5 tips about cholesterol drugs

• If you have high LDL (bad) cholesterol but no other risk factors, try exercising and changing your diet to lose weight before resorting to a statin.
• If you begin to have significant muscle aches after taking a statin, review alternate options with your doctor.
• If you're prescribed a statin, take the lowest possible dose that can help achieve your goal of lowering your cholesterol.
• Other medications, such as cholestyramine and niacin, can lower cholesterol, but they are less effective than statins and often come with more side effects, including flushing, heartburn, upset stomach, and vomiting.
• For most people, a generic statin will be as effective and safe as a branded medicine, and it will cost less.