[Shalynne]

I may be asking this prematurely ...

My doc (of course) is still pushing me to go in Simvastatin, like, yesterday. She's re-re-prescribed the drug, and has ordered me to take it for about a month, then report for some unspecified blood tests that require fasting for 12 hours.

I prefer to get a full list of tests, then take the tests before taking any drug (especially a drug I still plan to skip in any case) -- especially since I've never had a full lipids panel.

But the question arises ... what effect might a 12-hour fast have on sugar levels? (I'm T2, but on insulin, which might also factor in.) Sounds a tad risky to me, but maybe it's necessary?

What do you all think?

 

[Shanny]

Y'know I don't know sic 'em about using insulin & I risk taking your thread off topic (!), but I'm here to tell you that the day ANY doctor "orders" me to do ANYTHING, is the day she's history!

 

[Shalynne]

Oooohhh, yeah!

I don't take orders, either. Getting real care would be nice, but unfortunately I'm in an HMO. Packaged medicine.

But yes, I've pretty much decided to switch docs for a variety of reasons, and see if it makes any difference. Figuring out whom to switch to is another question ...

 

[moon]

Although I'm not taking statins, and said I wouldn't for the time being, I'm glad I have some earlier lipid numbers for comparison sake. To compare to what you might ask? Er ... yet to be determined exactly, but hopefully tracking my awesome success on a high-fat no-statin diet.

So she wants you on statins =before= a lipid panel?

As for insulin, I'm a member of Shanny's know-nothing club.

 

[jwags]

I got the same push from my doctor and after about a year I gave in. I was given the same instructions. Start the statins and then get a fasting lipid test in a month. I think they do that to see if it is damaging your liver. My problem is after that he never ordered tests for over a year. After 14 months on it, is when I developed the muscle damage and other symptoms. If you suffer from DP a 12 hour fast would probably make bg go up.

 

[Shalynne]

Yes, DP has been a concern. If I'm pro-active, however, not so much. Sheer luck, that. But a 12-hour fast might wreck that, if only temporarily.

I'm also concerned about a low. Overall, I'm unsure about how to handle insulin over a 12-hour fast.

Plus, when I go out of control for a minute, I end up yo-yoing for a week ... or more.

It would be nice to get a full lipids panel, since I've never had one. (And no, I do not intend to start statins first -- or, frankly, at all -- just to get one!). But I'm also beginning to wonder if there's any reason to hurry.

 

[weaveroflight]

I hate the 12 fasting for cholesterol. It throws me off the rest of the day. A nurse told me you only had to truly fast for 10 hours, but...
You are so smart to have a pretest. There are non statins out there and I am going to see if I can't be put on one.