{"id":633578,"date":"2025-09-29T09:30:37","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T13:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=633578"},"modified":"2025-09-24T16:32:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T20:32:27","slug":"can-you-stop-taking-statins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/can-you-stop-taking-statins\/","title":{"rendered":"Can you stop taking statins?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Statins are a class of medications prescribed to people with high cholesterol levels, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/crestor\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crestor (rosuvastatin)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/lipitor\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lipitor (atorvastatin)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/zocor\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zocor (simvastatin)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They lower your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the bad kind) and your triglyceride levels, which can help give you better total cholesterol levels. In addition to treating high cholesterol, statins can also be used to prevent heart attack and stroke in people with heart disease or who are at risk of heart disease because they have clogged arteries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/statin-statistics\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">people taking statins<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are able to stop treatment, but it depends on why your provider prescribed them to you and your overall health. Here\u2019s what to know about stopping statins, from why it might happen and how to do it safely to the possible benefits and risks.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-happens-if-you-stop-taking-statins\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What happens if you stop taking statins?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s possible for some people to stop taking statins after beginning treatment, but your individual risk factors play the biggest role here. If you have major cardiovascular risk factors like a previous stroke or heart attack, you\u2019re probably not a candidate for coming off statins, according to Joyce Oen-Hsiao, MD, associate professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine. But if you were on statins for what experts call \u201cprimary prevention,\u201d or preventing heart attack and stroke in someone with no history of either condition, statins may not need to be a lifelong treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe majority of times when I could take someone off a statin [was when] they had high cholesterol from poor lifestyle choices and we had to put them on [one] for primary prevention,\u201d says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/medicine.yale.edu\/profile\/joyce-oen-hsiao\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr. Oen-Hsiao<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cIf a person is able to exercise and changes their diet enough to get their cholesterol levels to goal, it is possible for them to come off of statins.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without making lifestyle changes, however, stopping statins almost always means your cholesterol levels will rise again\u2014potentially to dangerous levels, increasing your risk for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/health.clevelandclinic.org\/what-are-the-side-effects-of-stopping-statins\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">heart disease and cardiovascular events<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like heart attack, stroke, and aneurysm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"reasons-for-stopping-statins\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reasons for stopping statins\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on your risk factors, your provider may recommend that you stay on statins indefinitely unless you have a serious reason to stop.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is especially true for people who have already had a cardiovascular event, says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.memorialcare.org\/providers\/cheng-han-chen\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cheng-Han Chen<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, MD, interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in California. Most providers won\u2019t discontinue a statin for a high-risk person unless they experience side effects. In those cases, Dr. Chen says, you would probably be switched to a non-statin cholesterol-lowering drug instead.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Common <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/statin-side-effects\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">side effects of statins<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> include muscle pain, high blood sugar, and elevated liver enzymes. Some people have no side effects; others have mild or temporary side effects. But for some, these side effects can persist, affect quality of life, or even cause <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/high-blood-cholesterol\/in-depth\/statin-side-effects\/art-20046013\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">serious damage to the liver and muscles<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If your side effects are ongoing or severe, talk to your provider. They will probably switch you to another medication with fewer side effects that still works to control your cholesterol levels.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to side effects, there are some other reasons people may stop taking their statins, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Better health choices:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Dr. Chen says you could potentially be given the green light to stop taking statins if your cardiovascular risk becomes lower than it was before. Usually, this happens when statins are prescribed for primary prevention, and then you make enough lifestyle changes to significantly lower your cholesterol levels. Just having lower cholesterol levels alone is often not enough for statin discontinuation. There\u2019s a good chance those <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/high-blood-cholesterol\/in-depth\/statins\/art-20045772\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lower numbers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are thanks to the medication, and stopping it will cause your levels to rise again.