Cholesterol Meds
Posted by Exciting_Pass_6344@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 145 comments
I just changed Dr and was chatting with her about my medications, high triglycerides, general nutrition habits, alcohol, etc. I was floored when she told me that my cholesterol medication works best if taken before bed as that’s when it will be able to do the most uninterrupted work. Also, as I was complaining about how fish oil always makes me burp rancid fish burps she suggested switching to Krill oil and keeping it in the fridge. I’ve been doing this for 10 years and this is the first time hearing about these things from any of my health care providers? So I thought I’d pass it on to anyone else who might be in the same boat as me.
dogwhisperer007@reddit
There is also this non-seafood-based supplement -- it comes directly from the algae that are the source of the Omega-3's that are concentrated up the food chain. No gross fish burps or concern about starving penguins of krill. https://ovega.com/products/ovega-3-plant-based-omega-3?srsltid=AfmBOorvpIN55VkRDPKCdHUH3ddn-suNtxAC8N1aR117VDvoch5nwwwH
MistakeMaterial4134@reddit
Link says it is discontinued 8-(
dogwhisperer007@reddit
Oh, crap! Well, it looks like Bragg has a similar product, and some other brands, too, but I haven't tried any of them. Just Google vegan omega-3 and you'll see them.
Secret-Ad-5366@reddit
Been on Lipitor and fenofibrite and decided I can’t tolerate any statin , nausea, constant nighttime leg cramps and and muscle pain thinking about trying repatha !
strangedazey@reddit
Same. They switched me to zestia (i think)
Secret-Ad-5366@reddit
Sadly I was taking Lipitor, fenofibrite and zetia , all 3 post stroke but maybe having adverse reactions ! It’s hereditary
deartheworld@reddit
Is it gout
wormil@reddit
Amazon sells a lemon flavor fish oil that I don't even taste.
temerairevm@reddit
Amazon is pretty rife with fake supplements. Not a great place to buy them. My doctor recommended vitacost instead.
TC_Stock@reddit
Yes! It's not just Amazon but also Wal-Marts online storefront. I only buy from the manufacturer or sites like iHerb that only buy directly from the manufacturer.
Dogzillas_Mom@reddit
I took the statins for years and years until my doc one day advised me to take it at night, as if she’d said that in the first place. I think it’s a new advisory but the doctors act like they told you a decade ago.
I can’t speak to the fish oil thing. Idk what that’s for.
Plastic-Sentence9429@reddit
Yeah, I'm 100% sure I was advised to take my BP and cholesterol medication in the morning. It my be because I take other stuff at night because it can make me dizzy, but hell, so does the BP sometimes.
Seeing my doctor soon. Will have to ask.
isometimesabide@reddit
Same for BP meds, take at night for greater effectiveness.
TeaTimeBanjo@reddit
You could also try algae oil instead of fish/krill oil. That's where the fish get the good stuff from anyway.
Exciting_Pass_6344@reddit (OP)
Good to know. I’ll check it out.
GoBluins@reddit
I've always taken my atorvastatin in the evening, because that's when my doc told me to take it.
pandagirl47@reddit
Me too.
I also take my low dose aspirin before bed too because I read that more fatal heart attacks happen during night. If people are taking the aspirin in the morning, it’s going to be least effective in the middle of the night. So, aspirin before bed.
Relative-Bug-4921@reddit
I was never told either. I always take in morning. Thanks for info now im going to take it at night. Thank you for info.
Dorfalicious@reddit
Your body synthesizes the majority of cholesterol mainly at night which is why it’s best to take these medications at night
cjhreeder3@reddit
Red Yeast Rice with Coq10
tommyalanson@reddit
I have the hereditary cholesterol, and take a statin. I eat well and ride my bike 100 miles a week, and I swim laps 2 to 3 times a week.
I’m pretty sure I could help myself by cutting alcohol, but I really like red wine. 🍷
I don’t seem to have any side effects from the statin, and without it, my bad cholesterol is bad.
