Questions about medications that may be relevant to participants of X-PERT programmes
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My doctor said I cannot reduce dosage of statins even though my cholesterol levels are lower?
Each individual needs to discuss this on a personal level with their GP. Statins have been shown to slightly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease [CVD], especially in secondary prevention. Some people, especially if they are experiencing side effects such as muscle pain or “brain fog”, prefer to stop taking statins and make other lifestyle changes instead.
Lifestyle can be as effective, if not more so, than statins (especially for primary prevention); and with reduced risk of side effects. If someone really wants to stop taking statins they could discuss a trial with their GP, coming off statins for a while and seeing how their health markers change.
How does taking steroids affect diabetes or diabetes risk?
Steroids are used to reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system. They raise blood glucose levels by stimulating the liver to release glucose into the blood. This raises insulin levels, which can lead to weight gain and insulin resistance. One of the most difficult things about taking steroids is that they don’t raise glucose readings consistently throughout the day. For example, when taken in the morning they don’t usually cause glucose levels to start to rise until lunch time. Blood glucose readings usually stay high through the early evening hours and then decline over night. Many people have normal or low glucose readings in the morning while taking steroids. The good news is that it is cleared from the system fairly rapidly and, once you stop taking them, blood glucose levels normally reduce quite quickly. More information is available here.
Can some medications increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes?
Statins, steroids, some blood pressure medication and even some anti-depressants have been shown to increase Type 2 diabetes risk. However, people taking these medications are often predisposed to developing the condition already; so this apparent increase in risk may not always be as a direct result of the medications themselves. With or without these medications, the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes can be reduced by making appropriate lifestyle changes. More information about the effect of different drugs on diabetes risk can be found here.
Is it possible for me to reverse my diabetes and come off of diabetes medication?
Yes! There are more and more cases of individuals making lifestyle changes that result in reductions or omissions of diabetes medication and putting their diabetes into remission. However, it is important to note that if you revert back to your old lifestyle habits then the diabetes can come back!
You shouldn’t make changes to your medication without discussing and agreeing these changes with your diabetes care team/GP first.
If I skip a meal, should I still take my medication?
This will depend on the medication being taken and the individual, as there are several other factors that need to be considered. For example, sulphonylureas and certain insulin regimens would need to be adjusted if you are skipping meals or fasting. Therefore, if you wish to undertake fasting or skip meals, you should discuss this with your GP to arrange a medication review.
THE FAQ FORUM IS “READ-ONLY”, SO YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ADD COMMENTS TO THIS THREAD. IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS ANYTHING RELATED TO WHAT YOU HAVE READ HERE THEN PLEASE RETURN TO THE MAIN FORUM