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cost:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> There are many different types of generic and brand-name statins, so there\u2019s a good chance that at least one statin medication will be covered under your health insurance plan. However, if you don\u2019t have coverage for statins or don\u2019t have health insurance, it could be <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/cost-of-statins\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">expensive to continue taking statins<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Talk to your healthcare provider if you\u2019re having trouble affording your medication. They can work with you to create a treatment plan that fits your budget and addresses your symptoms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Pregnancy:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Statins are usually not considered <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahajournals.org\/doi\/10.1161\/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.058983\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">safe to use during pregnancy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or breastfeeding, but they may not be as risky as experts have thought in the past. If you\u2019re taking statins and become pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider. They can help you weigh the pros and cons of stopping statins for the length of your pregnancy (and beyond, if you\u2019re planning to breastfeed), and help you find other ways to manage your cholesterol levels if you choose to stop taking statins for a long period of time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Medication interactions:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Statins can interact with several <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/high-blood-cholesterol\/in-depth\/statin-side-effects\/art-20046013\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">other prescription medications<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including some antibiotics and antifungals, protease inhibitors (used to treat HIV and Hepatitis C), and other cholesterol medications. If you need to be on a drug that interacts with statins, your provider may tell you to stop taking your statin.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\t\t<div class=\"singlecare-dynamic-newsletter-wrapper sin-newsletter-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"heading\">Get our heart health newsletter<\/span>\n\t\t\t<form class=\"form-wrapper\" data-newsletter-form=\"1\" data-subsource=\"Heart Health Newsletter\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"input-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"dynamic-email\">Email<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"email\" id=\"dynamic-email\" class=\"email\" required>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"input-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"submit-form-btn\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Click to sign up\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"success-message\" aria-live=\"polite\"><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-stop-taking-statins\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to stop taking statins<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should never stop taking statins (or any prescription medication) without talking to your provider first. Some medications can be stopped suddenly, but others\u2014like statins\u2014usually need to be tapered. Stopping suddenly can increase your risk for a heart attack and stroke, especially if you\u2019ve already had a cardiovascular event. Always work with your provider to find the safest plan for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some of the common approaches your provider may suggest instead of abruptly ending treatment:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"1-tapering-off-gradually\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Tapering off gradually<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tapering a medication means you slowly take less and less over a period of days or weeks until you are no longer taking any of the medication. This gives your body time to acclimate to having less of the drug in your system.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abruptly stopping is generally not considered safe, especially for people who have already had a cardiovascular event. Their protective effect goes away fairly quickly, per Dr. Chen, so you need to have a lifestyle plan in place to reduce the future risk of heart disease.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"2-lowering-the-dose-or-combining-with-a-non-statin\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Lowering the dose or combining with a non-statin<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another reason it\u2019s important to talk to your provider before stopping statins? You may not need to completely discontinue treatment. Some people can manage their cholesterol with a lower dose of their medication or by combining a low-dose statin with a non-statin medication. Your healthcare provider may talk to you about the \u201crule of 7\u201d when calculating or adjusting your statin dose: this means that every time you double your dose, you can expect an additional 7% reduction in LDL cholesterol, per Dr. Oen-Hsiao.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The \u201crule of 7\u201d means higher statin doses don\u2019t equal a significantly higher reduction in cholesterol. In other words, if you double your dosage, you won\u2019t double your LDL cholesterol reduction. It also means lower doses can be pretty effective in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/cholesterol-test\/#\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">managing cholesterol levels<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSome people are unable to tolerate higher doses of statins,\u201d says Dr. Oen-Hsiao, \u201c[but] we have non-statin cholesterol medications that we can give in addition to a lower-dose statin to try to get their cholesterol under control.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"3-switching-to-a-different-statin\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Switching to a different statin<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, even though all statins come with possible side effects, your body may be able to tolerate another statin medication better. For example, you could have serious muscle pain on Crestor but not on Lipitor. Your provider may suggest you switch to a different statin before choosing to stop taking them completely.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"alternatives-to-statin-therapy\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternatives to statin therapy<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on your original reason for taking statins and your overall health, you may be able to use lifestyle changes, non-statin medications, or supplements to help maintain a healthy cholesterol level instead.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"lifestyle-changes\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lifestyle changes\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are three major lifestyle changes you can make that might make it possible to treat your high cholesterol without statins.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Diet:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Drs. Chen and Oen-Hsiao both recommend following a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/heart-healthy-diet\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">heart-healthy diet<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that\u2019s high in fiber, whole grains, monounsaturated fats (like omega-3 fatty acids), fruits, and vegetables. They also advise against eating a lot of saturated fats, sugary foods, fried foods, and refined carbohydrates.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Exercise:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Regular physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and keep your heart strong. Aim for at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise every day, per Dr. Oen-Hsiao.