Side effects of Cholesrol lowering drugs

Statins are the drugs usually prescribed for reducing high Cholestrol.. They are generally well-tolerated, and side effects are rare. Minor side effects include constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, gas, heartburn, and headache. Atorvastatin should be used with caution in patients with alcohol or other liver diseases. Persistently abnormal liver tests during treatment are rare but may require discontinuation of the medication. Rare cases of muscle inflammation (myositis) and breakdown have been reported with other drugs in this class (HMGCoA reductase antagonists), and it is assumed that this side effect also may occur with atorvastatin. Muscle breakdown causes the release of muscle protein (myoglobin) into the blood and accumulation of the protein in the kidney tubules, resulting in kidney failure.