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Call 999 for a life-threatening emergency. Call 111 when we are closed and it cannot wait.

PATIENT INFORMATION

Changing your cholesterol treatment

Your cholesterol has come down, but not as far as we aim for. Your text message says which change we are making.

What this result means

Your cholesterol has come down, but not as far as we aim for.

This is common and it is not a failure. People respond to the same dose by different amounts.

The change we are making

Your text message names one of these.

A higher dose of your statin

The usual first step. Atorvastatin comes in 20mg, 40mg and 80mg.

Moving up a step lowers cholesterol further. Side effects do not rise anything like as steeply as the dose does.

Take it as before, one tablet a day, at the new strength. Check the box your pharmacy gives you, because the old strength stops.

Adding a second tablet, Ezetimibe

Ezetimibe 10mg, one tablet a day, at any time.

It works in a completely different way to a statin. It reduces how much cholesterol you absorb from food, rather than how much your liver makes.

The two together do more than either alone, and side effects are uncommon. Keep taking your statin as well.

Checking how the tablets are going first

Sometimes the answer is not a new tablet.

If you have been missing doses, or stopped because of an ache, say so when you come for your blood test.

It changes what we do next, and it is more useful to us than a guess.

What you need to do

Do

  • collect the new prescription from your usual pharmacy
  • take it every day, because missed days are the commonest reason cholesterol stays high
  • book a blood test 3 months from now, or 8 weeks if your text said so
  • keep up the things that work alongside the tablets

Immediate action required: Call 999 now if you have:

  • chest pain at rest, or chest pain lasting more than 15 minutes
  • sudden weakness or numbness in the face or one arm
  • sudden trouble speaking or understanding speech

Urgent advice: Stop the tablet and contact the surgery the same day if you have:

  • dark or cola-coloured urine
  • severe muscle pain or weakness, or trouble climbing stairs
  • yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes
Information:

Some medicines interact with statins. Tell any doctor, dentist or pharmacist who prescribes for you which cholesterol tablets you take.

More information

NHS.UKStatins: how they work and side effectswww.nhs.uk/medicines/statins/ NHS.UKEzetimibe: how to take it and what to expectwww.nhs.uk/medicines/ezetimibe/

Reviewed 26 August 2026 ยท next review 26 February 2027