Statins and alcohol: Risks and side effects

However, some research suggests that statins can sometimes impact your liver, making heavy alcohol consumption while taking statins potentially dangerous for your health. But, drinking alcohol may worsen the potential side effects for people with certain medical conditions, particularly liver damage. The benefit of taking statins likely outweighs the small risk to have the blood sugar cyclobenzaprine interactions with alcohol level go up. Health care professionals often prescribe statins for people with high cholesterol.

Heavy alcohol intake increases heart disease risk factors

The men were randomly assigned to take low- or high-dose lovastatin (Mevacor — the first statin drug). Among the 345 men on high doses, there was no effect of alcohol on the risk of liver inflammation, even in the men who averaged more than two drinks a day. Research suggests that there are no immediate side effects of drinking alcohol while taking statins.

Statin side effects: Weigh the benefits and risks

Rarely, if the increase is severe, you may need to try a different statin. One of the most common complaints of people taking statins is muscle pain. You may feel this pain as a soreness, tiredness or weakness in your muscles. The pain can be a mild discomfort, or it can be serious enough to make it hard to do your daily activities.

Weigh the risks and benefits

1. Statins can lead to liver disease in roughly 2% of patients, and ongoing monitoring of liver function may be needed.
2. Talk with a trusted health professional about your concerns or visit this website to find treatment options and resources near you.
3. Some people, especially pregnant women, and those who take certain medicines regularly, should avoid alcohol entirely.
4. Cholesterol levels are affected by many factors, including body weight and dietary intake.
5. 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.

Having too much cholesterol in the blood increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The package insert for Praluent (alirocumab) and Repatha (evolocumab) do not list alcohol (ethanol) as a possible drug-drug interaction. However, these agents work in the liver and Praluent has been linked with elevated liver enzymes, which may signal liver toxicity. If you’re concerned does alcohol cause dry eyes about your cholesterol levels or alcohol intake, talk with a healthcare professional.

Very rarely, statins can cause life-threatening muscle damage called rhabdomyolysis (rab-doe-my-OL-ih-sis). Rhabdomyolysis can cause extreme muscle pain, liver damage, kidney failure and death. Only a few cases of rhabdomyolysis occur per million people taking statins. Rhabdomyolysis can occur when you take statins in combination fun activities for substance abuse groups with certain drugs or if you take a high dose of statins. Instead, the organization advises watching your weight, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly to keep your cholesterol levels in check. You should consider moderating or eliminating your alcohol intake with certain cholesterol medicines.

Although maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is essential to reducing heart disease risk, many factors contribute to this condition, including blood pressure, genetics, and sex (19). Low-dose alcohol also may slightly reduce the risk of heart attacks and certain strokes. That means no more than one to two drinks a day, counting five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, and 1.5 ounces of liquor as one drink.

If you think you’re experiencing side effects from taking statins, don’t just stop taking the pills. Talk to your health care team to see if a change in how much medicine you take or even a different type of medicine might be helpful. If you do plan to drink, check with your doctor first, and drink in moderation — (one glass of wine or beer a day for women, two for men).

Having higher levels of HDL cholesterol may help protect against heart disease and related death. HDL protects heart health because it collects excess cholesterol and transports it to your liver, where it can be removed or recycled. Statins can increase the risk of developing rhabdomyolysis, which can cause kidney damage and, eventually, kidney failure. It can be helpful to have an honest conversation with your doctor about your alcohol use if you are considering taking statins to manage your cholesterol levels.