Cholesterol & High Blood Pressure Pills Do all diabetics need them?

Just had my first 6 month followup - results fabulous in my mind A1c down to 5.5 from a 6.7

Cholesterol was 185 now 169
Triglycerides was 293 now 67
HDL was 32 now 43
Calc. LDL was 95 now 113

Blood pressure 110/70

lost 39 lbs in 6 months. All this by following a 30g/day low carb diet for the last 6 months - diet and exercise only. - I definately think this diet is the way to go for diabetics.

However, my doctor wants me to start taking a cholesterol pill and high blood pressure pills. He states all diabetics need to take these even if your blood pressure & cholesterol are not high - which in my case I don’t believe they are. He says it helps prevent heart disease and kidney problems in the future. My LDL is a bit high but from the research I have done a low carb diet will bring your triglyceride levels below a 100 (which is what happened with me) and gives a inaccurate LDL reading. I’m not one who likes to take unnecessary medications. Are these pills preventative and good in the long run??

Grats on the results!!

Cholesterol pills, no.

BP medication, depends. The BP meds are prescribed because they have been shown to protect the kidneys from damage, and maybe protect against other microvascular damage. There a a couple of different types but they all basically have teh same primary effect, though side effects may vary, or be non existance, from person to person.

I’ve been on both types (ARB and ACE inhibitors) for the past year, with no serious side effects. I was prescrbed them because I was spilling a small amount of protein. Haven’t had a problem since.

So, the can be prophylactic against microvascular damage, they can have no serious side effects, and they can be effective if you are having issues. OTOH, they can have serious side effects and they can lower your BP to dangerously low levels if you already have normal BP (The dose has to be adjusted either way).

Whether or not you decide to follow your docs advice on taking them, or not, there should be a period of time where you are being followed closely to look for side effects and correct dosage.

Good luck!!

Congratulations on the fantabulous results! You must be jumping for joy!! :slight_smile:

As far as the meds, as always, it’s a yes and no answer. Your doctor has been following the studies, and is being cautious with you, which I think is a good thing! :slight_smile: However, the studies have not been done on people following a truly low-carb diet – there isn’t even a consensus out there as to what a low-carb diet IS. When studies are done on people with diabetes, the question is always WHICH people with diabetes?

So it is really unknown at this point, at least in terms of large studies, whether low-carb diets and good numbers such as you have, reduce the risk of complications or not. It IS known, however, that in people at high risk (and doctors consider all diabetics to be at high risk) that these drugs have been shown to reduce incidence of complications.

So you doctor is playing a betting game. The good part is that he’s trying to bet in your favor. :slight_smile: What you have to decide is where do YOU come down in this game? When it comes to statins and ACE inhibitors (and ARBs), most people tolerate them with absolutely no side effects at all, and they have been in use long enough that they are known to be pretty safe drugs. But on the other hand, a very few people DO have side effects, which, if caught early, can be eliminated by stopping the medication, but which can be dangerous if ignored. (This is true of ALL drugs).

So you have several factors to consider – it’s not all pro or all con – you could go either way. Simplified, side effects are unlikely, but you may not really need the drugs. C’mon, dear, place your bet – it’s Las Vegas time!

Thanks for the great information. I’m glad I discovered this site, its really nice to share informaiton/ideas with other people who have the same disease. I’m going to do a bit more research before I make a decision, but, any and all information is greatly appreciated.

I was put on BP meds for the protection of my kidneys also. After 15 years on them I started to have side effects.( I had lost 60 lbs and that changes a lot of things). After thousands of $ in testing and month of dizziness, they finally listened to me and reduced my dose. However on the lowest dose possible, I still got dizzy. I took myself off 3 years ago and have been fine. My blood pressure has never been high and still isn’t. The problem now is that after a year on Dr. B’s diet, my kidneys are spilling more and more protein with every blood test I get. I dont think my Dr will let me stay off the pills or on the diet much longer if this doesn’t stop. I dont know what to do. My cholesterol is perfect but I do take the pills. Maybe once I get the protein under control, I will try stopping them, I have been taking them for 18 years with no side effects. I’m just saying that you know your body best, listen to it and be ready for changes if necessary.

Your doctor (like mine) has his head in a hole. My cholesterol is 123. I have autonomic neuropathy - hello? Like my BP is already 75/48 most mornings, why do I need medication? Just say no thanks until there’s a tangible reason for taking them.