In some cases, your doctor may recommend taking Lipitor with lisinopril. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. It is intended for general informational purposes and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
It’s also important to read Lipitor’s label and other paperwork that may come with the drug. You may see colored stickers on the label that describe interactions. And the paperwork (sometimes called the patient package insert or medication guide) may have other details about interactions. (If you did not get paperwork with Lipitor, ask your pharmacist to print a copy for you.) If you need help understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help. If you already take diltiazem, tell your doctor before starting your Lipitor treatment. Your doctor may recommend monitoring you more closely for symptoms of myopathy, rhabdomyolysis, and liver problems during your treatment.
Drug interactions explained
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 93% of adults in the United States taking a cholesterol medication in 2012 were taking a statin. No, there aren’t any known interactions between Lipitor and lisinopril (Zestril). If you’d like to have caffeine while you’re taking Lipitor, talk with your doctor.
- However, that doesn’t mean there is no risk of an adverse effect or that you’re set for several nights of heavy drinking in a row.
- Before you start taking Lipitor, talk with your doctor if any of the factors above apply to you.
- While light to moderate alcohol intake isn’t usually harmful, heavy alcohol use can cause severe effects.
- Prescription drugs all come with side effects, or the risk of side effects.
Is famotidine pregnancy safe?
Statins interfere with the body’s production of cholesterol and help to lower low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), or bad cholesterol, when diet and exercise haven’t proven effective. Taking CoQ10 supplements along with Lipitor may lower your risk of these side effects. But more research is needed to determine whether CoQ10 may be effective for this use. Talk with your doctor to see if they may recommend taking CoQ10 supplements along with Lipitor. Before you start treatment for high cholesterol, your doctor will recommend the best plan for you. In some cases, they may recommend taking Zetia and Lipitor together.
These oral medicines are available as single agents or in combination with other medicines. Lipitor is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs to treat high cholesterol. If you’re taking Lipitor, it can be easy to find yourself in a situation in which you might be offered a drink. HDL protects heart health because it collects excess cholesterol and transports it to whats in whippets your liver, where it can be removed or recycled.
Does my health history affect whether I should take Lipitor?
This can cause a buildup of Lipitor in your body, which raises your risk of side effects. In some cases, these side effects may be serious, such as myopathy (muscle pain), rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown), and liver problems. Taking Lipitor with certain antifungal medications may raise your risk of side effects from Lipitor.
Check out FindTreatment.gov for more information on how to get help. For example, females are much more sensitive to the effects of alcohol because they have lower levels of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which breaks down alcohol (15). People using statins have reported a few other side effects, but more research is necessary to understand their prevalence and severity.
So taking the two together may increase your risk of side effects such as myopathy, rhabdomyolysis, and liver problems. do alcoholics have big noses You may have heard that drinking a glass or two of red wine each day can help reduce your risk of heart disease. But before you raise a glass and toast to your heart, know that the news about alcohol isn’t entirely positive.
Alcohol has also been tied to a lower risk of blood clots and decreased levels of inflammation markers. To help reduce health problems, medical experts often recommend limiting alcohol intake to one drink per day for women and no more than 2 drinks per day for men. One drink is equal to 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1.5 ounces of liquor. If you’re concerned about your cholesterol levels or alcohol intake, talk with a healthcare professional. They can provide appropriate testing and additional resources if needed.
Top Reads in Drug Info
One serious side effect of Lipitor is abnormal liver function and liver disease. In many cases, a healthcare provider will routinely check liver function through blood tests during treatment with Lipitor. While occasional changes in how long after taking clonazepam can i drink alcohol liver enzymes tests are normal, persistent elevations in liver enzymes can indicate serious liver problems. Although rare, there have been reports of liver injury caused by Lipitor. Light to moderate alcohol intake is unlikely to harm cholesterol levels, but heavy drinking can.
Despite the recommendation to monitor liver tests, and the uncommon risk of severe liver injury, statins may be helpful for some people with liver disease. The most common side effects of statin use are muscle pain and inflammation. In extreme cases, it can lead to rhabdomyolysis, a life threatening condition that may cause liver damage, kidney failure, or death. Tell your doctor if you have liver disease or consume large amounts of alcohol on a regular basis. Niacin should not be used if you have liver problems or a history of liver disease, elevated liver enzyme levels or current liver disease. Luckily, having an occasional drink is not likely to cause any harm.
Talk to your doctor first if you have more than 1 to 2 alcoholic drinks daily and you take a statin. Lipitor (atorvastatin) is a brand-name statin drug prescribed to treat high cholesterol. It can also help lower certain fats in the blood called triglycerides. Lowering cholesterol may help reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other complications and adverse events. If you are taking Lipitor (atorvastatin) or other statins to control your cholesterol levels, it’s best to avoid drinking more than a moderate amount of alcohol. Lipitor and alcohol both affect the liver, and people who drink excessively may need to be extra cautious while taking this medication.
Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School
Alcohol intake combined with statin use may cause problems, particularly for people with coexisting liver issues. But, drinking alcohol may worsen the potential side effects for people with certain medical conditions, particularly liver damage. But your doctor may recommend limiting the amount of alcohol you drink while taking Lipitor.
Leave a Reply