL are far more informative. Perhaps the best guide is your cholesterol ratio (total cholesterol divided by HDL). As an example, I just had my most recent blood test results sent to me yesterday. My cholesterol has gone up to 6 on my very low carb diet, which might worry some people. But my HDL (good cholesterol) was 3.8, so the ratio was 1.5. A low risk ratio is thought to be below 4. So although 6 might look high at first glance, closer inspection reveals it to be rather encouraging.

Triglcerides are also worth keeping an eye on, though, because elevated triglycerides are a typical symptom of metabolic syndrome. They're also significantly elevated by a high carb diet, but that's another story.

All the best,

fergus
 
Hi Dennis

That was interesting to read about almonds helping to decrease cholesterol levels. I was at my surgery's diabetic clinic today and was told that my cholesterol was 4.93 and that if it was still at that level next time they would put me on a statin, so I will certainly give the almonds a try to see if they reduce it. I'm not really keen on taking medication if I can do something to help myself.

Thanks for that.

Amberella
 
I was prescribed these dam Statin things they caused so much ancle pain i could hardly walk which almost put me off work, It took two months to get better and ment taking loads of pain killers to.
I told my doctor no way am i taking them again.
 
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