🤷
Snoo_69209@reddit
Some red wine is heart healthy, so I don’t think it’s all bad
doktorhladnjak@reddit
Those studies have all been debunked. It’s now recognized that any amount of alcohol isn’t good for you. But everyone needs to balance what they enjoy vs their health.
Snoo_69209@reddit
Ohhh okay. Well, damn. Good thing I don’t crave wine anymore at all, for years now.
For the downvoters - get a life lol.
tommyalanson@reddit
Yeap. I’m balancing :-)
DaveKelso@reddit
I have the hereditary high triglycerides, like super high over 800-1000. Dr tried everything, made no difference. Even put me through an experimental trial of a new drug, didn't change anything. They keep telling me I should be in unbearable pain from pancreatitis but I'm fine.
Complete-Fudge3163@reddit
My doctor also told me to take my medication right before bed.
PatienceandFortitude@reddit
Mine too. And told me to take CoQ10 along with it
Cantaff72@reddit
The CoQ10 really helped cut down the joint pain/cramping in my hands that the statins caused. I almost quit the statins because the pain in my hands was so bad I couldnt even pick up a glass of water.
PatienceandFortitude@reddit
I also switched to a combination of pitavastatin and exetimibe because the initial atorvastatin they prescribed gave me terrible leg cramps
Old_fart5070@reddit
Yup- it was the first thing that bothered me the doctor and the pharmacist told me (rosuvastatin).
KCatty@reddit
I use a triple strength fish oil that is entering coated, which prevents the capsule from being dissolved until it hits the small intestines, eliminating fish burps.
abfuch@reddit
High cholesterol can be diet related or hereditary. Statins carry adverse side effects. Your brain needs the cholesterol and low levels carry a risk of dementia. Lifestyle changes like diet and exercise can decrease your overall risk for heart attack and stroke. I advise fish oil or foods rich in omega-3. Western medicine will always recommend statins but there are alternatives.
louiebabybird@reddit
I refuse to take statins. I’ll take my blood pressure medicine but not statins. They can cause high blood sugar and I’d rather have high cholesterol than diabetes.
Dogzillas_Mom@reddit
I tried to refuse. My doc has my blood drawn e dry six months. My blood sugar has gone nowhere.
Of course every body is different and medicine affects every body differently.
Dogzillas_Mom@reddit
Mine is hereditary and I cannot eat and drink my way out of it. I went vegan for over a decade and it didn’t budge. However, the more I exercise, including resistance/strength training, that’s the only thing that helps the statins do their job. But I have to work out like an athlete.
Working_Park4342@reddit
I have hereditary high cholesterol. The doctor came in reading my lab work, sat down and told me to cut out red meat. He didn't even LOOK at me. I was 110 pounds soaking wet and was a vegetarian for 13 years at the time.
Decades later, I'm still on the statins.
kidNurse@reddit
Same. I went over 200 at 18 when I was racing bicycles and had a great diet and very low body fat. Both parents have it. I finally retired and have started daily workouts again and hope to see a bit more of an improvement.
Exciting_Pass_6344@reddit (OP)
Agreed. Diet and exercise is great. Medicine is too. My issue is not too little cholesterol, it’s too much and high triglycerides. I know quitting alcohol will help. I know jogging for an hour every day will help. I know cutting fatty foods out of my diet will help. But dammit I enjoy eating and drinking. And my body doesn’t do jogging. I walk, but probably not enough. Suppose I’ll just have to get there incrementally.
jafo50@reddit
Many people don't realize that their total cholesterol is made up of LDL + HDL + 20% of Triglycerides. So if your Triglycerides are 500 that accounts for 100 points towards the total cholesterol.
kidNurse@reddit
Consider adding weight lifting.
Fast_Plastic446@reddit
Try Nattokinase pills, it’s a supplement made from fermented soybeans. I started taking them and my cholesterol dropped 35 points in two months
hazelquarrier_couch@reddit
Talk to your doctor/provider first before you do this. Don't just act on the word of a well meaning stranger on the internet.
