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statins

M

milldred

Member
Messages
7
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
my husband is being pressured to take statins , his cholesterol is normal he has never had any heart problems , he is no longer over weight , has anyone had this problem with there doctors care , we are not sure what to do , as the side effects of these drugs are terrible ,
 
you and your husband will make your own choice, the dr isn't going to force him to swallow them every morning...but the benefits can be very good ..if you aren't in the minority that have side effects
 
He doesn't have to take them even if the Dr prescribe them.

Or he could just saay no, that seems the easiest way.

Or change Dr to someone who listens.

What reason does the Dr give for the statins?
 
Well I'm not medically trained. This is my own opinion only. Given the information you have shared about your husband, if I were him, I wouldn't take them. If his cholesterol is normal taking statins could reduce it to a level that is too low to be healthy. Low cholesterol in my opinion is worse than slightly high cholesterol. I have been offered statins around 6 times, when my cholesterol was high. I refused them. My levels are now acceptable as I follow a low carb diet, but please understand this post is about myself I am not encouraging others to follow me. Everyone has to make up their own mind on this one.
 
If your husband does not want to take statins, he does not have to. He has the options to simply tell his doctor that he is not doing it and that's that, or he can accept the prescription and pop it in the bin as soon as he gets home, or he can collect the drugs from the chemist and then flush them down the loo.
If you want more information about statins, try reading "The Great Cholesterol Con" by Dr Malcolm Kendrick. Google him and you'll find his blog.
Sally
 
jack412 said:
you and your husband will make your own choice, the dr isn't going to force him to swallow them every morning...but the benefits can be very good ..if you aren't in the minority that have side effects
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no the doctor cant force him to take them , but it does put pressure him , there is so much controversy about these drugs .its hard to know what to do .
 
zand said:
Well I'm not medically trained. This in my own opinion only. Given the information you have shared about your husband, if I were him, I wouldn't take them. If his cholesterol is normal taking statins could reduce it to a level that is too low to be healthy. Low cholesterol in my opinion is worse than slightly high cholesterol. I have been offered statins around 6 times, when my cholesterol was high. I refused them. My levels are now acceptable as I follow a low carb diet, but please understand this post is about myself I am not encouraging others to follow me. Everyone has to make up their own mind on this one.
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thankyou I tend to agree with you ,he does have a good diet and feels well at the moment ,
 
We do in fact need a certain amount of cholesterols - for several bodily functions (nerves and brain especially come to mind). Actually, our body is so clever as to produce around 85% to 90% of cholesterols itself.

annelise
 
milldred said:
no the doctor cant force him to take them , but it does put pressure him , there is so much controversy about these drugs .its hard to know what to do .
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Don't feel pressurised, talk things over with the Dr and ask why they are wanting your husband to take statins, from there he can make a decision whether he wants to take them or not.
 
From what you say your husband is not in any category that would derive any benefit from statins. Unfortunately there is a developing culture that practices get more money for each person they sign up to statins, but as I understand it the final part of the prescription process has to be 'the patient has to agree'. This seems to be conveniently glossed over sometimes, it certainly was with me (I also refused them point blank).

Otherwise I agree with all the above.
 
sanguine said:
From what you say your husband is not in any category that would derive any benefit from statins. Unfortunately there is a developing culture that practices get more money for each person they sign up to statins, but as I understand it the final part of the prescription process has to be 'the patient has to agree'. This seems to be conveniently glossed over sometimes, it certainly was with me (I also refused them point blank).

Otherwise I agree with all the above.
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that theory doesn't gel with no strips for T2, one is making money, one is losing money
 
Some people in the medical profession (guess who they are sponsored by) advocate giving statins to everyone from childhood onwards whether or not they are healthy. In my opinion (and my GP's) these people are completely bonkers.
 
sanguine said:
Some people in the medical profession (guess who they are sponsored by) advocate giving statins to everyone from childhood onwards whether or not they are healthy. In my opinion (and my GP's) these people are completely bonkers.
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I saw (about 9 months ago?) that in the US, doctors are now advised to prescribe statins to all diabetics! I kind of fear that this recommendation will kind of spread - as recommendations from the US often do ...

annelise
 
some people pro statin would be bonkers if it's for everyone like a vitamin pill has been marketed. the ultimate just in case tablet.
whether it's right or wrong, as the data comes in from statins, the pool that are recommended to take them has increased.
 
Dr Terry McCormack, a council member of the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society, has previously said: ‘For diabetes, prescribing statins is more important than hypoglycaemic drugs.'.... -as a GP he does not get an incentive for prescribing hypoglycaemic drugs.....

Google "QOF statins" or google "targets GP statins" this will give all patients a better clue just how much GP's are being pressurised into prescribing statins and incentives...and then make up your own minds..
 
'He has the options to simply tell his doctor that he is not doing it and that's that, or he can accept the prescription and pop it in the bin as soon as he gets home, or he can collect the drugs from the chemist and then flush them down the loo.'

Whatever you decide, let the doctor know what you are doing.
It's pointless the doctor believing you are on a course of drugs, and either attributing your results to those drugs, or wondering why the drugs aren't having the effect they should do.
You will only get the right treatment if you're honest with him, whether he approves or not.
 
annelise said:
I saw (about 9 months ago?) that in the US, doctors are now advised to prescribe statins to all diabetics! I kind of fear that this recommendation will kind of spread - as recommendations from the US often do ...

annelise
Click to expand...

I had a conversation, a couple of months ago with a doctor at my practise, about statins. My argument was that for me, as a woman of a certain age, no history of CVD, HbA1cs in non-diabetic levels, but an area of her lipids sub-optimal, stains could not scientifically be justified. After we talked it all through; during which time she agreed there was no empirical evidence to support her recommendation, but retorted that NICE now required a positive recommendation for statins to all diabetics. Eventually we agreed that because of my HbA1c results she would agree not to make the recommendation. I didn't particularly want a "refused treatment" on my records, if I could avoid it.

It's bonkers.

I find it disappointing that NICE appears now to be providing simplistic decision trees for such a wide group of patients, but I can also understand our litigious world, the medics are looking for safe ways forward.

Hey ho.
 
I have not heard of anyone being told they need to take statins when their cholesterol is normal I take them myself because I did have raised cholesterol been on them for a few years now and have never had any side effects from them but if I did I would soon tell my doctor I no longer wanted to take them. I agree with Doulglas at least your husband should tell the doctor if he is not going to take them
 
AndBreathe said:
I had a conversation, a couple of months ago with a doctor at my practise, about statins. My argument was that for me, as a woman of a certain age, no history of CVD, HbA1cs in non-diabetic levels, but an area of her lipids sub-optimal, stains could not scientifically be justified. After we talked it all through; during which time she agreed there was no empirical evidence to support her recommendation, but retorted that NICE now required a positive recommendation for statins to all diabetics. Eventually we agreed that because of my HbA1c results she would agree not to make the recommendation. I didn't particularly want a "refused treatment" on my records, if I could avoid it.

It's bonkers.

I find it disappointing that NICE appears now to be providing simplistic decision trees for such a wide group of patients, but I can also understand our litigious world, the medics are looking for safe ways forward.
.
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I just so agree with you.@AndBreathe . I have read several articles saying that women with low cholesterol numbers do have a higher mortality than those of us with higher lipids. . - I don't know about men though.

annelise
 
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