2013;9(9):605–606. Richard N. Fogoros, MD, is a retired professor of medicine and board-certified in internal medicine, clinical cardiology, and clinical electrophysiology. Statinsor other cholesterol medications work by lowering LDL (low density lipoproteins, or “bad” cholest… Related: Cholesterol Testing: What Do Your Results Mean? Updated October 18, 2016. Alcohol can also interact with medications, particularly tranquilizers and sleeping pills. All of that said, excess alcohol could pose a problem for people when combined with Lipitor. The use of statins alone, or in combination with pioglitazone and other drugs, for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and related cardiovascular risk. Can acupuncture help my menopause symptoms? Lipitor and other statins may reduce your risk of heart disease, but alcohol, through causes such as alcoholic cardiomyopathy and much more, may worsen your risk. Use olive oil instead of butter when sautéing vegetables or scrambling eggs. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. There are at least 50 case reports of liver injury in people taking statins which have led to death or the need for liver transplantation.. Some men with an enlarged prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH for short) eventually start to experience urinary incontinence, the involuntary discharge of urine. PCSK9 Inhibitors for Cholesterol—Are They Really Miracle Drugs? Androgens, the family of male sex hormones that includes testosterone, function as a fuel for growth in normal development. An Expert Panel Statement. And if you do that, you can have your wine and your statin, too. A. It may be somewhat reassuring to hear that, 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.. By using Verywell Health, you accept our, How Zocor (Simvastatin) Works to Lower Your Cholesterol, Preventing Heart Failure With Lifestyle Changes, Learn About Taking Lipitor or Zocor With Grapefruit Juice, Preventing Heart Failure After Heart Attack, Crestor: Uses, Side Effects, Dosages, Interactions, What You Should Know About Statin Drug Interactions, Side Effects of Statin Drugs for Cholesterol, Statin Drugs May Not Be Beneficial for Some Older Adults, General Information About Livalo (Pitavastatin), Possible Health Benefits of Moderate Drinking. I take HydroDiuril and Lipitor. Fortunately, the inflammation is usually mild; it resolves when statins are stopped, but many doctors believe it's … Statin Effects Iclude Anti-Inflammatory and Other Health Benefits, Statins: Actions, side effects, and administration, Hepatotoxicity of statins and other lipid-lowering agents. 71:17-32. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2017.02.014, Athyros VG, et. Fortunately, the inflammation is usually mild; it resolves when statins are stopped, but many doctors believe it's safe to continue statin therapy even if mild liver test abnormalities develop. An Expert Panel Statement. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. How dangerous is it to drink alcohol if I’m on a blood thinner? Thankfully, you won't have to go very far to hear wonderful success stories from people who have been given a new lease on life after quitting. Fact sheets—moderate drinking. Why do my legs swell at the end of the day? © 2010 - 2020 Harvard University. Ⓒ 2020 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved. Read our, Medically reviewed by Jeffrey S. Lander, MD, Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD, Medically reviewed by Yasmine S. Ali, MD, MSCI, Verywell Health uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. An Expert Panel Statement. Muscle problems with statins are not uncommon, and alcohol can lead to damage as well. Alcohol may also interfere with the metabolism of many drugs, such as those that may be used along with Lipitor for heart disease. Clinically apparent liver injury—injury enough to causes symptoms rather than simply abnormal liver function tests alone—is very uncommon with statins, unlike the elevations in liver enzymes alone we just noted. It is not advised to drink any alcohol while taking statins. Get health information and advice from the experts at Harvard Medical School. To understand why any amount of alcohol could be a problem with Lipitor or any statins, let's take a look at how these medications may affect the liver, and how alcohol might increase that effect. 2017;71:17-32. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2017.02.014, Janicko M, Drazilova S, Pella D, Fedacko J, Jarcuska P. Pleiotropic effects of statins in the diseases of the liver. Studies have found that some people who use Lipitor have an elevation of the liver enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). A 2006 Harvard study evaluated the question in 1,244 men who had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines drinking in moderation as one alcoholic drink each day for women and two drinks for men. This is not a license to drink. So a question about whether you should combine these drugs with alcohol deserves a careful answer. Consuming large volumes of alcohol with statins increases the risk of side effects greatly. According to the official package insert approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Lipitor “should be used with caution in patients who consume substantial quantities of alcohol and/or have a history of liver disease.” Unfortunately, there is not an official definition of what a substantial quantity of alcohol means. Can you drink alcohol while taking cholesterol medication? Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. Drinking alcohol while on statins Overall, there are no specific health risks associated with drinking while using statins. However, researchers who are studying the beneficial effects of alcohol on preventing heart disease define moderate drinking as up to two drinks each day for women and up to four drinks each day for men. If you subscribe to any of our print newsletters and have never activated your online account, please activate your account below for online access. You only need to activate your account once. From the opposite angle, what do we know about the effect of statins on liver disease? Disclaimer: An Expert Panel Statement, Pleiotropic effects of statins in the diseases of the liver. There are several different ways to explain how statins affect the liver, so let's look at changes in liver tests alone (no symptoms,) clinical liver disease (symptoms) related to statin use, severe liver disease, as well as how statins may actually reduce mortality in some people who already have liver disease. Statins have made a big difference with regard to heart disease. They stabilize and reduce the size of the coronary artery plaques that can lead to heart attacks, the leading cause of death in the U.S. before cancer.

can you drink alcohol while taking a statin?

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can you drink alcohol while taking a statin? 2020