Health: Side Effects of Cholesterol-Lowering Treatments

 

While cholesterol treatments help keep your levels in check, the resulting side effects are more common than you might think. Some serious, some just uncomfortable, here’s a list of common symptoms potentially caused by cholesterol-lowering drugs:

Statins keep your body from producing too much cholesterol. Common side effects of statins include:

• Stomachache
• Gas, abdominal pain, and cramping
• Constipation
• Problems with the liver
• Sore, weak, and painful muscles

Fibrates, one of the first available cholesterol medications, can lower triglyceride (blood fat) levels and even increase HDL cholesterol. Common side effects of fibrates include:

• Diarrhea
• Stomachache
• Higher risk of developing gallstones
• Anemia or low blood count
• Interactions with blood thinners (may make them stronger)

Resins (also known as bile acid sequestrants) bind to bile (produced by the liver), which makes the liver use more cholesterol and keep it out of the bloodstream. Common side effects of resins include:

• Diarrhea or constipation
• Irritated stomach
• Feeling dizzy
• Gas
• Bloating
• Heartburn

Niacin reduces triglyceride levels and raises HDL cholesterol. Over-the-counter supplements of niacin, which are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), should not be taken in place of prescription medications. Common side effects of niacin include:

• Liver toxicity
• Stomachache
• Flushed skin
• Itching
• Increased blood glucose levels

Cholesterol-lowering medications may also make you feel generally drowsy, or cause sleep problems, frequent headaches, nausea, and vomiting.

What Causes Cholesterol Treatment Side Effects
Statin medications may interact with other medications that you're taking, as well as with foods, drinks like grapefruit juice, or even vitamins and supplements. These interactions can make a medication more potent in your system — resulting in side effects from having too much of the drug in your system.

Before you start taking any cholesterol-lowering medication — or if you're experiencing any of these side effects — ask your doctor if there are any foods or drinks that you should avoid with your medication. Also be sure to tell him or her of any other prescription or over-the-counter medications, vitamins, oralternative treatments that you take to manage side effects and interactions.

Changing Cholesterol-Lowering Medication
Statins are the most common cholesterol treatment, and they have, as a whole, "a very low side effect profile," says Stanley L. Hazen, MD, PhD, director for the Center for the Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic.

"The [side effects] you hear about most often are muscle ache or stiffness," says Dr. Hazen. While these are known as "classic symptoms," Hazen notes they are typically very mild.

Some muscle pain can be more serious, but Hazen says most muscle pain, along with liver toxicity, is rare. Muscles may begin to break down in a condition called rhabdomyolysis, an extremely infrequent side effect of statins that can quickly be reversed by stopping the medication.

Remember you should never discontinue cholesterol-lowering medication unless your doctor orders it. If you have high cholesterol, the best thing you can do for yourself is to continue taking a statin.

"Statins save lives," Hazen says. "One of the reasons why people are living longer is because of statins. They really help delay the progression of heart disease," which is the leading cause of death in the United States.

Side effects from statins and other cholesterol medications are uncommon and can almost always be easily fixed while maintaining their protective benefit.

For people who do experience muscle pain or other side effects, the dosage is nearly always the cause and should be adjusted. Hazen says doing so will almost always do the trick, whether it's lowering the statin dose itself or reducing the frequency with which it's taken. The benefit of statins is so important for heart health, Hazen stresses, that those with high cholesterol should not abandon their medication.

Alternative Medications for Cholesterol Treatment
Over-the-counter nutritional supplements, vitamins, and herbs are an option, but Hazen asserts that they're generally not the best option. Natural cholesterol treatments like niacin and red yeast rice have been shown in studies to lower cholesterol, but they aren't regulated — so you can't be sure what's in them. It’s a good idea to talk to your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medications or supplements to lower your cholesterol.

Cholesterol Treatment: Lifestyle Changes
If your cholesterol-lowering medications are causing side effects that you just can't beat, or if you're already taking an extremely low dosage, you can supplement the medication with lifestyle changes. Try making these changes to your daily habits:

• Eat healthily. This means reducing the amount of high-cholesterol animal products in your diet and eating lots of cholesterol-lowering fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.
• Exercise regularly. Getting plenty of exercise and maintaining a healthy body weight can also control high cholesterol.

Even if your cholesterol treatment isn't causing side effects, these lifestyle changes are an important part of managing high cholesterol and reducing your risk for heart attack. Statins are a crucial part of reducing your risk of heart disease and death from heart disease, so it's important to work with your doctor on getting the right treatment and making sure it works for you.

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