Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with GoogleGet your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
Can I Discontinue Atorvastatin For Gas, Bloating And Sticky Stools?
I take atorvastatin 3 times a week,Mon.Wed and Fri. to avoid side affects, This does not seem to be working as I suffer on Tues, Thurs, and Sat with gas and bloating and sticky stool mild constipation. I eat a lot of fruit and vegs. always have and never had bowel problems until now. I would like to stop taking this medicine for a period of time to see if it is the problem. My cholesterol is total 203Trig.67, hdl 66 and ldl 124.I really wanted to try to lower it some without meds but Dr insisted. I take metoprolol tarte 25 mg,and losartan 50 mg for high blood pressure. My blood pressure now runs on average 119/67.what would happen if I just stopped taking the atorvastatin?
P>S> usually by Sun and Mon I am feeling some better just to start all over after I take the atorvastatin Mon. eve, Please help
P>S> usually by Sun and Mon I am feeling some better just to start all over after I take the atorvastatin Mon. eve, Please help
Wed, 5 Feb 2014
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Atorvastatin is in the statin family of cholesterol medications. In the values that you quoted the following are significant(1) your HDL is good ( should be greater than 40 for a male and greater than 50 for a female)
(2)an LDL of 124 falls into the near optimal region unless there is a history of heart disease or diabetes, then it should be less than 100
(3)your triglycerides are also good
The medication, along with your lifestyle, would be keeping these values at these levels. It is possible that they would increase without the medication. Increased cholesterol is associated with increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
You can discuss the possibility of discontinuing the medication for a period of time and monitoring your cholesterol with your doctor.
In addition, it is important to remember that the side effects vary from one medication to the next even if they are in the same medication family.
If the cholesterol increases without the medication then your doctor may consider switching to another statin.
I hope this helps
Atorvastatin is in the statin family of cholesterol medications. In the values that you quoted the following are significant(1) your HDL is good ( should be greater than 40 for a male and greater than 50 for a female)
(2)an LDL of 124 falls into the near optimal region unless there is a history of heart disease or diabetes, then it should be less than 100
(3)your triglycerides are also good
The medication, along with your lifestyle, would be keeping these values at these levels. It is possible that they would increase without the medication. Increased cholesterol is associated with increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
You can discuss the possibility of discontinuing the medication for a period of time and monitoring your cholesterol with your doctor.
In addition, it is important to remember that the side effects vary from one medication to the next even if they are in the same medication family.
If the cholesterol increases without the medication then your doctor may consider switching to another statin.
I hope this helps
I find this answer helpful
Hi,Welcome to Health care magic forum.
As your doctor insists, cholesterol is a silent killer,it causes athiro sclerosis,of the blood vessels of the heart and brain, and whole body. And may result into many diseases.
Of course it is an irritant to the stomach, but there are many substitutes to it.
If your doctor insists for the atrovastatin, you can have it with the proton pump inhibitors like omeprazole etc.
Wishing for a quick and complete recovery. Thank you.
As your doctor insists, cholesterol is a silent killer,it causes athiro sclerosis,of the blood vessels of the heart and brain, and whole body. And may result into many diseases.
Of course it is an irritant to the stomach, but there are many substitutes to it.
If your doctor insists for the atrovastatin, you can have it with the proton pump inhibitors like omeprazole etc.
Wishing for a quick and complete recovery. Thank you.
I find this answer helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer.
For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service
[Sample answer]
Related questions you may be interested in
Recent questions on Statin
Loading Online Doctors....