It’s not uncommon to have abnormal liver function tests when taking Lipitor, but there are other considerations when looking at the effects of statins on the liver. Yes, it’s thought that metformin (Glumetza, Fortamet) and Lipitor are safe to take together. There have not been reports of drug interactions between these medications.
It’s also important to read the label of Lipitor and other paperwork that comes with the drug. The label may have colored stickers that mention an interaction. And the paperwork, sometimes called the prescribing information, may contain details about interactions. If this information is difficult to understand, ask your doctor or pharmacist to help explain it.
Due to the risk of severe muscle side effects, doctors typically will not prescribe gemfibrozil in combination with Lipitor. Both Lipitor and gemfibrozil can cause myopathy when taken alone. Taking these drugs together can increase the risk and severity of this condition. After you take a dose of Lipitor, your body uses a certain enzyme (protein) to break down the drug. Yes, it’s likely safe to take Lipitor and sildenafil (Viagra) together.
It is often not safe for people with liver disease or dysfunction to take statins. The most common side effect of statin use is muscle pain and inflammation. Generally, this feels like soreness or weakness of the muscles. In extreme cases, it can lead to rhabdomyolysis, a life-threatening condition that may cause liver damage, kidney failure, or death. While not a side effect of mixing alcohol and Lipitor, there is another negative aspect to mixing these two substances. Lipitor is explicitly used to lower the levels of cholesterol and is typically used by people who have a higher risk of negative health events when Lipitor is not used.
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Lisinopril is used to lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. In some cases, your doctor may recommend taking Lipitor with lisinopril. St. John’s wort can cause your body to break down Lipitor too quickly, which can make Lipitor less effective. If you take St. John’s wort, your doctor may recommend that you stop taking it during your Lipitor treatment. If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
They can determine if they may be safe to take during your Lipitor treatment. People taking statins may still be able to consume some alcohol, but not awareness and health observances observances drug overdose more than 14 units per week. Drinking alcohol may lead to worsened gastrointestinal side effects of Lipitor, such as upset stomach and diarrhea.
Having had an allergic reaction to Lipitor or any of its ingredients
Taking birth control pills with Lipitor may raise your risk of side effects from your birth control pills. This is because Lipitor can increase birth control hormone levels in your blood. This may raise your risk of side effects from your birth control pills.
- Since moderate to high alcohol intake can also elevate liver enzymes, the combination of heavy drinking and statins will increase the chances of abnormal test results.
- Specifically, taking St. John’s Wort in combination with Lipitor together may cause Lipitor to be less effective at treating your condition.
- Looking at these numbers, however, it’s important to note that, as of 2019, Lipitor has been the most prescribed drug worldwide.
- The top reason why mixing alcohol and Lipitor is unsafe is that this drug combination can cause severe liver damage.
- Both Lipitor and Zetia are approved to treat high cholesterol.
It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. Unfortunately, drinking and using Lipitor can cause some dangerous side effects. The blood levels of Lipitor are higher in people with chronic alcoholic liver disease than in otherwise healthy individuals without liver problems. Lipitor blood levels in people with liver disease can be around four to 16 times higher than those in people without liver disease, depending on the severity of the disease.
People using statins have reported a few other side effects, but more research is necessary to understand their prevalence and severity. Statins disrupt insulin-signaling pathways and can affect the function of beta cells in the pancreas, which create and release insulin. No, sildenafil (Viagra) has not been reported to interact with Lipitor.
There aren’t any known interactions between Lipitor and alcohol. But your doctor may recommend limiting the amount of alcohol you drink while taking Lipitor. Both Lipitor and alcohol can raise your risk of liver problems. So you may be more likely to experience liver problems if you drink alcohol during your Lipitor treatment. Around 1–3% of people who take statins may experience elevated liver enzyme levels, which often cause no symptoms.
Is It Safe to Mix Statins and Alcohol?
When people do experience side effects from taking statins, they are typically minor and resolve once a person stops taking the statins or changes their dosage. Statins can also increase the risk of developing benign proteinuria, a condition in which there is excess protein in the urine. Statins can increase the risk alcohol and acute ischemic stroke onset of developing rhabdomyolysis, which can cause kidney damage and, eventually, kidney failure. Another dangerous side effect of taking Lipitor and alcohol at the same time is an increased risk of problems with blood circulation to the brain. Lipitor and alcohol both cause a decrease in the size of some brain arteries.
In one study looking at people with severe alcoholic liver disease, the use of statins cut the risk of death from alcoholic cirrhosis in half. It’s actually common for people to be prescribed both aspirin and Lipitor. Aspirin is often used in certain adults who have heart disease.
Lipitor and health-related interactions
Viagra is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED), which is a common condition in people with heart disease. Before you start treatment with Lipitor, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you take cannabis. Before you start treatment with Lipitor, tell your doctor and pharmacist johns hopkins scientists give psychedelics the serious treatment which supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. This interaction can raise your risk of myopathy, which refers to certain muscle side effects, including muscle pain. It’s also important to read Lipitor’s label and other paperwork that may come with the drug.
Liver Inflammation
Diltiazem (Cardizem CD) is a drug used to treat certain heart rhythm problems. Cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral), a drug commonly prescribed after an organ transplant, can interact with Lipitor. Here’s a closer look at certain drug interactions of Lipitor. Taking Lipitor exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions. Taking CoQ10 supplements along with Lipitor may lower your risk of these side effects. But more research is needed to determine whether CoQ10 may be effective for this use.