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Surgery trying to put me on Statins... Again!

luceeloo

Well-Known Member
Messages
677
Location
Rowley Regis
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
I'm really very annoyed today.
I had my annual review yesterday, and it all went a little bit better than I thought it would. My hba1c is down to 7.9% from 9.1% despite me having tantrum and throwing all my Gliclazide in the bin a few weeks back.
Cholesterol was 5.3 last time, it's 4.5 this time, with my Triglycerides at 1.7. So not ideal, but better and definitely moving in the desired direction.
So, then there was the QRisk (which I posted about elsewhere), which takes into account all kinds of things like BMI, Cholesterol levels, blood pressure etc, and gives a lovely % of the risk of cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years.
My level is 10.4% and anything 10 or above is where the GP's like to take action.
I refused to take a statin, having been on them before. And gave the very valid reason that I'm of childbearing age and would quite like to bear a child at some point in the not so distant future.

So, yesterday we left it where she gave me 3 months to "prove" that my cholesterol is on a downward curve, and we'd sit down and discuss in December.

This afternoon whilst at work I got a phonecall from my Nurse. She'd reviewed my case with the GP and the Dr had decided that I should start a Statin, so my prescription of Atorvastatin had already been put in at my usual pharmacy.
I asked her how that would impact the fact that we are trying to conceive, and she told me that we wouldn't be able to whilst I am on a statin.

How dare they assume that they can control people's life plans simply because I most likely tick a box that will get them a bit more funding! I'm 36, that biological clock is ticking quite loudly these days... so am I just supposed to put all plans on hold for years?
Needless to say, I have no plans to take said drug, but it still makes me very angry that the NHS rarely ever takes the whole person into consideration!
 
I fully agree ... and the wife is jumping up and down shouting expletives at the computer aimed at your Dr for you ... Its like if you go to a doctor you are expected to sign your life over to them .. I must be honest I was one of those sad people who trusted everything my Dr and DSN told me.. I suffered years of ill health due to statin .. and every time the wife said I must fight to come off them.. the Dr would reassure me the wife was just a stupid women and he knew best .. I listened to him... but as my health was failing at such a rate (heart problems, not diabetes T2) I had nothing left to loose .. so listened to the silly woman/wife .. I now have my life back and will never trust a Dr or DSN again.
As the wife says .. why trust someone who doesn't even know your name
You do what is best for you.. & wish you well with you plans for a family
 

Write a formal letter of complaint to the practice manager and also copy your GP into it.
 
I'm furious for you .. !!
Your levels are all going in the right direction and seem very good to me. Not so many years ago the advised cholesterol level was 6 which was then dropped to 5 and I think it's 4 now.
If I had obeyed my doctor I'd have permanently aching joints on statins and constantly nauseous and running to the loo on metformin. I'm doing very well without either of those on my LCHF diet.
I've had much better advice and guidance on the forum here than I've ever had from my Dr or DN and feel better now than I have in years.
Good luck with your planned pregnancy xx
 
My understanding is that the link between cholesterol and cvd was started in the 1950s by Ancel Keys seven nations study. This is now largely contested and the link fraudulently made by Mr. Keys. Read as much as you can about cholesterol especially lower cholesterol and females. Read as much as you can regarding the 'nurses health study', armed with good information you might want to challenge your doctor regarding statins and their use on anyone who has not suffered a heart attack. It's your body, knowledge is power. Be strong. Oh lots on you tube and try reading the cholestrol conspiracy by Russell Smith PhD.

http://www.betternutrition.com/lower-cholesterol-myth/
 
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Two years ago my doctor said I must take statins because my HbA1C was high. I said no.
6 months ago, my HbA1C was down to normal range, but the doctor said I must take statins because my triglycerides were high. I said no.
Last week my HbA1C was normal, my trigs were normal, my blood pressure was normal and my BMI was normal. The doctor said I must take statins because my LDL was too high. I asked her if the LDL particles were the healthy big and fluffy or the unhealthy small and hard, but she didn't know. I asked her how the statins worked, and she said "we don't really know".
Hmmm - I think I'll give them a miss.
 
 
LOL... I've never even set eyes on this particular Doctor. She's one of those whose signatures magically appear on the blood test forms etc, but I've yet to believe that she actually exists!
I'm still as mad this morning, but even more insistent that I'm no way going to start the statins. After, as suggested by @psignathus, I spent a couple of hours last night reading about cholesterol, I realise just how preposterous the whole statins situation is.
 
