Tried all the methods to control your cholesterol? Still not satisfied with your weight?
If the diet plans and lifestyle changes didn’t make any changes in your cholesterol then your doctor may recommend more hostile treatments such as cholesterol medication.
You can make a trial but only under the doctor’s prescription. The most accepted cholesterol medications that are used today include:
Bile acid sequestrants:
The cholesterol medications such as colestipol, cholesteramine, and colesevelam can lower LDL cholesterol. These sequestrants combine bile acids in the intestine and cause most of the bile acids to be eliminated in bowel movements.
Even the small doses of these cholesterol medications can also lower cholesterol in modest levels.
Precautions you need to take while taking this cholesterol medication:
- Take the medication with water, fruit juice or with food.
- If you are taking any regular medication take them at least one hour before or several hours after taking the bile acid sequestrants since these cholesterol medications can interact with your regular medications.
- Take bile acid sequestrants once or twice in a day.
- Drink plenty of water while you are taking these medications otherwise you will experience bloating, constipation, and nausea.
Fibrates:
These cholesterol medications help in decreasing triglyceride levels and raising HDL-cholesterol. These medications will reduce your LDL cholesterol only to smaller extent, so they can be preffered by heart disease patients rather than high cholesterol people.
They can also help to maintain healthy heart in many patients. The most common fibrate which is prescribed to lower cholesterol is Gemfibrozil.
You need to take this medication twice a day, morning and evening usually half an hour before eating. This cholesterol medication may cause some side effects such as stomach disorders and high risk of developing gallstones.
Nicotinic acid:
Niacin is another name for nicotinic acid. This cholesterol medication acts as a vitamin and helps to increase HDL- cholesterol and at the same time they also decrease LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides.
Ingestion of large amounts will decrease the total cholesterol levels. At the beginning you need to take small doses and slowly the dosage is increased. It is better to take this medicine along with your meals.
If you want to take this medication, you must be treated under doctor’s supervision. This cholesterol medication can cause very serious side effects such as diarrhea, high blood pressure, gas, increased blood sugar levels, nausea, indigestion, liver problems, and vomiting.
Statins:
This cholesterol medications work to reduce the enzyme called HMG_CoA redictase. As this enzyme adjusts the production of cholesterol, reducing this enzyme can lower the levels of LDL-cholesterol.
This cholesterol medication can lower the levels of bad cholesterol up to 60 percent. Statins can lower the levels of triglycerides thus increasing HDL-cholesterol levels.
Statins are the most effective drugs among all the cholesterol medications. The most common statins include atovastatin, fluvastatin, simvastatin, and pravastatin. This medication has fewer side effects such as digestive disorders, cramps, constipation, gas, and stomach upset.
You can use these medications to lower your cholesterol levels but you must be under your doctor’s supervision. Without your doctor’s advice don’t use the cholesterol medication.
