Lipitor and alcohol

[Joe Jacobsen]

I have been taking Lipitor 20 mg for several months to reduce my cholesterol level.  I usually have a beer before and a couple glasses of wine with my dinner.  Can Lipitor interfere with my liver's ability to remove alcohol from my system?  What is the interaction between the liver's ability to remove alcohol and cholesterol at the same time?

Thanks in advance,

Joe

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

In moderation, alcohol would not be expected to interfere with Lipitor, or vice versa. Your liver should be able to metabolize cholesterol and alcohol, in reasonable quantities, at the same time.

[WJS]

Hi Joe,

I also take 20mg of Lipitor and drink two to three beers nearly every night.  So far there has been no problems with the liver function tests.

Of course you always hear that a little alcohol is good for heart patients.  I have read up on this and the level of alchohol consumption that the Heart Association deems healthy is 1 to 3 drinks per week.  I was surprised to learn that 2 to 4 drinks per day is considered heavy drinking, and unhealthful.  I always thought that 15 beers in a night was heavy drinking :)

I'm getting to a point where I am satisfied with 2 beers in the evening, but am trying to reduce that to a couple of times per week.  Alcohol is an addiction and I don't want to walk around craving it every evening, but I think that I can moderate more by replacing it with activity.

Bill

[garyr]

If you have a link to that '1-3 per week' dosage, I'd like to see it. I have been told by my cardiologist that 1-3 ounces a day is perfectly fine and helpful, even more of red wine.

[WJS]

Here is the article that I was quoting from:

<a href:"http://www.heartinfo.org/alcsum297.htm">http://www.heartinfo.org/alcsum297.htm</a>

They classify "heavy drinking" as 2 or more drinks per day and claim a heavy drinkers risk of dieing from all causes was 51% greater.

There are a lot of conflicting opinions on this subject.

[lafew1]

A related discussion, Lipitor and Scotch: Does timing the gap between drink and dosage make a difference? was started.