@luceeloo all your surgery is doing is what the 'state' demands of them. Right now that is everyone on statins, or so it seems. You are (at the moment) at liberty to ignore the advise of your Dr and PN and that will be the case unless and until your are 'sectioned' under the mental health act.
I get the same punch and judy scenario every time I see my PN. Eventually I resorted to humour and said ' You bring me a letter signed by the Pope stating that there is no God, I will take statins'
 
After my last blood test my total cholesterol was 6.9 and I was summoned in to see the practice nurse who gave me the lecture about dangerous high cholesterol etc etc . I said if she had read my notes she would have seen that I have tried 3 different statins and all of them gave me terrible muscle pain and I would not take them again . After a lot of huffing and puffing and giving me a booklet on the dangers of high cholesterol she said she would review at next blood test . A week later I get a phone call from the practice my doctor wants to see me about my cholesterol I explained just seen the nurse but no he still wanted to see me. In I went same lecture so told him I won't take them but if he could offer me something else ( I had just read NICE have just sanctioned a new injectable for people who can't take Statins but of course must be expensive ) he said well let's see what the next blood test says so completely the same outcome as the nurse . They only seem interested in prescribing statins so stand your ground don't take them if you dont want them. It will be interesting at the end of October when next blood test due .
 
To be honest, the best thing you can do with the practice nurse and the GP is to print off some of the papers such as this one, http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=416105&resultClick=3 which showed that over a population of 65,000 people without pre-existing heart conditions, statins made no difference to lifespan and of course the CS Fat review that

Then of course there are pages 26-28 of this publication from last year: http://publications.credit-suisse.c...fm?fileid=9163B920-CAEF-91FB-EE5769786A03D76E

All of it is useful additional info to present to docs and nurses who have a certain view to challenge their current assumptions, even if you don't change them.
 
I wonder if GP's get paid extra for prescribing statins. Anyone know?
 
Just adding to @tim2000s recommendation, if you are female, the following study is a good one:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3303886/

Note in the conclusions of the study:

"If our findings are generalizable, clinical and public health recommendations regarding the ‘dangers’ of cholesterol should be revised. This is especially true for women, for whom moderately elevated cholesterol (by current standards) may prove to be not only harmless but even beneficial."
 
Thanks for the info @tim2000 and @lindy51 I will print this off for next time . Sorry no like button anymore on I phone app ?
 
I just take the wife along as she says to them .... who's body is this ... then they back down ....
 
Hi. Tell your GP/nurses to read Malcolm Kendrick's two books on cholesterol and medicine facts (Google it). You may not agree with everything he says but he is a UK GP and obviously has done his homework.
 
dawnmc said:
I wonder if GP's get paid extra for prescribing statins. Anyone know?
Click to expand...
They get ticks and gold stars from NHSE ;-)...sit tight long enough they'll be on another hobby horse soon enough x
 
I'm under the impression that no professional is in a position to force a patient to accept any medication or treatment. It's 'my' choice although I agree that the patient should be in a position to make an 'informed choice'.

At my practice I am repeatedly hearing that I need statins. My cholestrol, on the last count, was 4.5 which I consider to be more than acceptable. The arguement from the GP/DN that 'all diabetics are put on statins' and 'we like your cholestrol to be down to 4' is not an argument, in my opinion. I may be diabetic and NICE guidelines may well suggest statins for diabetics but these are merely 'guidelines' and not 'regulations'.

So, each time I hear 'statins' mentioned, I just respond in a very non-committal way, say it's been mentioned before, that I've tried them but they didn't suit me so not prepared to try again. They tend to accept this, until the next time As I have other significant medical issues which the statins have a high probablility of making worse, I think they are a bit wary to push it too much

As I said, at the end of the day, you (the patient) are not obliged to accept the advice although you may be asked to find another GP surgery. If that's how they felt, and clearly not respecting my feelings, I wouild gladly find another surgery to register with.

PS I am sure that the GP has an incentive payment for every patient that is prescribed statins, cos the government are pushing it. I have a feeling it was around £25 each patient. No wonder they are pushing statins ...
 
I refused statins
I refused Gliclazide after being on it for a few months
I am now refusing Insulin after being on it for a few months

Funnily enough my blood tests are the best are the best they have been for years....
 
992947x said:
I refused statins
I refused Gliclazide after being on it for a few months
I am now refusing Insulin after being on it for a few months

Funnily enough my blood tests are the best are the best they have been for years....
Click to expand...

Don't get me started on Gliclazide!
 
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