Ask the doctor: What are the alternatives to a statin for lowering cholesterol?
Two other drugs that may be used in place of a statin are ezetimibe (Zetia) and colesevelam (Welchol). Both of these medications work in the intestines, rather than the bloodstream, and so are less likely than statins to cause side effects. Ezetimibe blocks cholesterol in food from crossing the intestinal wall and getting into the bloodstream. Colesevelam grabs cholesterol-rich bile acids in the intestine and locks them into a watery goo that is excreted in the stool.
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