AnneChovie264@reddit
Especially since nattokinase is a blood thinner!
NicoValet@reddit
Watch a video of how fish oil is made. It’s disgusting.
pomdudes@reddit
Watch a video of ANY animal being processed.
pomdudes@reddit
…it’s not a tiny derrick on the fish’s back?
Exciting_Pass_6344@reddit (OP)
Nope. I don’t want to know how they make the sausage.
Health_Wellness9227@reddit
Comment about Taking a statin at night. It depends on which one, and what the half-life of that particular drug is. Simvastatin - you’ll do better to take it at night and studies have shown it does better it cholesterol lowering if you take it at night. Atorvastatin - it doesn’t seem to matter because that has a longer half-life.
NoMayoForReal@reddit
You should also take a CoQ10 with your statin at night.
W0gg0@reddit
Does it matter if taken with the statin? I’ve been taking coQ10 in the morning and wonder if I should switch.
NoMayoForReal@reddit
Taking CoQ10 with the statin at night is supposed to help counteract the muscle fatigue, aches & pains side effects that can be caused by statins. I had all those aches & pains before I started the statin so I hopped on the CoQ10.
KlezN@reddit
Thanks for this! My legs have been bothering me for months. I was thinking it was an age thing. I only take cholesterol medication and the doctor never told me this. Can’t wait to try this!
greg9x@reddit
Talk to your Dr about changing statins... Had very bad reaction to Atorvastatin which required hospitalization... Main symptom was severe lower leg pain. Changed to Pravastatin and no issues. They work differently (fat soluable vs water soluable). Genetics affects how medications affect people.
HonestOcto@reddit
Try the magnesium spray on your legs too! Helps a lot.
m0j0j0rnj0rn@reddit
Oh, and try to get a ubiquinol form of CoQ10.
W0gg0@reddit
Thanks for that extra info. I didn’t know there was a difference. I’ve been taking Qunol Ultra which has ibiquinone and will switch to the Mega or Plus which has ubiquinol.
Exciting_Pass_6344@reddit (OP)
I don’t have any muscle fatigue so I’ve not bothered with that. Good to know if it does happen though.
Cool_Intention_7807@reddit
I do this too, no more muscle aches due to the statin
LayerNo3634@reddit
My doctor told me not to do fish oil. Said it can react to the statin negatively.
PNW2prairie@reddit
The only supplement that I have to stop 2 weeks before surgery. That tells me it actually works
Icdayiichyt@reddit
My spouse and I had terrible reproductive issues. Multiple failures including ectopic and more than one unsuccessful IVF. Took myself off the statin for 3 months and started taking CoQ10. First cycle after three months we conceived naturally and it went perfectly. Could be a coincidence. Could be a miracle. I don’t think it was either.
Wactout@reddit
The fuck is krill oil?! I’m just hearing about this now.
Exciting_Pass_6344@reddit (OP)
Not sure why you got downvoted. Gets you the same good stuff as fish oil, without having to pay a lot more for high end “non-fishy” fish oil. I just learned about it too. So far (a few weeks in) and not a single fish burp.
CzarGuy111@reddit
Then u late to the game bud .. even places like Costco have been selling it for 5-6 years
lipper2005@reddit
Patients can read the 2026 ACC/AHA/Multisociety Guideline.
Valuable-Analyst-464@reddit
😢 no link?
/s
lipper2005@reddit
https://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2026/03/13/18/01/accaha-issue-updated-guideline-for-managing-lipids-cholesterol
Valuable-Analyst-464@reddit
hahaha - thanks. I did google, but I appreciate you adding the link.
Numerous-Relation-17@reddit
Anyone else cramp from statins? CO Q 10 really helped me with the cramping.
LisaMiaSisu@reddit
My doctor advised I take mine at night to help with possible stomach upset. Do you take yours at night or in the morning?