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Healthy habits:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Dr. Chen recommends that people avoid smoking and excess alcohol consumption if they are trying to avoid statins, since <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC7717538\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">both are linked to a higher risk of heart disease<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3 id=\"medications\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medications\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can\u2019t take statins but still need help managing your cholesterol level, you may be a candidate for a non-statin cholesterol medication. These medications also <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cardiosmart.org\/topics\/high-cholesterol\/treatment\/beyond-statins-other-ldl-lowering-treatments\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lower your LDL cholesterol but work differently from statins<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and some of them are not as effective as statins when used alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These medications include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/praluent-vs-repatha\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PCSK9 inhibitors<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/praluent\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Praluent (alirocumab)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/repatha\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Repatha (evolocumab)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/zetia\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zetia (ezetimibe)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a cholesterol absorption inhibitor that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/ezetimibe-side-effects\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reduces the amount of cholesterol in the intestines and liver<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/nexletol\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nexletol<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an antilipemic drug containing <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/nexletol-alternatives\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bempedoic acid to decrease the amount of LDL<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in your blood<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/leqvio\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leqvio (inclisiran)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/leqvio\/what-is\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">injectable PCSK9 inhibitor<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fibrates such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/gemfibrozil\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lopid (gemfibrozil)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/fenofibrate\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tricor (fenofibrate)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can sometimes be used, but <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ccjm.org\/content\/91\/1\/53\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">they don\u2019t lower LDL cholesterol\u2014only triglycerides<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Therefore, they may not be an option for everyone trying to avoid statin therapy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"supplements\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supplements<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A few supplements could potentially work as an alternative to statins, but there are limitations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr. Oen-Hsiao says some supplements can be helpful in lowering cholesterol, but there are no good clinical trials studying their safety, and they don\u2019t reduce cholesterol levels as well as statins. Dr. Chen agrees, noting there may also be other side effects and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/rosuvastatin-interactions\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">drug interactions to consider when taking supplements<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You should never take a supplement with a prescribed statin unless your provider says it\u2019s okay to combine them.<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Red yeast rice:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 One <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6822657\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found that this extract may help lower mild to moderately high cholesterol in people with no other major risk factors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Fish oil:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahajournals.org\/doi\/10.1161\/JAHA.123.029512\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">meta-analysis of studies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> suggests higher doses of omega\u20103 fatty acids may reduce triglycerides and LDL cholesterol.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Niacin:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> High doses of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/ency\/patientinstructions\/000788.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">niacin (B3)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have some evidence for reducing LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good kind). However, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nih.gov\/news-events\/nih-research-matters\/how-excess-niacin-may-promote-cardiovascular-disease\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">newer research <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has also found high levels of niacin to be a risk factor for heart disease, and some experts are moving away from recommending it.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"the-bottom-line\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bottom line<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Statins are usually prescribed to help prevent cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke in people who are at high risk. Sometimes this is because you\u2019ve already had a cardiovascular event, and other times it\u2019s because your cholesterol levels are much higher than they should be (or both).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It may be possible to stop taking statins, but it depends on why they were prescribed to you in the first place. People using statins for primary prevention may be able to stop taking them, but not without making major lifestyle changes to lower their cholesterol levels. Most people who have already had a heart attack or stroke shouldn\u2019t stop taking statins unless they can\u2019t tolerate the side effects.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re experiencing statin side effects, your provider may suggest lowering your dose or switching to another statin before recommending you stop taking it entirely. While some other therapies can lower your cholesterol levels, statins are one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke\u2014so never stop taking them without talking to your provider first.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Statins are a class of medications prescribed to people with high cholesterol levels, including Crestor (rosuvastatin), Lipitor (atorvastatin), and Zocor (simvastatin). They lower your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the bad kind) and your triglyceride levels, which can help give you better total cholesterol levels. In addition to treating high cholesterol, statins can also be used [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":633661,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4589],"tags":[737,20952,8905],"coauthors":[8860],"class_list":["post-633578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drug-info","tag-heart-health","tag-high-cholesterol","tag-seasonal","wpautop"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Can you stop taking statins?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You may be able to stop taking statins if your cholesterol is within a healthy range, but you should never stop taking statins without the advice of your doctor.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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