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Type 1 and Statins.

C

Craig1978

Well-Known Member
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70
Had a follow up appointment with my Diabetes nurse today, and it's been recommended that I start taking Statins. Apparantly, NICE has now recommended people with Type 1 and over 40 should be given the option to take them. I should add that my Cholesterol is there or there abouts correct.

I have no problem at all taking them, but just wondered if anyone here already takes them, and if they have had any issues or side effects etc?
 
My cholesterol was actually OK was when I advised to begin taking statins, when I was about 45, about 13 years ago. My levels have remained very low since then and had no side effects
 
I was told the same some years ago.
I was also told this advice is based on research done with a group of overweight patients who did no exercise.
I declined the statins as there was no evidence to suggest they would provide any advantage to someone who exercises daily and is not overweight.
 
I’m T2 diet only and my hba1c rose from 48 at diagnosis to 54 when I started taking them. I also suffered dizzy spells and sleep disturbance so I stopped taking them with my GPs consent and my medical notes have been annotated as statin intolerant. My hba1c also reduced after I stopped them.
 
helensaramay said:
I was told the same some years ago.
I was also told this advice is based on research done with a group of overweight patients who did no exercise.
I declined the statins as there was no evidence to suggest they would provide any advantage to someone who exercises daily and is not overweight.
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I carry a few extra pounds, nothing major and exercise daily. I think the new advice is based on a long term view of prevention rather than cure. Certainly, higher than usual Cholesterol is an unfortunate trait of T1.
 
bulkbiker said:
Depending on age and sex higher cholesterol levels can be protective against all cause mortality... Also our brains are something like 60% cholesterol.. mess with it at your own risk... just sayin'..
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Not quite sure what you mean or are getting at by this? When you say 'mess with it at your own risk', what do you mean exactly?
 
I am type 2 diet only. On diagnosis I was given a prescription for statins despite my cholesterol and lipids being normal. I did ask why I needed a tablet to reduce cholesterol when it didn't need reducing. The reply was "we give all diabetics statins" . At the time I knew no better so I took them for a couple of months then stopped after reading all the research. My cholesterol and lipids remain normal.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
I am type 2 diet only. On diagnosis I was given a prescription for statins despite my cholesterol and lipids being normal. I did ask why I needed a tablet to reduce cholesterol when it didn't need reducing. The reply was "we give all diabetics statins" . At the time I knew no better so I took them for a couple of months then stopped after reading all the research. My cholesterol and lipids remain normal.
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I genuinely think that the difference between T1 and T2 is the key. I think being able to manage your condition through lifestyle/diet plays a big part. T1 carries an inherant risk regardless of lifestyle/management, so taking Statins, imo, is probably a sensible approach. Probably the advice you were given was in good faith, but maybe not necessary in your case?
 
There have been many posts and much discussion of statins on this forum. I took them for about three years. For me it was disastrous. I lost my short term memory, my husband says that my personality changed and I lost my job as a senior analyst programmer with a software company. I had known something was wrong because I could no longer think straight or put together a coherent argument. The real danger of statins, in my view, is that many known damaging side effects go unrecognised as such. I had reported known side-effects to GPs and junior doctors at hospital clinics but was ignored. The standard advice is that they are well-tolerated and clearly they are by some, but unfortunately not by all of us. It took several years for my memory (and confidence) to recover. My husband says that he knew the real me was back within weeks.

You cannot tell if your body will react badly or not until you take them. If you run a search on statins on this forum you will find many, many posts on the subject. You will have to make up your own mind.
Edited to add one word 'damaging'.
 
Craig1978 said:
I suppose I am just more curious as to if people who take Statins have experienced anything negative by taking them?
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There are several members, mostly if not all are T2 that have had very bad reactions to statins, from debilitating muscle aches to severe brain fog. However, it isn't just about short term effects. There are long term effects too - links to Alzheimers for example.

