Why Won’t My Doctor Prescribe a Statin-Fibrate Combination?

Some primary care doctors are hesitant to prescribe this combination of drugs after the deaths and other problems caused when the no-longer-available statin Baycol was mixed with fibrates. There is also a warning in the labeling of all statin medications that generally advises that they not be used in combination with fibrate therapy. Lipid specialists know that despite the risks, a statin-fibrate combination is an extremely effective way to lower lipids when combined disorders are present. As long as a patient is fully educated to watch for serious muscle side effects, I believe this combination can be safely used. If a person were unable to recognize or communicate the presence of muscle pains for any reason, however, this combination treatment should probably not be used. If you have a combined lipid disorder but your doctor is shying away from statin-fibrate therapy, you might want to ask for a referral to someone in your community who specializes in the
treatment of lipid disorders.