What is the best medication for high cholesterol and high LDL's (bad chol) with the fewest side effects?

I recently found out that both my total chol and LDL's are high (225 and 160). This is a consistent pattern over the last couple of years. It's in my family and I am aware of the importance of diet and exercise and not smoking already. I would like to know which medications effect the liver the most and what success or lack of success people have had with the statins or any other cholesterol medications they are taking. I am going to start taking one, but haven't decided which one or how many there are. Thank you in advance.

Homeopathic Treatment for Curing High Cholesterol Levels: -
1.PHYTOLACCA 30x
2.PHOSPHORUS 30X
3.CHOLESTERINUM 30X
Three Drops Each in a sip of water half hour before meals thrice a day always take them on an empty stomach. And avoid Chocolates Coffee Mints and Red Meat while you are taking any Homeopathic remedy. Total free of Side Effects or complications. Thats what Homeopathy is all about 100% cures without any side effects or complications.
Take care and God Bless!

Lipitor40 mg That's what I started with.My total was 197 and my LDL was 143 ,after 6 weeks it went down to total 70 and LDL 32 my HDL was 29.I had stents put in and when my cholesterol was low at 70 I had another blockage 4 months later.After getting my total down to 70 my Dr.took me off for 5 days and then he decided to put me on 10 mg every other day.It went back up to total 118 LDL67 HDL 32.He put me back on taking 10mg one day and 20 mg the other day rotating.Now my total is 103 LDL 42 HDL 35. so from experience I can say Lipitor.They will do liver function test every 6 to 8 weeks to make sure it doesn't affect your liver.If it doe's there are several more brands but most Dr's chose Lipitor.
If you don't have a heart disease and you get you levels down get off med for a while and try to keep it down by eating less fat in your diet ,stay under 30 mg of fat a day.eat lots of oatmeal,cheerios and sweet potatoes,these all help lower cholesterol.Also cut down on white breads and sweets.The liver makes 80% of the cholesterol using sweets to turn into sat.fats.

Statin drugs are very effective, but as with most drugs, there are risks of side effects.

You have to talk to your doctor to see which of the statin drugs you should take. My cholesterol went from dangerous hi to extremely low, just from a statin, with no lifestyle change.

Also in conjunction with a statin ask your Doctor about Triglycerides (your level) and control them along with cholesterol by adding Niacin supplements, Salmon oil pills

currently STATINS are considered the best medicien for hyper cholesterinnemia

Lipitor is a great med and so is Crestor. I worked on Crestor clinical research studies before it went on the market. I had 40 study patients all getting the real drug and only 1 had a mild reaction to it. Crestor was developed to help target the familial hypercholesterolemia, the inherited type, along with the acquired type. Another drug is Zetia. This drug is a cholesterol lowering med but is in a class by itself. It can be used to enhance the statin drugs (Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor...etc) or can be used alone in statin sensitive people. This drug works in the digestive tract by inhibiting the absorption of the cholesterol before it even gets to the liver. It has very few side effects and I have not had any patients yet that have reported any. Talk to your doctor. Take care!

My cholesterol is mostly family oriented but also I'm sure because of weight and diet. If I'm not on medication, it'll run over 450. (No I am not obese, just a little overweight for my height and bone structure)

I inherited this from my father, whose was well over 300 and his sister etc.....

I have taken all types of cholesterol medication for over 20 years, looking for what works best for me. I thought it was Lipitor...I had gone up to 80mg. on it, but after many years, I started with muscle aches, which I thought at the time was from the Lipitor, but may have not been. Liver profiles have always been good.

(Even with this high dose level, cholesterol still remained in mid 200's (which was good for me). I finally was taken off it and started on Vytorin.

Vytorin is a combination of Zedia (used for the cholesterol from food intake) and Zocor which is the "statin" part which helps with the heredity. I'm not saying this drug will work for everyone, but after 20 years, it is a blessing for me. No side effects as yet, and in the first month alone I went from 450 to mid 200's.

Cross my fingers, I am now running around 180-200 with it, including LDL and tryglycerides in normal range too.

Good luck....

This is really something you should discuss with your doctor. My doctor put me on Niaspan. This lowers your bad cholesterol and raises your good cholesterol. I get blood work done every couple of months to monitor that plus my liver. So far the medicine is working on me. My total cholesterol was at 217. My bad cholesterol was through the roof, so bad it couldn't be read. This is also from my father. I also got hit with the high blood pressure from my mother. Good luck, but definitely talk to your doctor on what is best for you.