When diet and lifestyle changes aren't enough to lower your cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe a cholesterol-lowering drug. A number of these exist, the most popular being statins. Although effective for lowering LDL cholesterol, their efficacy falls short for other cholesterol types such as HDL and triglycerides.
Bile Acid Sequestrants
Also known as bile-acid binding resins, these drugs have a modest effect on your LDL, or bad cholesterol, levels. Your body relies on bile to help manufacture cholesterol. Bile acid sequestrants bind with the bile in your digestive tract, excreting it through your feces. To produce more bile, your liver must pull cholesterol from your bloodstream; this process lowers your cholesterol. The most common side effects include constipation, gas and heartburn. The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) warns, though, that this drug may interfere with the absorption of various medications such as digoxin, beta-blockers, thyroid replacement hormones and medications used to treat low blood sugar. To prevent these effects, take this cholesterol drug either 1 hour before or 4 to 6 hours after your other medications.
Fibrates
Fibrates are a treatment option for high triglyceride levels. They work by breaking down the particles that make triglycerides, ridding them from your body. In some cases they may increase your HDL, or good cholesterol, levels slightly, but this is not a guarantee. Patients who take these drugs due to extremely high levels of triglycerides may experience an increase in their LDL levels, according to UMMC. Gallstone formation is a possible side effect among patients taking a fibrate, so if you have gallbladder problems, you should not take this drug.
Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors
Cholesterol enters your blood via your gastrointestinal tract. Your GI tract absorbs the cholesterol from the food you eat and the bile in your body. Ezetimibe, the only cholesterol absorption inhibitor currently on the market, blocks this absorption from occurring. This drug can lower your total and LDL cholesterol levels between 10 and 20 percent, according to UMMC. Your doctor can, however, prescribe this drug in combination with a statin. This combination produces greater results than when you take a statin alone. Possible side effects include joint, back and abdominal pain, fatigue, cough and diarrhea.
Nicotinic Acid
Nicotinic acid is the active ingredient in niacin, an over-the-counter dietary supplement known as vitamin B-3. This is the drug of choice for low HDL levels, however, the dietary supplement is not as effective as the prescription form for accomplishing this. The prescription form -- Niaspan -- is an extended-release medicine that may have fewer side effects than its dietary supplement counterpart. In addition, the supplement is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration in the same manner as the prescription is; this poses a greater health risk. The American Heart Association adds this medication is preferred for patients with high triglyceride levels, as bile acid sequestrants tend to increase them.
