is there a cholesterol lowering medicine that doesn't raise liver enzymes?

[dixie]

Crestor lowered them,but raised the liver enzymes. Catch 22!!

 

[sdbrier]

My wife' OB put her on a cholesterol medicine and it made her feel funny so she slowly took herself off of it in favor of a garlic tablet she buys at Sam's club, and two years later she doesn't have bad cholesterol any longer. All of this is along with a healthy diet. It may not work for all, but it did for her.

 

[dixie]

Mine is high because of heredity, not what I eat. I am very careful. Was hers high? Thanks

 

[JudyS]

Niacin (in very high doses) is used to treat high cholesterol, although many people can't tolerate it because it causes flushing (sort of like hot flashes.) I don't think it affects the liver, although it can raise blood sugar.

Fibrates are also used to treat high cholesterol. The problem is, even though they improve lipid values, all the research to date suggests that they don't actually improve the risk of heart attacks and other health problems.

It's possible that, even though one statin has given you liver problems, you may be able to tolerate others. Statins are such effective drugs that this is really worth looking into.

Also, some people have improvement in liver function when they take milk thistle.

 

[sandcastles]

My husband can't take many of the cholesterol drugs without raising liver enzymes. He had extremely high cholesterol and a heart condition so we didn't want to try any do it yourself remedies.

I can't remember the name of the last drug he was on but it was doing a pretty good job but then our insurance co. either dropped it on changed formularies so it was costing over $100 per month. Meanwhile I was taking pravastatin, a generic for pravachol that I got filled at Sam's for $10 for 3 months. Husband talked his doctor into letting him try that. After 3 months his cholesterol was down to 157 (lowest it had ever been) and no elevated enymes. It's been over a year now and still no problems.

 

[Tia]

I read something a short while ago on Red Yeast Rice so did a google search-

http://www.annals.org/content/150/12/830.abstract

http://www.theheart.org/article/979385.do

 

[PClapham]

The new statins caused muscle pain for me so I was put on Pravachol-now generic Pravastatin-the dr said it is processed differently in the liver-I've had no more problems in several years. (It's apparently a very old form of statin)

Anita

 

[ace2000]

We have a local radio host that started drinking this cherry juice over the last few months (along with diet changes). He swears his cholesterol levels have all dropped in a major way. He even read the 'before and after' numbers on the air.

It is available at several area grocery stores and I'm sure it can be found easily. Here's a link to the Sam's Club variety... he was drinking some kind of concentrate, not this one exactly, if I hear the exact name I'll post it.

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/na...72&pid=_Froogle&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=242524

 

[dixie]

My husband can't take many of the cholesterol drugs without raising liver enzymes. He had extremely high cholesterol and a heart condition so we didn't want to try any do it yourself remedies.

I can't remember the name of the last drug he was on but it was doing a pretty good job but then our insurance co. either dropped it on changed formularies so it was costing over $100 per month. Meanwhile I was taking pravastatin, a generic for pravachol that I got filled at Sam's for $10 for 3 months. Husband talked his doctor into letting him try that. After 3 months his cholesterol was down to 157 (lowest it had ever been) and no elevated enymes. It's been over a year now and still no problems.

dO you remember ow high his cholesterol was and what dosage of pravastatin he is on? thanks

 

[sandcastles]

He is on 40mg dosage. Before he went on any medicine his cholesterol was 330. He got it down to around 215 with medication. Then when he went on pravastatin the first reading was 157. Since then it has been running around 170.

 

[JudyS]

I read something a short while ago on Red Yeast Rice so did a google search-

http://www.annals.org/content/150/12/830.abstract

http://www.theheart.org/article/979385.do

Red Yeast Rice contains statins. Back when prescriptions statins were extremely expensive, some people took Red Yeast Rice because it was all they could afford.Now that prescription statins are available inexpensively, I don't see a reason to use Red Yeast Rice. With Red Yeast Rice, you can't be sure what dosage of statins you are getting.

We have a local radio host that started drinking this cherry juice over the last few months (along with diet changes). He swears his cholesterol levels have all dropped in a major way. ...

Dieting can cause major drops in cholesterol. However, once you stop dieting, the cholesterol values tend to go back up, even sometimes if you keep the weight off. So, I doubt the cherry juice has anything to do with it.

 

[Ubil]

Welchol

I was on Zocor, 20 mg, and my liver enzymes were a little elevated. My Dr. cut the Zocor to 10 mg and also put me on Welchol. That seems to be working. I don't know what kind of medication Welchol is. I've not had any side affects, but a friend of mine was prescribed it and had very painful hives.

 

[Blues]

Niacin (in very high doses) is used to treat high cholesterol, although many people can't tolerate it because it causes flushing (sort of like hot flashes.) I don't think it affects the liver, although it can raise blood sugar.

Yes, niacin can elevate blood sugar, and it can also elevate liver enzymes. It needs to be monitored just as closely as statins.

-Bob

 

[JudyS]

Yes, niacin can elevate blood sugar, and it can also elevate liver enzymes. It needs to be monitored just as closely as statins.

-Bob

Thanks for the info. I would guess that some people who have elevated liver enzymes on statins wouldn't have elevated enzymes on niacin, and some people who have elevated liver enzymes on niacin wouldn't have elevated enzymes on statins. There is a lot of individual variability in which drugs cause side effects.