Numerous-Relation-17@reddit
Night
linniex@reddit
I used to! About 20 years ago my cholesterol improved quite a bit and then I stopped taking the statin because of the bad leg cramps I was getting. I figured I had changed my diet enough for it to be ok; but it was not. Just started it again about a year ago, when I asked the doctor he told me about C0Q10 and I took it the first 6 months , ran out, and just remembered I havent had it since then and I’m not getting leg cramps still.
wormil@reddit
Maybe. I've been getting cramps like crazy. Doc checked my potassium and it was normal but supplements helped. Magnesium also seems to help. But I've been prone to cramps since I was a kid.
MrPhyshe@reddit
I've had leg cramps, like my dad, for decades. I have Quinine Bisulphate prescribed for it.
PoisonPizza24@reddit
I had an allergic reaction to statins so switched to Zetia and it has worked great.
CrankyDoo@reddit
I dropped my LDL down from about 180 to around 100 without any side effects or fish oil. I stopped eating all processed foods, added sugars, and any meat other than low fat poultry. Doctors hate this trick! (Just kidding, my doctor loved it)
tranquilrage73@reddit
It isn't always about food.
MostlyBrine@reddit
True. I have a vegan friend who has high cholesterol since she was 30. She was and still is a vegan. It has to do with how your liver functions, more than with the food.
CrankyDoo@reddit
Vegan diet does not mean healthy diet. There are all sorts of junk foods that qualify as vegan. I don’t know why this myth persists that a vegan diet is necessarily healthy.
MostlyBrine@reddit
I am talking here about somebody that would not give soda to the kids. There has never been junk food in that house. Everything is cooked from scratch. It is not one of those extreme cases either, where people end up with metabolic disorders due to fanaticism. Her liver just works differently.
raelovesryan@reddit
I went vegan for 18 months. My cholesterol went through the roof. At that time I was 30 pounds lighter too. Sometimes it is just genetics. After 6 months on a statin, finally seeing good numbers. I am also no longer strictly vegan (omnivore). I did eliminate all those processed ‘vegan foods’ like cheese alternatives (not that I ate them frequently since they tasted like cardboard at best).
CrankyDoo@reddit
Oreos are vegan. French fries cooked in vegetable oil are vegan. Vegan does not mean healthy.
digawina@reddit
That simply doesn't work for everyone.
LayerNo3634@reddit
I tried diet and it didn't affect my cholesterol at all. I have family high cholesterol with crazy high "good" cholesterol (85+). The ratio was always good, but calcium scores don't lie. I've been on a statin for 6 months. Cholesterol has gone from 310 to 195, and my ratio improved slightly (from 3 to 2.5).
Doctor started me on the lowest dose. Something about the family side sometimes reacting wierd to statins. I've stayed on the lowest dose.
antisocialoctopus@reddit
I dropped all fried food just had baked and grilled chicken for a year with oatmeal for breakfast. Cholesterol went down 2 points. For some of us, it truly is genetic.
Started a statin a couple years ago and it went down 90 points in a year with no lifestyle changes.
BecauseISaidSo888@reddit
I buy Nature Bounty fish oil that says “odorless” on it and don’t have the fish burps
Outrageous_Horse_157@reddit
Anyone getting vivid dreams on Rosuvastatin? It was pretty wild when I started on it with night doses. A little better now that I take it in the morning.
Unique_Rutabaga_5750@reddit
This is wild. I hadn’t made a connection until now. I recently upped my dosage and have had an increase in dream issues. I jumped out of bed the other night thinking my wife was calling me and she was asleep alongside me! (Actually she wasn’t asleep any more…)
Shopworn_Soul@reddit
I have had no issues with Rosuvastatin, thankfully.
Wellbutrin on the other hand...that straight fucked me up. Didn't sleep for a week.
tvieno@reddit
Oh, I gotta switch my med to night time. I want to see this!
