Cholesterol medications

Your doctor may recommend taking cholesterol medications to control your cholesterol. Medications may be prescribed to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL), known as the ‘bad’ cholesterol that increases your risk of heart disease, or to raise your levels of high-density lipoprotein, which provides beneficial effects to your heart.

Your doctor may choose to start you on one or more different cholesterol medications, as the different types of drugs offer different benefits.

Statins are becoming the most commonly prescribed cholesterol medications. Statins block cholesterol production in the liver, decreasing LDL levels while raising HDL levels slightly. Statin medications created to fight cholesterol include Atorvastatin (brand name Lipitor), Fluvastatin (Lescol), Lovastatin (Altocor, Mevacor), Pravastatin (Pravachol), Rosuvastatin (Crestor), and Simvastatin (Zocor). For the most part, there are only limited side effects when taking this medication. Muscle weakness, pain, and soreness have been reported by some patients taking statins, along with stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, and constipation. The medication will react when taken with grapefruit juice, making the drug more potent.

Cholesterol absorption inhibitors prevent cholesterol from being absorbed by the digestive system. They have been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL levels slightly. The only inhibitor currently available in North America is ezetimibe (brand name Ezetrol.) They can be used with other cholesterol medications such as statins. Side effects include muscle soreness, fatigue, and stomach pain.

Fibrates block cholesterol production and increase cholesterol breakdown. Unlike other cholesterol medications, it has a greater effect in rising good HDL cholesterol along with the reduction of LDL levels. Fibrates should not be mixed with statin drugs. Among the types of fibrates available are bezafibrate (Bezalip), fenofibrate (Lipidil Supra), and gemfibrozil (Lopid). Patients on fibrates occasionally have side effects of stomach pain, nausea, and gallstones.

Always take cholesterol medications only as prescribed by your doctor.

Cholesterol medications