Online Pharmacy Medicine Blog

Depending on what your body needs and the problems you are experiencing will determine what type of cholesterol medication your doctor will prescribe for you. These medications will help by:

• Lowering your LDL (bad) cholesterol
• Decreasing your triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood that also increases the risk of heart disease
• increasing your HDL (good) cholesterol which helps protect against heart disease.

One of the most common classes of cholesterol medication are statins. Statins decrease LDL and triglycerides and slightly increase HDL. Altoprev, Crestor, Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol, and Zocor can all be found in this class.

Some of the side affects that you should look out for when using any of these statins are constipation, nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, cramps, and muscle soreness.

According to the Mayo clinic

most cholesterol medications are well tolerated, but effectiveness varies from person to person. If you decide to take cholesterol medication, your doctor may recommend periodic liver function tests to monitor the medication’s effect on your liver. Also remember the importance of healthy lifestyle choices. Medication can help control your cholesterol — but lifestyle matters, too.

I think the main thing to remember when taking cholesterol medication is that it is not an end- all cure- all, and should be used in conjunction with a healthy diet. Often times once the user changes his diet, the medication can be decreased or is no longer needed.

No, that headline’s not a joke. It’s true.

Viagra, Lipitor, Celebrex, Lyrica and about 70 other Pfizer-made prescription drugs are now available free of charge to Americans who’ve lost their jobs and health insurance coverage since January 1, 2009, thanks to a new program by the drugmaker.

The one caveat is that you must already be on the medication — and have been taking it for at least three months — to qualify for the free prescriptions.

According to the AP:

The 70-plus drugs covered in the program include several diabetes drugs and some of Pfizer’s top money makers, from cholesterol fighter Lipitor and painkiller Celebrex to fibromyalgia treatment Lyrica and Viagra for impotence. Also included are some antibiotics, antidepressants, heart medications, contraceptives and smoking cessation products…

Applicants will have to sign a statement that they are suffering financial hardship and provide a “pink slip” or similar employer notice. Applications will be accepted through Dec. 31, with medication provided for up to 12 months after approval — or until the person becomes insured again.

Patients can call 866-706-2400 to sign up for the program.

Drugs that affect your metabolism are the top-selling prescription drugs, according to a new report by the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality. This category of medications includes popular drugs to lower cholesterol, control diabetes, and control weight gain.

These drugs accounted for $38 billion of the $208.1 billion spent on prescription medications in the United States — or 18.3 percent of total prescription expenses by adults.

The top-selling drug in the United States, by a wide margin, is the cholesterol medication Lipitor. Lipitor is used along with diet to help lower “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and raise “good” cholesterol (HDL) in the blood. It’s part of a group of medications known as “statins”. Lipitor works by reducing the amount of cholesterol made by the liver.

You can read a summary of the study here.