What can I do about cholesterol side effects?
Don't stop taking your cholesterol medications, even if they don't make you feel good. Instead, consult your doctor. There are several ways to help you feel better.
Take a break. If you have muscle pain, your doctor may tell you for a short time to Stop taking the medicine and then restart it within a month. A break can show whether your medicine is causing the pain or if it is due to another problem.
Check your other medications. If you take cholesterol medications and other drugs, you may be more likely to have side effects. Tell your doctor about all the medications you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements.
Get a lower dose. Your doctor may try to reduce the amount of medication you take. You may also want to take them every other day instead of once a day.
Switching treatments. If your side effects are too difficult to manage, you can try other statins, such as pravastatin and resulvastatin, which are less likely to cause muscle soreness. The cholesterol drug ezetimibe can help relieve, for example, your muscle pain by allowing you to take a lower dose of a statin.
Consider OTC therapy. Statins may lower the levels of a substance called coenzyme Q10 in your muscles, which can cause pain. You can try taking a coenzyme Q10 supplement to relieve symptoms. Another option, L-carnitine, may also help. However, be sure to consult your doctor before you start taking any medication, even if you buy it without a prescription.
Side Effects Of Statins
Statins do not cause serious side effects for most people. According to the American College of Cardiology, as many as 90 percent of people taking statins do not experience bothersome side effects. For those who do experience side effects, these may include:
- muscle aches, weakness, or cramps
- muscle inflammation, or myositis, which can be serious
- new-onset diabetes, especially in people with other risk factors for diabetes
The state that the risk of these side effects is small and that the benefits of statins usually outweigh this risk.
Some reports have warned that statins can cause severe memory loss, but an investigation found inconsistent evidence of this side effect. Another review states that there is evidence to suggest that statins do not affect memory.
In rare cases, a person taking statins may have serious side effects, such as liver damage or an allergic reaction. The following side effects require immediate medical attention:
Statins can interact with some medications. People who take statins will need to make their doctor aware of any medicines, vitamins, herbs, or other supplements that they take to help prevent dangerous interactions.
Statins may also interact with grapefruit and grapefruit juice. Therefore, it is important to avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while taking statins unless a doctor says it is safe.
Smoking is a significant risk factor for heart disease. A doctor may advise a person to get help with quitting if they do smoke.
When is the best time to take cholesterol medicine?
If you have high cholesterol, your doctor will prescribe a statin. Statins are the most effective drugs for lowering LDL cholesterol levels within a few months of taking them.
Your doctor may also ask you to change other aspects of your daily diet and lifestyle that contribute to your risk of heart disease, such as eating less saturated fat, exercising more regularly, reducing your sodium intake, avoiding alcohol if possible, and quitting smoking.
If these changes are not enough to significantly lower your LDL cholesterol levels within 3-6 months, or if additional treatment or lifestyle changes are needed, then you should consult with a cardiologist who can provide options for treating high blood pressure in combination with a statin.
How to take atorvastatin?
- Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer’s printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about atorvastatin and will provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking it.
- Take atorvastatin once each day. There are several strengths of tablet available, so your doctor will tell you which strength is right for you.
- You can generally take atorvastatin at a time of day to suit you, but it is best to take your doses at the same time of day each day. You can take the tablets either before or after food.
- If you have been given atorvastatin chewable tablets, you can chew the tablets to help you swallow, or you can swallow them whole with a drink of water.
- If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If you do not remember until the following day, skip the missed dose. Do not take two doses together to make up for a forgotten dose.
What are the risks of cholesterol medications?
Before you start taking statins, tell your provider if:
- You are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. Pregnant and nursing mothers should not take statins.
- You have allergies to statins.
- You are taking other medicines.
- You have diabetes.
- You have liver disease. You should not take statins if you have certain acute or long-term liver diseases.
Tell your provider about all of your medicines, supplements, vitamins, and herbs. Certain medicines may interact with statins. Be sure to tell your provider before taking any new medicines.
Overall, there is no need to avoid moderate amounts of grapefruit in the diet. An 8 ounce glass or one grapefruit can be safely consumed.
Regular blood tests will help you and your provider:
- See how well the medicine is working
- Monitor for side effects, such as liver problems
Can statins put me at risk for memory loss or dementia?
Memory and cognitive symptoms from statin use are very rare, and it is unclear whether statins are actually the culprit. When symptoms are reported, they are usually not severe and usually go away with a statin dose adjustment or medication change. Affected patients report feeling inattentive or having fuzzy thinking, but these experiences are rare.
Concerns about long-term cognitive problems and memory loss due to statin use have not been substantiated. In contrast, recent data actually suggest that the use of statins may prevent dementia. These data are logical because one of the leading causes of dementia is atherosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries in the brain. There is strong evidence that statins can prevent atherosclerosis. It is one of the intangible benefits of taking statins.
Also, remember that increasingly high cholesterol and memory problems are both common symptoms of aging. Sometimes it's hard to separate the two, which is why statin use and memory problems sometimes seem to be related. If you are concerned about statins and memory loss, do not stop taking your medication without consulting your doctor. There may be other causes for your memory symptoms, or you may want to consider alternative treatments for your high cholesterol.
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See also:
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