How much time before a meal should an anti-cholesterol drug be taken in order for it to be most effective?

Answer 1

You may want to consider that anti-choleterol drugs are not all they're cracked up to be. The Lipid hypothesis is a failed hypothesis. You may want to do some research into and there are plenty of resources.

For instance, Mary Enig Ph.D., who is one of the leading scientists responsible for making people aware of the dangers trans-fatty acids (and in getting them labelled on foods), has written a lot about the failed Lipid hypothesis (cholesterol causes heart disease).

If there is someone you may want to listen to, it's this kind of scientist. One long but very accessible article is called:

The Oiling of America [1]

There is a lot more data you can read.

Confused About Fats? [2]
Cholesterol and Heart Disease--A Phony Issue [3]

Don't just trust pharmaceutical companies because their primary goal is in making a profit, not in making you healthier. That this is the case is best exemplified by the whole Vioxx debacle.

Humans have been eating animal fats (and cholesterol) like butter for many centuries. Widespread vegetable oil consumption is a 20th century industrial invention and the concomittant rise in cancers heart disease parallel their increasing usage over the 20th century.

Answer 2

That depends on which type of anti-cholesterol medication is being taken.

The most common medications used to treat cholesterol are Statins, which include Brand names such as Lipitor, Pravachol, Mevacor, and Crestor (the generic versions all end in -statin). These don't work directly on the food in your stomach, but instead work on how the "bad cholesterol" (LDL) and "good cholesterol" (HDL) are managed in your body, particularly by the liver. Therefore, they are usually prescribed once a day, usually at bedtime, instead of being timed with meals. Because they work on the liver, you should see a doctor to check your liver enzymes before starting statins to make sure the enzymes are not abnormally elevated. Also, if you start taking a statin and you begin to experience significant muscle aches and pains, inform your doctor as soon as possible. They have been known to, on rare occasions, cause a condition where muscles rapidly breakdown.

Another common class of medications, fibrates (such as gemfibrozil) is prescribed twice a day when someone has high triglycerides. It also does not need to be taken in relation to meals.

The same is true of Nicotinic acid (sold as Niaspan or Nicor, but commonly known as niacin), which is prescribed both in once a day doses or three times a day doses. It does not need to be taken in relation to meals.

One class of cholesterol medications that does need to be taken with meals is Bile Acid Sequestrants. This group includes cholestyramine and colestipol. These should be taken RIGHT BEFORE or during a meal since they bind to the bile acids that are released by your gall bladder when it senses food in your intestine. This group is not as commonly prescribed because it tends to produce a lot of abdominal side effects such as nausea, bloating, or cramping. One thing to be aware of with this medication, if you are taking certain fat-soluble drugs, such as warfarin (known as coumadin), or digoxin, these medications should be taken at least an hour before you take the bile acid sequestrant, otherwise they will bind together in your somach and the other drug will not be absorbed properly.

One last point, is that the reason to take anti-cholesterol drugs is because lowering cholesterol has been shown to reduce heart disease. Current treatments are usually based on the levels of LDL, HDL, and Triglycerides. However, taking an anti-cholesterol drug isn't a magic pill. It does need to be done along with:
1) a proper diet that is low cholesterol and saturated fat
2) a diet that includes fruits, vegetables, fiber-containing foods such as whole grain cereals
3) exercise which has been shown to raise good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol.
4) Avoiding smoking, which is also a significant risk factor for coronary artery disease.

Be sure to get your cholesterol checked by your physician periodically to see where you are.

Answer 3

The manufacturers of most statin drugs recommend that they be taken at night. The one I take recommends that it be taken at dinner time, however, the one I used to take was a bedtime medication.

They do not work on the food as you eat it, but work on your system as a whole. My cholesterol has gone from a total of 254 to 152.

Answer 4

Most statins work best over night.

Ignore Ashley. This is a person who uses multiple names to spout a conspiracy THEORY and who thinks that the statin drugs are the devils brew.

Answer 5

I was told to take mine (Pravachol) before bed because it works in the liver while you are sleeping better than in the waking hours.

Answer 6

WHY would ANYONE take an anti cholesterol drug???????????????????????????????????????


The Lipid Hypothesis is FRAUD



DEMAND your doctor show you the evidence to support his UNTENABLE contentions.



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