Lipitor Alternatives

If you are experiencing side effects with Lipitor, alternatives to the cholesterol medication are available. Alternatives to Lipitor include other statins, such as Crestor, Zocor, and Lescol. Other possible Lipitor alternatives include other types of cholesterol medication, such as nicotinic acid, bile acid sequestrants, and fibrates.

 

Lipitor Alternatives: An Introduction

Lifestyle changes are the first line of treatment for lowering cholesterol. However, for some people, diet, weight control, and exercise are not enough to sufficiently lower cholesterol. If lifestyle changes alone are not enough, your doctor can prescribe cholesterol medications. One such medicine is Lipitor®. For most people, Lipitor is quite effective in lowering cholesterol. It is also generally well tolerated. However, some people do experience Lipitor side effects. People experiencing such side effects may wish to consider Lipitor alternatives.
 

Using Other Statins as Lipitor Alternatives

Lipitor is part of a class of drugs called statins (or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors).
 Statins work by blocking a particular enzyme, HMG-CoA reductase, that controls the rate of cholesterol production in the body. This causes the liver to make less cholesterol. Lipitor also:
 
There are several types of statins available that could be considered Lipitor alternatives. These include:
 
There are also several generic versions of these prescription statins. To see if a generic statin would make sense in your situation, talk to your healthcare provider.
 
(Lipitor Alternatives Continued: Page 2)
Add this article to your Favorites     Email this article     Print
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;