Be really cautious about simply stopping a statin. It can result in a very rapid onset of several problems. If you’re on a statin, don’t simply stop taking it, even in the name of science. A very rapid reversal of the statin effects can occur, causing a rapid buildup and blockage of blood vessels, etc. It can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
I take atorvastain, along with metformin. I take 1000 mg Metformin twice daily, and 40 mg atorvastatin in a pill once daily, along with a plethora of vitamins and supplements, fish oil, turmeric, etc. My cholesterol values are all normal presently, but will likely skew quickly should I simply stop taking the medication. At most, one should make a phased withdrawal, and only in coordination with one’s physician. Even changing the time of day significantly can have some effect, but quitting cold turkey, once on a statin, is unwise.
If stopping a medication to test the effects on glucose, etc, then one needs to be off the medication for a significant enough time to be medically free of the medication, to get an actual baseline. Otherwise, all you test is a transitional phase in which your body begins immediately increasing cholesterol and seeking balance…but you’d have to be off it for a month or two before getting your data….because of course you’ll see fluctuations in the transition. Readings taken immediately after quitting the statin are not valid indicators of what you should expect once you’re completely finished, it’s out of your system and your bodily functions have stabilized.
My doctor had suggested going to a half-dose on everything, last year, and I dutifully cut the pills in half with a cutter and re-distributed everything. I keep fairly careful records, and went on half meds for a month. I was considerably less stable during that time, and returned to the full medication. I was more stable again on the full meds, with better numbers. I’m not anxious to do that again.
When I started on the atorvastatin, my blood sugar was high, and my cholesterol was high. I needed to lose weight. I lost 60 lbs, and my cholesterol values dropped so low that the doctor said he’d never seen anything so rapid or drastic. He said I needed to bring it back up…too low. The atorvastatin continues to be prescribed in conjunction with the metformin, and I eat peanut butter and fish and take fish oil regularly; all the numbers are back low to mid-range, with good cholesterol at the bottom of the range. The meds are cheap, I’m stable while on them, and I have no ill side effects, so won’t be quick to stop them, or alter the dosage.