Aches from taking statins for my diabetes

I stuck with the statin because the doctor was so insistent. My A1C is also under control but I feel that the statin was causing prickling and weakness. I told the doctor I was stopping it and after about four weeks I started to feel better and more importantly stronger. It has been about five months off the statin and I will go for a cholesterol test at six months, then I can decide what to do and what my choices are.

Hi @ihatediabetes and @lesiel, welcome to Connect.

According to this article from the American Diabetes Association the use of statins has become a standard of care. It explains why the prevention of heart disease is important in many people with diabetes and how statins can help.
- New Standards of Care Provide Guidelines for Statin Use for People with Diabetes to Prevent Heart Disease http://bit.ly/2dtZMye

You might want to also read what Connect members are saying about statins in this discussion in the Heart Health group
- Statin alternatives for coronary artery blockage http://mayocl.in/2bNv6qp

We will be very interested in hearing the results of your cholesteral test in a month, Lesiel. IHateDiabetes, did your doctor talk about the prevention of heart disease with you or that you may have a risk of heart disease?

There's some current disagreement about taking statins in the medical community because of the side effects. One such possible risk is increased chance of developing diabetes esp in women so it seems unlikely to actually improve diabetic conditions (couldn't access the Diabetes Association reference below that would conflict with this). Unless one's chance for heart disease is very high, statins may not necessarily be recommended by doctors as much because of these problematic side affects.
Also, more recently there has been evidence showing the traditional cholesterol HDL/LDL tests are not necessarily particularly indicative of heart disease risks. It seems the size and density of the particles distinguish good (large, fluffy) from bad (small and dense that clog vessels) which is another newer test. My GP won't authorize an advanced lipids test for me but eventually these particle size tests will be more available. If you could try to have this advanced lipids test done that could be the discerning factor on how dangerous your lipid condition is since the cholesterol levels could be quite high but if the particles are large they may be relatively harmless. Good work maintaining lower levels with lifestyle changes, trusting your instincts and consulting with your doctor.

Doctor said i should take statin because of diabetes and ldl is 192. But i read there are different statins that dont cause muscle aches. Mayo clinic doctors say you have to go back to primary care doctor to find statin that works. I think the reason is prevent heart disease but i dont know if i am at high risk or not or if i can change diet.

Thank you for adding to this conversation @pale and raising awareness of the controversy within the medical community. I went on an Internet search to find some articles for further information on the points you raise.

- Statin side effects: Weigh the benefits and risks http://mayocl.in/LgbtrS (Mayo Clinic, 2016): In this article, as you point out, it states:
"It's possible your blood sugar (blood glucose) level may increase when you take a statin, which may lead to developing type 2 diabetes. The risk is small but important enough that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning on statin labels regarding blood glucose levels and diabetes.

Statins prevent heart attacks in patients with diabetes, so the relevance of the mild increase in sugar values with statins observed in some patients is unclear. The benefit of taking statins likely outweighs the small risk to have the blood sugar level go up. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns."

- Should you seek advanced cholesterol testing? http://bit.ly/1qawdWo (Harvard, 2014): This describes the advanced lipids to which you refer. Do you have a more recent article?

- American Diabetes Association 2016 Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) and Diabetes http://bit.ly/2dutFgx (NDEI, 2016)

Pale, do you have diabetes? How do you manage it?

@ihatediabetes - We took your questions to a Mayo Clinic pharmacist. Here is what she wrote:

"Red yeast rice has been shown to lower cholesterol. As you said, it contains a substance called monacolin K which is the active cholesterol-lowering substance in lovastatin. Most red yeast rice products contain a small percentage of monacolin K that is much lower than the normal daily dose of lovastatin, so researchers believe there are other substances in the red yeast rice that also help to lower cholesterol. The downside of using this is that there is not standardization across all red yeast rice products. Some brands may contain 0.1 mg of lovastatin per capsule while others may contain 10.09 mg per capsule. Studies have shown this to be a safe product when used for up to four months, but no long-term studies have been done."

Pharmacist told me that Merck filed a lawsuit for patent infringement. Now red yeast rice can't have lovastatin in it. They have to remove lovastatin before selling supplement. I was prescribed 40 mg lovastatin now because red yeast rice did not work . Btw I did see mayo cardiology and had nuclear stress test. I am thankful they checked and I don't have heart disease. It says uncomplicated diabetes and hyperlipidemia. So I gather that metformin and statin are to prevent complications. Ok i get it. But there are side effects.

Are you still off statins?