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Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Statins and drug or food interactions

Statins and other medications may interact, causing serious side effects. These can include the following:

• over-the-counter vitamins and dietary and herbal supplements;
  
  
• cholesterol lowering medications such as fibrates or nicotinic acid;
  
  
• certain antibiotics;
  
  
• birth control medications;
  
  
• warfarin (Coumadin), a blood thinner (the combination of statins and warfarin may cause blood to become too thin);
  
  
• medications to treat HIV/AIDS; and
  
  
• medications used to suppress the immune system.

Health care practitioners or pharmacists will be able to give advice and direction regarding potential interactions between statins and other medications and dietary supplements.

Grapefruit juice may decrease the ability of the liver to metabolize some statins (for example, atorvastatin [Lipitor], simvastatin [Zocor], and lovastatin [Mevacor, Altocor]) and should not be consumed at the same time as the statin medication is taken; some doctors recommend avoiding any grapefruit juice. Also, and possibly more importantly, tell your doctor about any prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking.