Hi all…
It’s been a while since I last posted a discussion but I went to see my cardiologist today and have some questions.
I was in to see him for a follow up for SVT episodes I’ve been having but he was more interested/concerned about my diabetes.
Firstly, I got the results from my latest a1c and it was 6.0. This is .1 better than my last one (yeah) so no real concerns there. He asked me about my diagnosis and if anyone had talked to me about it. I was surprised because if any of you have been following my posts you would know that I’ve had a hard time talking to Drs about my diagnosis. I told him that I had researched myself and had some questions regarding what diagnosis I really was, Type 2 or LADA… He actually agreed and though I didn’t fit the typical Type 2 profile also and that I possibly could be LADA. He told me that I would probably be taking insulin at some point…
He said that with my numbers as they are there isn’t really much he would change, at this time, regarding medication/insulin etc. (I’m currently taking no medication)…
He suggested that I take 1 baby aspirin every day and start taking 5 mg of Crestor each day. He said this would lessen my chances of having cardiovascular disease or heart attacks etc. later on in life?
My cholesterol levels are in the normal range so I’m not sure if taking Crestor right now is necessary?
What do you think about taking Crestor? Do most Type 2s take this drug? Are there complications I should be concerned about?
BTW… He told me that right now he wouldnt go for an alation for my SVT as I only have one episode every 2 or so years…
Thanks again for any feedback… Paul
Crestor is the harshest statin drug out there. Most cardiologists aggressively treat cholesterol, and are particularly mean to diabetics. I refuse to take these drugs. I had bad reactions. When I further did my own homework, I found the science behind the dietary fat-cholesterol-CVD myth particularly wanting. Gary Taubes book “Good Calories Bad Calories” covers much of this material. There is also a lot of information on http://www.thincs.org/. Malcolm Kendrick and Uffe Ravnskov have been the most convincing critics.
These days, I just quote the simple statistics. As a diabetic, my risk of heart problems from high blood sugars (for certain elevated blood sugars in my situation and corrected for confounding factors like cholesterol, BP and other things) is still 4 times higher than the highest risks ever quoted from cholesterol. If you can’t treat effectively treat my blood sugar then don’t even bother to talk to me.
ps. I consider myself lucky to have survived my treatment with statins.
my total cholesterol was a little elevated not terribly high but my endo put me on crestor a couple years back as a precaution. no side effects or complications thtat I’m aware of
There are one or two threads here discussing statins, like Crestor, and diabetes. Many doctors are prescribing them for diabetics ‘as a precaution’ even though cholesterol levels are within normal ranges. I, for instance, am taking Lipitor. Although I’m not having side effects, I regret starting them, because I now understand it might be dangerous for me to stop.
My personal, not medical, recommendation is to stay away from medicine you don’t actually need. That’s aside from any controversy about whether statins are effective in preventing heart attacks in the first place.
Keep eating well and exercising.
Good luck,
Terry
Paul, I am glad that your GP is coming around with your LADA diagnosis. That must have been a relief. I agree with BSC that the best thing you can do is really work on getting your sugar levels down. You are watching your diet closely I am sure so your numbers should be getting better and you are young enough to catch this now.
They wanted to put me on statins too but I am refusing until I get better sugar control. A couple of my blood numbers have now come back into normal range which I am very happy about. My doctor is happy too but is still watching them closely. I figure the statins are always there if I really need them but refuse to take them until I get my sugars normalized. I do take a baby aspirin each day too.
Paul, what are SVT episodes…?
I was on Lipitor, but changed to Simvastatin because of the cost. Honestly, my Cholesterol was and still is good. But I’ve received so much side effects from ALL the meds I was taking. I have pretty much stopped all of them, and now on pure insulin. I also started eating a mostly vegan diet for breakfast and lunch, and my both sugars and cholesterol are doing very well.
I believe it irregular heart beats if i’m not mistaken.
I have constant PVCs now. Fun. And my total cholesterol is under 200 so my simvastatin is sitting in the cupboard unused. The more I read about cholesterol the more I don’t want to mess with it.
I won’t take statins. As soon as I was diagnosed, I was given an Rx. I never filled it & argue with my doc about this at every visit. It’s become pro forma to prescribe statins for diabetics & I think this is a risky policy.
My endo said absolutely no to baby aspirin, unless someone has had a previous heart attack.
Hi Anthony,
SVT stands for super ventricular tachycardia. Its a condition which makes my heart race at about 200-240 bpm… This can happen while simply sitting watching the TV. I usually go to the ER and the revert it back to normal rhythm with a drug called Adenosine. I only get about 1-2 episodes every 2-3 years so its not too much of a problem…
Paul
Thanks,
I’m just not sure about taking a drug when my cholesterol levels are all normal. The cardiologist agreed that my levels are good and this was just as a precaution because of the D? I’m not sure why he would prescribe this? Am I really at a risk of heart disease or attack?
I’m 6’ and 149lbs, have been running for the last 12 or so years, have never smoked and very, very rarely eat fast food (once every year ish) so I think I’m in pretty good shape?
My wife’s first reaction is always “if he told you to take it then take it” but this is my body and I don’t do things that quickly…
I don’t think I will be taking it unless I get overwhelming replies to the contrary?
Thanks for your thoughts… Paul
it seems as though it’s the easiest thing doctors can do for their patients. I now really understand why so many people are trying to seek “natural” medicine. You are actually paying to kill yourself, literally! We are at a stage were the patient has to be more informed than the doctors and nurses… This in some ways makes me extremely uncomfortable. I really do wish there existed a mandatory refresher course on diabetes that all doctors would be required to take.
Hi Joe,
Have your numbers benefited from the drug?
Thanks
Hi Gerri,
Thats what I thought. As soon as he saw my 6.0 a1c he said “lets get you on 5mg of Crestor”… It was just too quick of a reaction for me? I think I would understand if my levels were out of the normal range but I think because of my diet and lifestyle they are perfectly normal…
I wonder how many diabetics are taking Crestor “just as a precaution”?
Thanks for you thoughts…
I bet tons of diabetics are on statins & unnecessarily. As Terry mentioned, you can’t just go off them either. Perfect drug for pharm companies, eh? Stuck on something for life. Statins are heavily marketed to doctors & the public. I’ve wondered if docs get perks from writing lots of statin prescriptions.
I can’t find it now, but you can research baby aspirin as unnecessary & potentially risky for people who haven’t had a heart attack.
Oh, Paul…that doesn’t sound like it’s much fun at all! Glad that the adenosine works for you and that it doesn’t happen too often. I have atrial fib and flutter, which sometimes cause unexpected fainting. The atrial stuff isn’t quite as serious as what you have. Diabetst actually complicated things for me a bit. If I have a sugar low, many times I can’t tell if it’s s sugar problem or a cardiac problem. I"m hoping that going on a pump will help with that. Funny about the frequency of your episodes…mine typically happen about 3 times in 3 years…usually grouped together. These bodies sure are interesting. Take good care, Paul. Thanks for responding. —Anthony
I was fortunate enough to have a primary care doctor that arranged for me to see some very well regarded diabetes specialist at Mass General in Boston, b/c he thought the specialist would be more helpful since he was more well versed in the options. I wish more doctors were line mine…he’s a great guy!
I’ve been given Simvastatin “just as a precaution” and I’m not happy about it. I was the dutiful patient and took it without asking questions. Think I’ll ask my cardiologist about it. Glad I started reading this list!
I was also told to take the baby aspirin but haven’t done that. I’m going to look for the information you’re referring to, Gerri. Thanks for the suggestion.