Ezetimibe/Rosuvastatin 1 month in — ALT jumped 3.5x, GGT nearly doubled. Should I stop?
Male, 38, no prior diagnoses. I work in pharma, so I have some background knowledge, but I'm not a doctor. Started ezetimibe 10mg/rosuvastatin 5mg combo about a month ago after seeing my lipid panel and deciding to act on it.
**Lipid results — dramatic improvement:**
| April 14 | May 18 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Cholesterol | 241.9 mg/dL | 151 mg/dL ✅ |
| LDL | 180.3 mg/dL | 87 mg/dL ✅ |
| HDL | 36.4 mg/dL ❌ | 41 mg/dL ✅ |
| Triglycerides | 126 mg/dL | 115 mg/dL ✅ |
Lipid response has been excellent.
**Liver enzymes — this is where I'm concerned:**
| April 14 | May 18 | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALT | 21.5 U/L | 75 U/L ❌ | 0–50 |
| AST | 20.6 U/L | 39 U/L | 0–50 |
| GGT | 80 U/L ❌ | 147 U/L ❌ | 0–55 |
Note: GGT was already elevated in April, before starting the statin.
**Relevant context:**
- I had a few drinks ~36 hours before the May blood draw (1 whiskey sour + 3 beers). I know this affects GGT.
- I'm not on any other medications. Occasional omega-3, that's it.
- Waist circumference 94 cm (37"), weight 73 kg. I suspect I may have some degree of fatty liver / metabolic syndrome, which could explain the pre-existing GGT elevation.
- This is the lowest available dose of this combination tablet.
- No symptoms — just a bit fatigue, no jaundice, no abdominal pain.
**My questions:**
- Is this degree of liver enzyme rise (ALT ~3.5x from baseline, GGT nearly doubled) concerning enough to stop the statin?
- How much of this could realistically be the alcohol from 36 hours prior?
- Should I retest after 1–2 weeks alcohol-free before making a decision?
- Anyone with a similar experience — did enzymes normalize after a while, or after stopping or reducing the dose?
Thanks in advance.