|  | Conditions Treatments | Cholesterol

Cholesterol-Reducing Drugs & Alcohol

There are basically five different classes or groups of cholesterol-reducing drugs: statins (Lipitor), resins (Prevalite), fibrates (Tricor), niacin (Nicotinic acid) and cholesterol absorption inhibitors (Zetia). Each of these cholesterol-reducing drugs works in a different way to lower cholesterol. Alcohol intake (and how much you drink) affects each of these drugs differently.

  1. Statins

    • This drug class (which includes Lipitor, Lescol, Altocor, Crestor and others) seeks to do two things: slow down cholesterol produced in the body's liver and remove cholesterol that is lining blood vessel walls. Alcohol can play a significant role in the efficacy (or lack thereof) of this drug. That is because the is impaired by liver disease (past or present) and heavy drinking. A person ith prior liver disease (or who drinks more than one drink a day) is watched very closely when first put on statins, according to the Mayo Clinic.

    Resins

    • Resins (Colestid, Prevalite, Welchol and Questran) focus on lowering LDL cholesterol levels. Side effects of resins can include dizziness and lightheadedness. Drinking alcohol while also taking a resin medication like Colestid, even in moderation, can increase these side effects, according to Drugs.com.

    Fibrates

    • This drug class type not only reduces your triglyceride (fat) cholesterol levels, it also raises your HDL (good) cholesterol levels, too. Lopid, Tricor, and Antara are three examples of fibrates. But while fibrates can reduce lipids, they also turn off a blood glucose converting enzyme process. This can be detrimental to diabetics as well as those who drink a lot of alcohol, since the blood sugar is not converted into sorbitol. It stays in the blood instead, according to Medical News Today.

    Niacin

    • Basically one of the B vitamins, niacin has the potential to do three things: lower triglycerides (fat) and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, as well as raise HDL (good) cholesterol. However, it accomplishes this when given in large doses. Large doses of niacin can result in the possibility of some side effects that are very serious (difficulty breathing, throat swelling). In addition, alcohol should be avoided altogether while taking niacin according to Drugs.com. The combination of alcohol and niacin can increase other side effects of the drug, including flushing.

    Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors

    • By blocking the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines, this drug type can lower overall cholesterol levels. But like resin drugs that lower cholesterol, this drug type's side effects (dizziness) are increased when taken with alcohol. Therefore, alcohol consumption should be limited to one drink or less per day if on this medication.

Cholesterol - Related Articles