This causes blood to suddenly clot and block an artery in the heart or brain. Your long-term risk of a heart attack or stroke is the most important thing that your healthcare professional alcohol withdrawal will keep in mind when thinking about statin treatment. If your risk is very low, you probably won’t need a statin, unless your LDL is above 190 mg/dL (4.92 mmol/L).

Fluvastatin, and rosuvastatin is primarily metabolized by CYP2C9. Patients between 40 to 75 years of age with diabetes are at intermediate or high risk of future ASCVD, and moderate-intensity statin is recommended. One study found that 75-year-olds who stopped taking statins had a 33 percent higher risk of being hospitalized for a cardiovascular event, versus those of the same age who continued to take statins.

1. If you think you’re experiencing side effects from taking statins, don’t just stop taking the pills.
2. In very rare cases, statins can cause severe muscle damage that can be life-threatening.
3. The rest of your body’s cholesterol comes from what you eat.
4. Should you wish to learn more about other ways to manage risk factors you may find our Guide to Cholesterol Control and Heart Health worthwhile.
5. It can be taken alone but is usually taken with other cholesterol-lowering medications.

These include ezetimibe (Zetia), bempedoic acid (Nexletol), and bile acid sequestrants, which have been seen to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. Statins are prescription drugs you take as pills to lower cholesterol. However, when you have too much, it can build up inside the walls of your arteries. Cholesterol-laden plaque contributes to heart disease in different ways. While statins are highly effective and safe for most people, they have been linked to muscle pain, digestive problems and mental fuzziness in some people. There’s some early evidence that protecting the gut and its microbiome could minimize the damage done by PFAS, Chatzi said.

Who should avoid statins?

You should avoid statins if you’re pregnant, nursing or have certain types of liver disease. If you’re already at risk for diabetes, statins can add to your risk of getting it. If you think you’re experiencing side effects from taking statins, don’t just stop taking the pills.

Talk to your care team if you experience memory loss or confusion while taking statins. Blockages that prevent sufficient blood flow in the coronary arteries can lead to a form of chest pain called angina. Symptoms usually occur with exertion and go away with rest. Your dose will depend on why you need the medicine, your cholesterol levels, and other medicines you’re taking.

Serious atorvastatin side effects

You may be wondering about side effects of statins, types of statins, how statins work, and what your doctor may prescribe instead of statins to help lower your cholesterol. If your doctor wants you to take a statin for high cholesterol, you’re not alone. In fact, statins are the most prescribed drugs in the U.S.

Because most research on statins has involved middle-aged, white participants, there is less information available about side effects in people of color and older adult groups. Not everyone who takes statins will experience side effects. But some people may be at higher risk of side effects than others, according to research. Most people can take statins without too many side effects, but side effects can occur. It‘s hard to say if one type of statin will cause more side effects for you than another. If you have lasting side effects, your doctor may be able to adjust your dosage or recommend a different statin.

In rare cases, statins may change how the body processes glucose (blood sugar). For this reason, statins can cause a small increase in your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you’re concerned about this risk, talk with your doctor. Be sure to read the warnings that come with your medications. If you have questions, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Organ transplant recipients may be prescribed statins because statins reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems after transplant.

Will miscarriage care remain available?

Other side effects that aren’t as common are headaches, constipation, diarrhea, and sleep problems. Once you start taking a statin (or any cholesterol lowering drug), you probably will stay on it for life. If you stop, your protection from the statin will wear off. If you do have plaque buildup inside your arteries, statins can help prevent them from breaking open and leading to blood clots. In 1971, Akira Endo, a Japanese biochemist working for the pharmaceutical company Sankyo, began to investigate this problem.

Take atorvastatin tablet orally once daily with or without food. Many people ask when to take atorvastatin morning or night? It can be taken any time of the day, but try and take it at the same time each day. Atorvastatin is only part of a complete program of treatment that also includes diet, exercise, and weight control. Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely.

Statins are prescription drugs people take to lower their level of LDL or “bad” cholesterol that builds up in arteries. Statins work by interfering when your liver makes cholesterol. Your healthcare provider will look at your specific situation and decide if a statin is right for you. “About 80% to 90% of the time, heart disease is preventable through modifiable risk factors,” Steinbaum says.

Different brands of statins are available, as well as generic forms that cost less. Statin drugs are tablets or capsules that you swallow whole once a day with or without food. Statins also decrease your triglycerides and help your liver get rid of more cholesterol.

Statins that stay in your system for a short time work best if you take them in the evening (before your body starts making cholesterol overnight). Statin drugs that stay in your system longer work just as well if you take them at other times of the day. Grapefruit juice has a chemical that can interfere with the enzymes that break down the statins in your digestive system. While you won’t need to cut grapefruit entirely from your diet, ask your health care expert about how much grapefruit you can have. Although liver problems are rare, your health care team may order a liver enzyme test before or shortly after you begin to take a statin.

Liver damage

I also developed memory problems attributed to the statin. “The last year I was experiencing severe neuropathy in my legs and feet. I was tested by my neurologist and he diagnosed me as having neuropathy. Doing some research I discovered that some statins do cause pain such as what I experienced. Statins are tolerated well by most people, but they can have side effects. Some side effects go away as the body adjusts to the medicine.

For years there were clear cut-offs — numbers your doctor looked for. If your levels were above them, then your doctor was supposed to prescribe a statin plus lifestyle changes (healthy eating, limiting unhealthy fats, and being more active). Ezetimibe reduces the amount of cholesterol your body absorbs from food (or alcohol use: weighing risks and benefits reabsorbs from what the liver releases). Large, randomized studies did not find any difference in side effects of ezetimibe compared with placebo. Your doctor picks which statin may work best for you by considering a few things. They include how much you need to lower your LDL by, and other medicines you are taking.