Hi...I was diagnosed with type 2 diagetes 6 months ago and started metformin. I lost 13 pounds (10 more to go). At my 3 month check up my A1C (6.2) and FBS (4.8) are good but now I am told my cholestrol (Ldl...3.16) needs to come down or I will have to take statins. Anyone taking statins out there or anyone who has managed to lower their cholestrol quickly with diet?
Mine "upticked" a bit two summers ago. I was training for a marathon and figured "more calories" and ate real eggs, ham and cheese omlettes, bread, sandwiches for lunch and whatever for dinner and it ended up w/ LDL at 110 and the doc was like "well, not quite but if it doesn't get better, we'll need to figure out some medication" or something like that. I switched to spinach and broccoli omlettes in Egg Beaters and peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and, the next time, it was HDL 77 and LDL 74 which I was pretty pleased with. Although it's sort of "cheating" to run a lot too as I think that helps and I realize not everyone is nuts enough to do that, I also noticed that w/ the veggies/ peanut butter instead of ham/ turkey, I felt like I recovered faster from the longer runs I was doing at the time, ran some races I was pleased with timewise and that sort of thing so I've tried to keep it up!
I have high cholesterol but after taking statins for 8 years with bad side effects I gave up and stop taking statins. My cholesterol is still high but I will not ever take statins again. There is no proof that statins prevent heart attacks. It is even stated on their literature. My side effects with statins became so bad I could barely move. I think the statins for me were worse than what it was trying to prevent.
I take a statin with absolutely no problem at all. Have taken it for many years. It had worked well for me.
It's a very rare side effect, but statins can cause myalgia. I know a doctor who recommends that his patients take 400mg of CoQ10 every day while they're taking statins--and he completely stopped having patients who complained of those side effects! CoQ10 is naturally found in muscles, and there's a thought that statins can lower those levels.
Also, a lot of newer literature shows that statins DO in fact lower the risk of heart attacks. The people who take statins still have a higher risk of heart attacks, but not nearly as high as those with high cholesterol.
Congrats on your weight loss & improved A1C!
At the time of my dx my cholesterol levels were not high, yet they were concerning by the standards set for diabetics. The doctor warned that I might require statins.
I started eating nuts daily & fish regularly. I found it easy to stock my cupboard with canned salmon and sardines. My cholesterol level improved significantly. The doctor felt it may have been an outcome of (almost) daily exercise. While I eat eggs & cheese regularly, my cholesterol levels remain good.
I took statins for years until I figured out the fibromyalgia symptoms I was having were due to them. Literally within a couple of weeks of stopping I no longer felt the constant aches. It was a knee jerk reaction that put me on statins in the first place the highest my cholesterol ever got was 225 and that was in 1998.
I changed my diet to include more veggies and less carbs and it has made a big difference in my weight and numbers. Last cholesterol was 186, LDL 83, HDL 86. I still have eggs, cheese and bacon, but I put them over a spinach salad instead of on a bagel or English muffin.
Guiratnut do you take statins? I know some people can tolerate Statins better than others just like any medication. I did not stop taking statins without doing research. I took them for 8 years in multiple forms from multiple manufactures under different names. During the time I had 3 episodes of kidney stones, muscle weakness beyond normal function. Extreme migraine headaches and the list goes on an on. I took CoQ10 2000 mg and it did not help. Even the makers of Lipitor state that Lipitor does not prevent heart attacks. They know that the test that statins prevent heart attacks are not fully conclusive. some people with low cholesterol have heart attacks and die and some people with high cholesterol never have heart attacks. Statins are not a magic bullet like Pfizer wants people to believe. I recommend to anyone asked to take them to do the research on their own and make the best decision regarding their health.
I had frequent PVCs due to intolerance to statins but am able to tolerate Red Yeast Rice 600mg twice a day (suggested by my endo). My total cholesterol was 241 and is now 181 so it does work. Doctors also try to put all diabetics on Lisinopril but many people, me included, are allergic to it so beware.
but lisinopril is for hypertension, Lipitor is for cholesterol
Judith, my mom had the same cough you did, but for me lisinopril caused no harm, Lipitor was a different story entirely.
Quite a range of responses...lots to think about..clearly diabetes affects us differently and as well the response we have to various interventions is also diverse. I will start with diet and exercise and see what I can do with that. If that is not effective, look further into red rice. I don't have an endocrinologist yet...at what stage do you work with one?? My family doctor said it was too soon in my diabetes journey to get one involved.
Some family doctors feel as though they can handle diabetes. To be honest in the vast majority of cases that is true. If you are comfortable with your family doctor and his or her ability to help you take control of your diabetes then it may be just fine to not get an endo involved. If there comes a time when you feel you need more expert care then an endo might be indicated.
Thanks Clare, I appreciate the common sense of your reply. There is so much information this forum really helps sort the wheat from the chaff. I was initially reluctant to join a site (information overload, media overload) but have realized that while not everyone's experience is the same, I can learn a lot. And everyones help has been kind and to the point.