Outrageous_Horse_157@reddit
Good luck with that. I woke my wife up in the middle of the night, screaming “the power of Christ compels you!”
jiggles74@reddit
Yes! When I first started taking I had some bizarre dreams. Really didn't think much of it at first since I've always had whacky dreams but these were out there. After about 6 weeks the dreams calmed down a lot. Now I take the lowest dose possible (5mg) since thankfully everything is under control now.
Outrageous_Horse_157@reddit
That’s a relief to hear I’m not the only one to experience this. Hoping that it’ll continue to subside. Some of these dreams have been pretty damn traumatising 😓. I haven’t lucked out with the other kind of dreams 😂
Techchick_Somewhere@reddit
Damn. Nope but it sounds like it would add some spice to my life.
Blodeuyn13@reddit
Try Fatty15 instead of fish oil. It might not work for you, but it brought down my cholesterol and lowered my blood pressure. I still need a statin but was able to stop the BP meds.
mjh8212@reddit
I was put on a statin years ago and on the bottle it says take at night. When I was on another med for high triglycerides they never told me to take it at night maybe I should’ve mine were always high until I lost weight.
MarcTraveller@reddit
try large flake oatmeal for breakfast, it sucks up lots of cholesterol and other junk and flushes it out of your system. I was able to get off meds this way
meat_sack@reddit
Repatha... it's one easy shot you give yourself every two weeks.
Environmental-Car481@reddit
I’ve been on statins and won’t do them again if I can avoid it. I have family high cholesterol, but my calcium scoring was excellent so my doctor’s not worried about it. If I ever have to go on anything, it will be this.
Jocks_Strapped@reddit
is krill oil okay for shellfish allergies?
W0gg0@reddit
I would say no. Krill are crustaceans.
Jocks_Strapped@reddit
yeah... that's what shrimp and crabs are too
delldarlin@reddit
It's really cool that you're sharing this.
I'd like to add that when the pharmacy tech asks you if you have any questions for the pharmacist…? This is the kind of question they mean. Do not hesitate to ask!
Long-Foot-8190@reddit
They went to school for 6-8 years studying meds, meds, and meds. They know far more about medications than your doctor does and they are current on the info since new drugs are coming out all the time.
Paperwife2@reddit
It absolutely drives me bonkers how few people do this! Their pharmacist went to school for all those years and instead people ask strangers online.
LisaMiaSisu@reddit
Plus they stay up to date on new findings.
Snarcotic@reddit
The "statin at night" rule doesn't apply anymore because the newer ones have longer half lives compared to the first ones that were introduced. Your doc is using outdated wisdom.
pumpkindonut123@reddit
My pharmacist told me it depends which one you are taking
Legitimate_Love7485@reddit
I’ve also taken my cholesterol meds before bed. Guess that’s when it’s produced. Don’t use fish oil though
m0j0j0rnj0rn@reddit
It’s more that things like insulin are low in your body at night, due to the fact that you’re kind of in a fasting state. That allows other hormones to tell your liver to do things like process cholesterol and other fats in the body properly. If you really want this mechanism to work well, make sure you’re not eating anything after 7 o’clock in the evening. Our bodies need regular fasting states, and if you can manage to make that a 12 hour period, it does the body good.
Dry_Particular_5162@reddit
I normally get fish burps too but recently switched to Wiley's Wild Alaskan Fish oil. Not fish smell, no fish burps!
wizard3232@reddit
Change fish oils..... a good fish oil supplement will not give you fish burps
sunfish99@reddit
Maybe surprisingly, CVS brand Wild Alaskan Fish Oil does not.
Valuable-Analyst-464@reddit
Nordic Naturals does not give me fish burps. Lemon flavor sorta masks it as I take it.
79killingtime@reddit
Second this. Also the convenience of a subscription for those of us who’d probably forget to get it otherwise
athcliathabu@reddit
I take rosuvastatin in the morning to get it out of the way and so I won’t forget
Caverjen@reddit
The best time to take a statin is in the evening. The second best time is whenever you'll remember to take it every day. You're fine.
doobette@reddit
Same here
mtngoat7@reddit
Yea I don’t think your doctor is right about the timing of your cholesterol meds. From what I’ve read it doesn’t matter when you take the modern ones
Pitiful-Ad6674@reddit
It depends on which medication you’re on. The older ones don’t work for as long so it’s more important to take later in the day before your body makes the most cholesterol overnight. The newer agents are so long acting that it doesn’t really matter when in the day you take them.
