Statins are normally safe and quite effective in treatment of high cholesterol. Only under unusual and rare circumstances, statins may interfere with liver functions. Minor muscle aches and appetite loss are some of the common side effects of statins but liver damage rarely occurs.
Normally, when statins cause problems for liver it can be diagnosed with tests. Two enzymes ALT and AST tend to get elevated when there are liver problems due to statins. If the elevation is mild the statin medications are not to be stopped. But when the problem is major say that elevation is almost 3 times the upper limit then it’s a serious issue and medications must be stopped. It is worth noting that the damage to liver is temporary in nature and as soon as medications of statins are stopped, within sometime the enzymes count will come down to normal.
People who are diagnosed with cholesterol and are also patients of liver disease or have alcohol problems must be highly careful with statins. It is important to note that statins react with fibrates too which are mainly used for lowering fats in the blood. The drug interactions are dangerous. So, be careful. Also, sometimes decreasing the dosage or switching over to other statin medication may help in reducing the risk of liver damage. |