For financial reasons I need to switch from Lipitor and have history of High Cholestorol and Triglicerides. Is Pravastation ()Pravachol generic) a good choice?
Answer:
Statin drugs are the most effective medications for reducing cholesterol. Specifically, statins lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol), raise HDL (“good” cholesterol), and lower triglycerides. Although all statin drugs perform these actions, each does not do so to the same effect.
For example, Lipitor (atorvastatin) is one of the most potent of the statins whereas Pravachol (pravastatin) is one of the least potent statins. In most cases, patients placed on Lipitor require a much larger reduction in their cholesterol level which is likely unattainable with a less potent statin.
To answer the question, pravastatin is a good choice for lowering cholesterol but unlikely to be as effective at lowering cholesterol if Lipitor was required previously. If taking Lipitor 10mg now, pravastatin 80mg will probably be as effective, but a higher dose of Lipitor will not be equivalent to any dose of pravastatin.
Another generic statin to consider would be Zocor (simvastatin). Simvastatin lowers cholesterol to a greater extent than pravastatin and has equivalent doses to Lipitor 10, 20 and 40mg. Simvastatin, however, has the potential for more drug interactions than Lipitor. This does not mean simvastatin is a bad choice for all patients but should be reviewed against other medications being taken to see if the potential for a drug interaction exists. If a dose of 80mg of Lipitor is required currently, it is unlikely that any other medication except Crestor, which is also a rather expensive brand name medication, would address the cholesterol lowering needs.
After reviewing the information, decide whether you believe switching to a generic medication would be effective and then speak to your physician about possibly making a change.
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