Various Choices Of Treatment For High Blood Cholesterol

Having high cholesterol does not manifest itself like any other kind of illness. You can’t feel pain from it and there is a big chance that you disregard it and not seek treatment for the condition. But it is a serious problem that can put any person at major health risk. Man’s inability to become more active and his desire for eating rich and flavorful foods with high amounts of fat, sugar and sodium, increases his cholesterol levels. In addition to this, a lifestyle surrounded by stress, smoking and drinking also contributes to the risks we bring to our health. Realizing the risks and taking steps to remedy this is essential and important.

A healthy diet and good exercise regimen will often go a long way to help lower your cholesterol levels. Ideally, drugs should be used as a last option because they have side effects. Besides, once a person starts taking medicines for treatment, it is almost always a lifetime requirement that should never be stopped. But some people may not be able to achieve lower cholesterol levels with just diet and exercise, so taking medication or supplements may perhaps be what they need to best maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

A doctor may suggest that you start on one of the following medications to lower cholesterol levels:

  • Lipitor is a treatment mostly preferred by doctors and is usually prescribed to a patient when he or she has a rather high triglyceride level. Lipitor is also prescribed if dieting does not help your current condition or if you have an LDL level of more than 130mg/dL
  • Lopid is prescribed to those who wish to lower their cholesterol levels but at the same time, they may be a risk of pancreatitis.
  • Altocor is best for those who are found to have clogged arteries and advanced risk of heart disease. It works to soften the clogging and is best taken before you go to sleep at night.
  • Mevacor is a medicine that works best for patients with hypercholesterolemia or those with dangerous levels of cholesterol in their bloodstream
  • Prevachol is a medication that may be prescribed with other cholesterol lowering treatments in order to get better results.
  • Zocor helps loosen clogged arteries, thereby preventing the need for angioplasty or bypass surgery.
  • Advicor is prescribed to even out the LDLs (low density lipoprotein) and HDLs (high density lipoprotein) found in your body as Advicol contains niacin. It is however not advisable for diabetics since it may increase their sugar levels.
  • Colestid comes in two types: the tablet form or in granules, which you must mix with water, juice or soup. Colestid helps in lowering your cholesterol levels.
  • Tricor is a drug that helps in lowering triglycerides and reducing total cholesterol. But take note that Tricor is not the kind of medicine that must be mixed with other form of medication, especially not without the consent of your doctor.

All of these treatments and medications must be doctor prescribed and should not be taken with an empty stomach. If they come in tablet form, it is advisable to take it whole, rather than chew it. It is also not advisable to take two doses at once. In case you miss a substantial amount of time (like one week for instance) in taking the medication, do not self medicate and allow yourself to continue with the treatment when convenient. Seek your doctor’s advice first.

Lower Cholesterol