A Closer Look at Statins

By Susan Sloane, R.Ph.

Certainly, not everyone is a candidate for a statin drug. If your cholesterol is high, it’s likely your physician will first suggest a low-fat diet and exercise to try to get these levels down. If your doctor does prescribe a statin drug, you will probably take one pill per day, in the evening. This makes the drug work more efficiently, because your body manufactures more cholesterol at night than during the day.

If you miss a dose, don’t double up; simply take it the next day. Periodic blood work will be done to measure cholesterol and liver enzymes. It typically takes several weeks to see changes in cholesterol levels. If liver enzymes are elevated, your physician may decide to decrease the statin dose, change the statin, or discontinue treatment. Side effects of statins include gas, abdominal cramping, and constipation. If muscle weakness or soreness occurs, contact your doctor.

Some commonly prescribed statins include atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), and rosuvastatin (Crestor). Lovastatin (Mevacor) and pravastatin (Pravachol) are available in generic forms.
           
Other cholesterol-lowering medications combine statins with another drug, such as simvastatin (Zocor) and ezetimibe (Vytorin). Simvastatin also is being introduced in generic versions. Each holds a place in cholesterol management and should be discussed with your doctor.

Generic versions tend to be less expensive than brand-name drugs.