- Category : Diabetes
Taking Antidepressants and Cholesterol Lowering MedicationsĀ Could Raise Your Blood Sugar
Are you a diabetic who is suffering with depression and high cholesterol?Ā Are you having problems withĀ your blood sugar despiteĀ taking your medications? Do you still suffer with fatigue, Restless Leg Sydrome, hormone problemsĀ and weight loss?
New research confirms what we have seen clinically in our office when working with patients who take both statins and antidepressants.
Up to 1 million Americans may be taking a prescription drug combo that may significantly raise blood sugar levels, and in some cases may be responsible for a blood sugar spike that leads to the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
The drugs ā Paxil and Pravachol ābelong to two of the most commonly prescribed drug classes in the United States: Antidepressants and statin cholesterol-lowering drugs.
When taken in combination, Paxil and Pravachol increased blood sugar by an average of 19 milligrams per deciliter among those without diabetes and an average of 48 mg/dl among diabetics.
The fact that the blood sugar spike was so significant in those with diabetes is concerning considering the American Diabetes Association notes that statins like Pravachol are the āmost effective cholesterol-lowering drugsā to reduce the amount of cholesterol your body naturally producesā as well as to āreduce heart attacks and strokes.ā
One in four people with diabetes also suffer from depression, a rate thatās nearly twice as high as it is among those without diabetes.
They also note in this PowerPoint presentation that āmost people with diabetes need medications to reach their target blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol(ABC) targets.ā
This is debatable according to Dr. HagmeyerĀ at the Naperville Institute For NeuroMetabolic Solutions, but the point is that many diabetics are prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs, including Pravachol, by their physicians. We also know that their is a link between statin use and depression. One in four people with diabetes also suffer from depression, a rate thatās nearly twice as high as it is among those without diabetes. So itās safe to say that many diabetics are also prescribed antidepressants.
But taking this drug duo if you have diabetes clearly appears to be dangerous to blood sugar levels, and even if you donāt, the drug combo could potentially push your blood sugar into a diabetic or pre-diabetic range.
Learn more about a Natural Approach to Diabetes, Pre-diabetes and Insulin Resistance here
The finding was not a fluke, either, as in addition to analyzing data from human patients, the researchers conducted an experiment in mice. Once again, when taken together Paxil and Pravachol increased blood sugar, this time from an average of 128 mg/dl to 193 mg/dl āthatās a whopping 65 mg/dl increase!
Other drugs, ranging from <corticosteroids to decongestants and cold remedies to statins on their own, can also wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels, so if you experience an unexpected increase in yours, always ask your health care provider if your medications could be to blame.
Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics May 25, 2011
Medline Plus May 25, 2011
You can Learn more about an Exciting and Revolutionary Breakthrough in Diabetes Management by visiting us here.
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