Statins And Metformin

[rockyracoon]

My husband was diagnosed with very high cholesterol and diabetes back in April. His cholesterol was 10 and HBA1C was 96. He was prescribed statins and metformin immediately. Due to the poor follow up treatment we received from the practice nurse, we booked an appointment to see the doc to insist in being referred to the Diabetes clinic. The doc was concerned about the lack of symptoms that brought him to the surgery's attention in the first place, so insisted that he take a urine test. No sugar was present at all. The doc told OH to get the blood tests done again as he wasn't confident that they were correct.

In the meantime, OH was referred to the Lipid clinic as the high cholesterol could be genetic. We trot off to the appointment this morning, only to be told the we had wrongly been referred for a cardiology appointment. The consultant was not best pleased, though he did insist on OH having a heart ultrasound, seeing as we were there. He is now referring to the lipid clinic. Heart in very good nick.

OH's aunt works in GP surgery, this evening, she called to say the bloods results had come back. Cholesterol 3.1 and HBA1C 41. Can diet and drugs bring the original results down that much, or, do you reckon they were wrong to start with. They were taken on the cyber attack day.

This whole episode is driving us round the twist.

[Sqad]

You don't tell me what dose of statins or metformin that he is on, but yes....congratulations that is a good result and has nothing to do with the cyber attack.
Well done.

[NoMercy]

His HbA1c is now back in the normal range (20-42mmol/mol) which is a good start and clearly the Metformin is doing it's job.

I doubt he was given the wrong results at the start, knowing the way it works.

These Cyber attacks tend to freeze your whole PC but they can't scramble patients' results.

[mikey4444]

NoM...being in a similar position as your OH, I think these results are miraculous ! Well done to him !

[NoMercy]

It's not my OH, Mikey.

Mine had a well man check for his 40th last year and he was okay I think.

[mikey4444]

Beg pardon NoM....its still very early !

Well done to Mr Rocky then !

[WELSHYORKIE]

My cholesterol level was raised ( 15+) and was put on Lipitor 40 and diet totally changed. Turns out that the family all have raised levels bar my younger brother. Diagnosed as Familial Hypocholesterolemia - level now steady around the 5.5 mark

[NoMercy]

Hypercholesterolaemia does tend to run in families but these days can be well controlled with meds and good dietary intake.

[rockyracoon]

Doc's just been on the phone to tell him he's confident that the blood results were wrong from the start. He explained that the drugs (500mg metformin and 40mg avorostain (sp))could not have brought the results down that miraculously in 12 weeks.

OH is half happy and half fuming, but at least it's made him come down 3 sizes in his trousers, bonus.

[rockyracoon]

Welshie, that's why he was referred to the lipid clinic, to check to see if he has hypercholesteralaemia. Instead we got an appointment with a cardiac consultant!

[NoMercy]

It would be interesting to take OH of medication for a period and repeat his tests.

Sometimes people can have a miraculous response to treatment.

One of our midwives went from having incurable breast cancer with disease in her neck and supraclavicular dosage to a complete pathological response to one cycle of chemotherapy. Rare but not unheard of.

[Sqad]

Thanks fro the feedback, although i disagree with the conclusion of your GP.
Is you GP saying that he can discontinue his Metformin as he was never (according to the doctor) diabetic?

[NoMercy]

Supraclavicular fossa!!

Time for a new phone...

[rockyracoon]

I don't know if he has to continue with the drugs as OH gone to work now. I'll find out later. He has another appointment next week so will find out then.

The reason the doc was not confident of the results was the fact that OH has never eaten much in the way of saturated fats, swims a mile and a half everyday (bar Sunday) and very, very rarely eats anything sweet. Also, the doc has recently had two other patients that have been subject to spurrious blood sugar test results. One of them with a reading of 175.

We'll have a chat with him next week and I'll let you know what occurs.

Thanks for your replies

[Sqad]

"The reason the doc was not confident of the results was the fact that OH has never eaten much in the way of saturated fats, "

On a personal note (not supported by mainstream doctors)I am yet to convince myself that diet has much to do with blood cholesterol levels.

[NoMercy]

I totally agree with Sqads last paragraph.

Extensive studies have indicated that dietary cholesterol has no impact our own cholesterol levels.

[willbewhatiwill]

rockyracoon: "[April] His cholesterol was 10 and HBA1C was 96. He was prescribed statins and metformin immediately. [August] The bloods results had come back. Cholesterol 3.1 and HBA1C 41.

Metformin only increases the sensitivity of cells receptors for insulin intake. Metformin is not that powerful a drug to reduce HBA1C back to 41 (normal levels) from 96 (indicates extreme diabetic). Cholesterol of 3.1 is excellent & enviable.

Perhaps the blood results in April (or the one in August) is wrong. Hence the blood test should immediately be repeated if in doubt.