Guest guest Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Just wondering if anyone else here experienced an increase in cholesterol after starting diabetes meds? When I was dxed 3 yrs ago I was put on avandamet. 3 most after beginning my cholesterol mysteriously went up, I've always had low cholesterol. At any rate, doc wanted me on statins the entire time, I refused for several reasons I won't get into. I lost a little weight and came off my actos (when avandamet was recalled he switched me to actos). 3 mos after stopping my meds my cholesterol mysteriously decreased. Someone here had posted a couple of studies showing avandia/actos as possibly raising cholesterol. My doc stated the link hasn't been proven and refuses to consider the link with my increase/decrease correlating to the meds. Just wondering if anyone else here has experienced this? Debi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Debi, I have read several things about one drug causing another problem and this is one of them. There seems to be a circle of meds involved in diabetes where the drugs are actually causing the problems thereby causing you to take more drugs. I am a firm believer in trying everything you can to try and not take meds of any kind if you can do other things (lifestyle changes) and not take them. Good for you for not going on statins. So many people don't understand that just because a doc says oh gee, your cholesterol is high, here's a drug to take, that there may be alternatives to try before popping pills. They come with a price. Meds can save lives but it is very important to study them, their effects and alternatives. I'm sure the pharmaceutical companies just love diabetics and the doctors who prescribe 10 or 20 different pills for lifelong use. JMO Sandy cholesterol/meds Just wondering if anyone else here experienced an increase in cholesterol after starting diabetes meds? When I was dxed 3 yrs ago I was put on avandamet. 3 most after beginning my cholesterol mysteriously went up, I've always had low cholesterol. At any rate, doc wanted me on statins the entire time, I refused for several reasons I won't get into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Debi, I have read several things about one drug causing another problem and this is one of them. There seems to be a circle of meds involved in diabetes where the drugs are actually causing the problems thereby causing you to take more drugs. I am a firm believer in trying everything you can to try and not take meds of any kind if you can do other things (lifestyle changes) and not take them. Good for you for not going on statins. So many people don't understand that just because a doc says oh gee, your cholesterol is high, here's a drug to take, that there may be alternatives to try before popping pills. They come with a price. Meds can save lives but it is very important to study them, their effects and alternatives. I'm sure the pharmaceutical companies just love diabetics and the doctors who prescribe 10 or 20 different pills for lifelong use. JMO Sandy cholesterol/meds Just wondering if anyone else here experienced an increase in cholesterol after starting diabetes meds? When I was dxed 3 yrs ago I was put on avandamet. 3 most after beginning my cholesterol mysteriously went up, I've always had low cholesterol. At any rate, doc wanted me on statins the entire time, I refused for several reasons I won't get into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 I haven't had the cholesterol test yet (probably today), but I prefer to take a natural approach on that if possible, too. Most of those in the medical and pharmaceutical field will keep saying that natural products have not been proven safe, but the drugs have been proven to be unsafe for some people and the side effects can be pretty high. Even after they are proven unsafe for some people the FDA approves them and the drug companies push them for people. I have something called CholestOff that I am trying, though I haven't been really faithful about taking it every day. It's based on plant phytogens (I think it is) that are supposed to help lower cholesterol (I think it is why the apples are supposed to be so good for people). I'll have to see how it works. I don't want to be one of those people who has to take something for this and something for that and then something to fight the side effects of that and something to fight the side effects of what is fighting the side effects. I'd prefer the minimum. (of course, then you get on the vitamins and have too many of them to keep track of, too). Darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 I haven't had the cholesterol test yet (probably today), but I prefer to take a natural approach on that if possible, too. Most of those in the medical and pharmaceutical field will keep saying that natural products have not been proven safe, but the drugs have been proven to be unsafe for some people and the side effects can be pretty high. Even after they are proven unsafe for some people the FDA approves them and the drug companies push them for people. I have something called CholestOff that I am trying, though I haven't been really faithful about taking it every day. It's based on plant phytogens (I think it is) that are supposed to help lower cholesterol (I think it is why the apples are supposed to be so good for people). I'll have to see how it works. I don't want to be one of those people who has to take something for this and something for that and then something to fight the side effects of that and something to fight the side effects of what is fighting the side effects. I'd prefer the minimum. (of course, then you get on the vitamins and have too many of them to keep track of, too). Darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Hi Darlene, You can try both garlic (natural form is best or supplement, or both!) and also red yeast rice. Both are good for lowering cholesterol. My husband is currently taking the red yeast rice to see if he can get his down naturally and we are both taking garlic. My cholesterol was 207 and his is 240 so we both have to be careful. (he doesn't have diabetes) If the red yeast rice works for him, I may start using it but I'm already taking lots of supplements so I don't really want another! Good luck and let us know how the cholestoff works! Sandy Re: cholesterol/meds I haven't had the cholesterol test yet (probably today), but I prefer to take a natural approach on that if possible, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Hi Darlene, You can try both garlic (natural form is best or supplement, or both!) and also red yeast rice. Both are good for lowering cholesterol. My husband is currently taking the red yeast rice to see if he can get his down naturally and we are both taking garlic. My cholesterol was 207 and his is 240 so we both have to be careful. (he doesn't have diabetes) If the red yeast rice works for him, I may start using it but I'm already taking lots of supplements so I don't really want another! Good luck and let us know how the cholestoff works! Sandy Re: cholesterol/meds I haven't had the cholesterol test yet (probably today), but I prefer to take a natural approach on that if possible, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 Hi Darlene, You can try both garlic (natural form is best or supplement, or both!) and also red yeast rice. Both are good for lowering cholesterol. My husband is currently taking the red yeast rice to see if he can get his down naturally and we are both taking garlic. My cholesterol was 207 and his is 240 so we both have to be careful. (he doesn't have diabetes) If the red yeast rice works for him, I may start using it but I'm already taking lots of supplements so I don't really want another! Good luck and let us know how the cholestoff works! Sandy Re: cholesterol/meds I haven't had the cholesterol test yet (probably today), but I prefer to take a natural approach on that if possible, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Yeah, one day I looked at my pill bottles and realized I was only 33 yrs old and on 5 different meds. That was a real eye-opener for me. Debi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Yeah, one day I looked at my pill bottles and realized I was only 33 yrs old and on 5 different meds. That was a real eye-opener for me. Debi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Yeah, one day I looked at my pill bottles and realized I was only 33 yrs old and on 5 different meds. That was a real eye-opener for me. Debi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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