Medication that can Raise Your Cholesterol

High cholesterol is a fairly common problem. Some people exercise, eat healthy and take medication to lower their cholesterol but they do not see a budge in their "cholesterol numbers." If this situation sounds familiar to you, there is a good possibility that your medication may be raising your cholesterol. Here, we will take a much closer look at some of the different types of medications that can have an affect on your cholesterol.

Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic steroids are commonly used on a wide variety of patients. Some of the conditions that they are used to treat include osteoporosis, breast cancer, anemia and endometriosis. If you know that you are being treated with anabolic steroids for one of these conditions or another condition, there is a good chance that your cholesterol may be affected.

Blood Pressure Medications

It is possible for blood pressure medications to have an affect on your cholesterol. This includes blood pressure medications in the form of both Potassium-sparing Diuretics and Thiazide Diuretics. If you are unaware of what type of blood pressure medication you are on, you should be sure to ask your doctor. Blood pressure medications have been known to increase both cholesterol and blood sugar levels. They may cause cholesterol levels to raise naturally and they may also interact with your cholesterol medication.

Testosterone Patches

If you are a male who has an abnormal level of testosterone, whether it is decreased or does not exist at all, there is a good chance that you may be using a testosterone patch to replace your natural testosterone. Unfortunately, testosterone patches are known to have an affect on cholesterol levels. There is a good change that your cholesterol levels may be higher than it should be due to testosterone patches.

Anti-fungal Medications

The main reason that anti-fungal medications, such as Itraconazole and Ketoconazole, may have an affect on your cholesterol is because they are known to change the way that cholesterol medications react to your body. Ultimately, this can not only cause your cholesterol medication to be very ineffective, but it can also cause you to experience side effects. Certain cholesterol lowering medications may have a different interaction with your anti-fungal medication than others.

These are just some of the most common types of medications that are known to have an affect on cholesterol levels. Before going on a cholesterol medication, you should be sure to inform your doctor about any other type of medication that you may be on. Before going on any type of medication, you may also ask your doctor if it is possible for your cholesterol to be affected by that medication.