Q. I have been on Crestor. It lowered my cholesterol very well, but my blood sugar went out of control. My HbA1c [a measure of blood sugar over time] went from 6.8 to 7.3 in just a short while. My fasting glucose in the morning went from around 120 to over 190.
I stopped taking Crestor a few days ago and my numbers are already starting to drop. Is this a common side effect of Crestor?
A. Crestor and other statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs (atorvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin) can indeed raise blood sugar or even trigger diabetes in susceptible people. There are many other drugs that can also disrupt blood sugar control including diuretics (furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide), estrogen (Estrace, Premarin) and steroids (budesonide, prednisone).
We are sending you our Guide to Managing Diabetes with a more extensive list of drugs that may boost blood sugar and a more complete discussion of ways to get it back under control. The Guide also explains the HbA1c.
Other readers have described a range of side effects from statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs. Although they can be helpful for those with heart disease, doctors are learning that they should be cautious about prescribing them strictly for prevention.
One reader noted:
“My 80-year-old mother is in good health but her doctor saw her blood pressure getting higher (140-150) and he put her on the lowest dose of hydrochlorothiazide. She rarely, if ever, takes it but we, her kids, have been pestering her to take it. Now I’m wondering if she did the right thing. Her blood sugar is pre-diabetic. Thanks for the heads up.”
