Tricor

Pronounced: TRY-core
Generic name: Fenofibrate
Other brand name: Lofibra

Why is Tricor prescribed?

Tricor is used, along with a special diet, to treat people with very high levels of triglycerides (a fatty substance in the blood). Tricor also improves cholesterol levels by lowering total cholesterol--including "bad" LDL cholesterol--and raising "good" HDL cholesterol. It works by promoting the dissolution and elimination of fat particles in the blood.

Tricor is usually added to a treatment regimen only when other measures have failed to produce adequate results. Often, diet and exercise are enough to bring blood fats under control. Likewise, it's sometimes sufficient to simply treat an underlying problem such as diabetes, underactive thyroid, kidney disease, liver dysfunction, or alcoholism. And in some cases, just discontinuing a medication is enough to do the job. For instance, certain water pills and "beta-blocker" heart medications are capable of causing a massive increase in triglyceride levels. Estrogen replacement therapy is another potential culprit.

Whatever your other treatment measures may be, it's important to remember that Tricor is intended to supplement them, rather than replace them outright. To get the full benefit of the medication, you need to stick to the diet, exercise program, and other treatments your doctor prescribes. All these efforts to keep your cholesterol and triglyceride levels normal are important because together they may lower your risk of heart disease. If you're judged to be at high risk of heart disease, current guidelines call for considering drug therapy when LDL levels reach 130. For people at lower risk, the cut-off is 160. For those at little or no risk, it's 190.

Most important fact about Tricor

Drugs such as Tricor have caused rare cases of a muscle-wasting disease called rhabdomyolysis. The chances of this problem rise dramatically when Tricor is combined with another type of cholesterol-lowering drug called "statins." Among these drugs are Altocor, Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol, and Zocor. Avoid combining Tricor with any of them unless your doctor feels it's absolutely necessary. Inform the doctor immediately if you develop muscle pain or weakness, especially if these symptoms are accompanied by fatigue or fever: You'll probably have to stop taking Tricor.