Maybe you could do some research using Google or the search box on this forum and then weigh up the risks and benefits for yourself, and reach a decision that way. We can't really tell you what to do. It is your decision.
 
JMK1954 said:
There have been many posts and much discussion of statins on this forum. I took them for about three years. For me it was disastrous. I lost my short term memory, my husband says that my personality changed and I lost my job as a senior analyst programmer with a software company. I had known something was wrong because I could no longer think straight or put together a coherent argument. The real danger of statins, in my view, is that many known side effects go unrecognised as such. I had reported known side-effects to GPs and junior doctors at hospital clinics but was ignored. The standard advice is that they are well-tolerated and clearly they are by some, but unfortunately not by all of us. It took several years for my memory (and confidence) to recover. My husband says that he knew the real me was back within weeks.

You cannot tell if your body will react badly or not until you take them. If you run a search on statins on this forum you will find many, many posts on the subject. You will have to make up your own mind.
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Thanks for this, and sorry to hear of your experiences, but this is exactly what I want to read in order to get a balanced view.

I have been advised to take them for 3 months, have a blood test done (whilst still continuing to take them) and to see what effect, if any they have had on my readings. My Diabetes nurse has advised that anything I can do to get Cholesterol levels down from 'diabetic' levels to 'normal' levels can only help in the long run.
 
Craig1978 said:
Thanks for this, and sorry to hear of your experiences, but this is exactly what I want to read in order to get a balanced view.

I have been advised to take them for 3 months, have a blood test done (whilst still continuing to take them) and to see what effect, if any they have had on my readings. My Diabetes nurse has advised that anything I can do to get Cholesterol levels down from 'diabetic' levels to 'normal' levels can only help in the long run.
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What were your cholesterol results - the full breakdown (HDL/LDL/Triglycerides) and did you fast for the test?
By the way "diabetic levels" in cholesterol are LOWER than the normal standard range, so your nurse is misunderstanding something.
 
About time a member's poll was conducted and that number be reflected in the advice we offer to newbies

Sick to death of dancing around the blasted issue for what IS (imo) a dangerous drug. You'd get well over 80% against them
 
Mike D said:
About time a member's poll was conducted and that number be reflected in the advice we offer to newbies

Sick to death of dancing around the blasted issue for what IS (imo) a dangerous drug. You'd get well over 80% against them
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You could always start one, Mike.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
There are several members, mostly if not all are T2 that have had very bad reactions to statins, from debilitating muscle aches to severe brain fog. However, it isn't just about short term effects. There are long term effects too - links to Alzheimers for example.

Maybe you could do some research using Google or the search box on this forum and then weigh up the risks and benefits for yourself, and reach a decision that way. We can't really tell you what to do. It is your decision.
Click to expand...

Muscle issues was certainly something I have been advised about. The issue is that that wouldn't be good for my type of work, so have to balance long term health against short term wealth!!

With the greatest of respect, I am not going to search on Google, if I did, I would already be dead! (joke) The point of asking on a resources like this is to gain advice from others in a similar situation and the pros and cons from actual people's experiences. I am not asking for people to tell me what do do, as I can do that for myself!
 
Mike D said:
About time a member's poll was conducted and that number be reflected in the advice we offer to newbies

Sick to death of dancing around the blasted issue for what IS (imo) a dangerous drug. You'd get well over 80% against them
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The fundamental difference is that I am a 'newbie' on here, but have had T1 for 15 years, so have quite a bit of experience to offer here to.

The point of the thread was to gain advice from people with T1 and statin use. It seems like the majority of the people with an issue with them are T2? Not sure of the link, but I think, for me, the difference is having to take them because of my T1 and being able to do something about them, so you don't have to take them, as in the case of T2.
 
Mike D said:
Sick to death of dancing around the blasted issue for what IS (imo) a dangerous drug. You'd get well over 80% against them
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Totally genuine question, What do you know that makes you believe they are a dangerous drug? I am interested in learning as much as I can about this.
 
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