The drugs that can lower your cholesterol are statins and they work in two ways;
1. they stop the production of cholesterol in your body.
2. they help your body reabsorb the cholesterol that has built plaques in your artery walls.
This drug reduces your risk of blood vessel blockages and heart attacks.
Alcohol does have some benefits for those with high cholesterol. If you are moderate alcohol drinker, alcohol can increase low levels of HDL, or “good,” cholesterol. This cholesterol type clears excess LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol, from your blood, reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke. Moderation depends on your gender. Some researchers says that men can enjoy two drinks per day, women should limit themselves to one. Any more then that, could put you at a greater risk of alcoholic liver disease and possible statin side effects.
We must know that alcohol won’t immediately interfere with or react with the statins in your body, but, heavy drinkers or those who already have liver damage due to heavy drinking could be at greater risk for more serious side effects.
Of all cholesterol-lowering drugs, statins are the most widely used, but alcohol contains high levels of cholesterol itself, so alcohol can make the statins less effective and reduce treatment progress.
If you are drinking alcohol while using statins, you may notice an increase in the drug’s common side effects such as joint and muscle pain, diarrhea, nausea and constipation. Alcohol itself can cause liver damage, but statins can increase your liver enzymes, resulting in permanent damage. This side effect has no symptoms early on and is only detected with a blood test. When your doctor prescribes a statin, he generally orders a liver enzyme test six weeks later, then yearly after this. If you consume alcohol regularly, you should to perform this blood test more frequently.
The primary concern with alcohol and people who are using statins, is likely the host of other problems which are found with alcohol alone. Statins may reduce your risk of heart disease, but alcohol, itself could cause alcoholic cardiomyopathy and much more, and may worsen your risk. Of course, alcohol has plenty of calories itself, something that also increases the risk of heart disease.