Valuable-Analyst-464@reddit
Time for me to review the meds and supplements I take and determine the best time to take them.
So far, I take levothyroxine at night to avoid mixing with calcium in pill and milk for coffee.
I need to reassess my protocols.
skdnn05@reddit
My husband takes his at night, so it doesn't interact with his morning meds.
MadJamJar@reddit
I take mine first thing in the morning and my cholesterol is within normal. Maybe it's just everyone's bodies are different so for some it's better at night.
dizzie_buddy1905@reddit
Mine specifically says take before bed time
LisaMiaSisu@reddit
Mine recommends I take them at night because they can sometimes cause a slight upset stomach. Maybe their doctor was under the wrong impression as to why they’re recommended to take at night. 🤷🏻♀️ A pharmacist would be the person to ask.
jawshoeaw@reddit
last checked there is no clinically proven benefit to fish oil. the benefit of fish is that you didn’t eat red meat. ao you can probably ditch the pills
1971stTimeLucky@reddit
Since a purified fish oil was approved for use in treatment in 2017, there are clinically proven reduction in cardiac risk.
The medication (in Canada) is called Vascepa.
dirty_mike_in_al@reddit
I take Vascepa in the US. Take it after eating and there is no fish burps. Helps with lowering triglycerides at least for me.
taintedblood@reddit
The brand is Vascepa in the USA, as well. Generic is Icosapent Ethyl. I also take Rosuvastatin, but Vascepa has helped me need less. No fish burps, either!
NYVines@reddit
Fish oil in the freezer. Has to thaw before breaking down. You’ll get the befits but no burps.
MrPhyshe@reddit
I take Atorvastatin and my GP said to take them at night. However, I've just checked the info sheet that comes with them, and it says you can take them at any time of day; just be consistent.
liquilife@reddit
Same here. Same meds and also take at night. It’s only a small benefit to take them at night, but the idea is over time that benefit grows.
go_west_til_you_cant@reddit
Nordic Naturals ultimate omega are the only fish oil capsules that don't cause any burps at all for me.
ab1999@reddit
I burp if I take those in the morning but I'm fine if I take them at night. At least with the lemon is a bit more pleasant to burp.
Artistic_Head_5547@reddit
I prefer the strawberry. It’s like no taste at all if I do burp.
spunquee@reddit
big same, everything else is gross
filledoux@reddit
Yes Krill, yes before bed!
IMTrick@reddit
Yep. Statins are most effective when taken at night. I don't remember if I learned that from my doctor or the googling I do any time I get a shiny new drug, but it's true.
I can't vouch for effective ways to minimize fish burps, though.
mtngoat7@reddit
“You can take rosuvastatin (brand name Crestor) at any time of day that works best for your schedule.
Unlike older cholesterol medications that must be taken at bedtime, rosuvastatin is a long-acting statin. It has a half-life of about 19 hours, meaning it stays active in your system long enough to block cholesterol production around the clock, regardless of when you swallow the pill.”
Paperwife2@reddit
My pharmacist told me when I picked up my first RX of it. Always ask the pharmacist this question when you pick up new meds.
Egg_Gurl@reddit
I’m sometimes dense. I saw fish oil and reflexively jumped to share something you didn’t ask about. Mea culpa. But I stand by the recommendation 🙃
DjQuamme@reddit
Now that you mention timing, I guess I should talk to my Dr. I've always taken mine at night along with a couple other pills, then a few others are morning pills. I wonder if I need to swap them since I'm working night shift now?
WorldlyWiseWeary@reddit
[ Removed by Reddit ]
Dale-Pooper@reddit
I switched to liquid fish oil and the horrible fish burps stopped.