Alternatives to Atorvastatin? (Diabetes risk)
I’m 48. My total cholesterol as well as LDL has been elevated for quite a while, possibly due in part to a psych med I’m on. Even when I’ve dropped weight and exercised consistently, it’s been in the somewhat elevated range. Last summer it got really high - 320 overall and LDL was 231, so my doctor put me on 20mg of atorvastatin. This has brought my LDL down to 93, which is great, but now my blood sugar and a1c are in the prediabetic range. This can be partially attributed to me gaining a little weight, but even when I’ve been at my most out of shape, my a1c has never been abnormal. I’ve always been told that statins can cause elevated blood sugars and contribute toward diabetes, and both of my parents are type 2 diabetics, so I’m obviously concerned. The elevated a1c results coincide with starting the statin.
I’m working on slimming down again, and improving my diet (it wasn’t that bad before, but not perfect) but I also asked my doc to prescribe something other than atorvastatin, maybe ezetimibe, but he is refusing.
Has anyone been in a similar situation or have knowledge of alternative medications to try? I want to be more educated before I try to argue this with my doctor. I’d even be open to a different statin if there’s something with less chance of diabetes risk. I’ve purchased some Berberine supplements to try to help with the a1c, and am hoping I can at least cut the atorvastatin down to 10mg.