Diabetics?

[Bugsmom]

I was diagnosed type 2 a little over a year ago. Endocrinologist automatically wanted to put me on a statin. I said No way. Over 6 months, I kept my blood sugar level good (A1C results never above 5., lost a total of 30 lbs in 2007, and my blood pressure is good. At the last test 3 months or so ago, my LDL had dropped to around 105, and my HDL was still somewhere in the mid to upper 60s.

Are there any other diabetics here? When I look at side effects from statins including neuropathy, I have to cringe - I'm already at risk simply from diabetes, no way I want to up that risk factor.

--Deb
Still telling my doc no way on the statins

[Darrell]

I wonder if some of the neuropathy blamed on diabetes is actually caused by statins. How would you tell which was the cause?

[equestrian]

See: Statin Neuropathy Masquerading as Diabetic Autoimmune Polyneuropathy, Tom Brooks Vaughn, MD and David S.H. Bell, MD, Diabetes Care 28:2082,2005 (http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/full/28/8/2082)

[vipergg22]

Believe me you don't want to go down that path . It has left me with permanent neuropathy in both feet because the doctor said it couldn't be the statins and took them another 2 years and it got worse and worse until i really started digging for answers and found that statins increase your chances for this like 25% . By the time I quit statins the damage was done . This started within a month of starting statins and I was on the Dr. early about this problem but it couldn't possibly be those wonder drugs . Myself I would stay off them at all costs , I have found doing a low carb diet does wonders for your lipid levels , I used to run anywhere from 220-250 TC and now my last report was 165 for a total . If you are a type 2 a low carb will help with that also .

[PAD]

My story is about the same as Viper's..Type 2 diabetes...with very, very high cholesterol and triglycerides. Probably hereditary...My doctor did not think it was the statins either. He did some kind of blood test to check for the "very rare side effect" and it came back negative. Sooo...It really took some nagging on my part.

I had the extreme pain in my leg muscles..My GP ordered a nerve conduction study that came back positive for nerve damage. But I'm still not convinced that it' diabetic neuropathy. It hurts mostly when I'm still. Although weakness could be a contributing factor. It is a deep muscle pain not numbing - stabbing needles and pins. I finally convinced him to take me off the statins and the pain is better..Still bad if I have had a long day on my feet. And again mostly at night. I also have RLS. So the pain could be almost any of the above. Oh, also had an ultrasound on my legs and no problem there.

After researching for 3 or 4 years, I still don't know what the problem is. Except probably the statin drugs or painful RLS.

For the high cholesterol and triglycerides I'm taking 4 pres strength fish oil caps and a whole aspirin at night with niacin. Also Lortab and Lyrica for the pain. Requip for the RLS. I am learning to keep it under control and to live with it. I will not go back on the statins, as I think that's where the problem started.. Hope this helps someone...Pat

[cjbrooksjc]

Try dropping the Niacin for a week or two and see if your condition improves. We've had some negative reactions (muscle/joint pain) among statin sufferers who use niacin. Krill oil is touted to be a good cholesterol reducer also - do a search for it on this site.

Best,

Brooks

[pgrimm]

Bugsmom (Deb)
I told Dr. Golomb that I had high cholesterol, but was afraid to take a statin. She looked very seriously at me and said firmly, "There is absolutely no evidence that high cholesterol causes any health problems for women". I told her that my mother's was up to 300 at one time, and she is 91 now and gonig strong. She responded, it's probably her cholesterol that making her live so long! Can you believe that? Just food for thought. I know Dr. Graveline has a piece on women and cholesterol, too, have you seen it?

Pam

[Dee]

Hi Bugsmom,

Type 2 here, and have serious and permanent nerve damage from taking Pravachol. I began having problems after 8 weeks, but the connection was not made until I had been on the poison for over 2.5 YEARS....

I have lots of other statin related problems as well, been off the stuff for 4 years now, and my life is ruined.

My "crime" that caused this punishment? Being diabetic and having slightly elevated cholesterol.

The recommendation to prescribe statins to "all" diabetics is criminal and should be immediately withdrawn before more lives are destroyed.

Diabetics have enough challenges without adding statin poisoning to the mix.