Generic Name: atorvastatin (a TORE va sta tin)
Brand Names: Lipitor
Lipitor : Important Information
- Rare cases of muscle problems and liver problems have been associated with the use of Lipitor and other similar medicines. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if accompanied by a fever or flulike symptoms or yellowing of the skin or eyes, abdominal pain, unexplained fatigue, dark colored urine or pale colored stools. These may be early symptoms of muscle or liver problems.
- Do not take Lipitor without first talking to your doctor if you have liver disease.
- Alcohol and Lipitor can both be damaging to the liver. Alcohol should be used only in moderation. Discuss the use of alcohol with your doctor so that the potential for liver problems can be determined.
- Do not take Lipitor if you are pregnant, could become pregnant during treatment, or if you are breast-feeding a baby.
What is Lipitor
- An HMG CoA reductase inhibitor. This medication blocks the production of cholesterol (a type of fat) in the body.
- Lipitor is used to reduce the amounts of LDL (bad) cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides (another type of fat), and apolipoprotein B (a protein needed to make cholesterol) in your blood. Also used to increase the level of HDL (good) cholesterol in your blood. These actions are important in reducing the risk of hardening of the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.
What to Discuss before Using
- Do not take Lipitor without first talking to your doctor if you have liver disease.
- Before taking atorvastatin, tell your doctor if you:
- drink alcoholic beverages
- have a chronic muscular disease
- require major surgery
- have a blood disorder
- You may not be able to take this Lipitor 40 mg , or you may require a special dosage or monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.
- Lipitor is in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means that this medication is known to cause birth defects if it is taken during pregnancy. Do not take if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment.
- It is not known whether medication passes into breast milk. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Lipitor Dosage Method
- Take exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
- Take each dose of Lipitor with a full glass of water.
- Lipitor can be taken with or without food.
- Usually taken once a day. Try to take your dose at the same time each day. Follow your doctor's instructions.
- Your doctor may want to monitor your liver function with blood tests before starting treatment, at twelve weeks after both the start of your treatment and any increase in dose, and periodically (every 6 months) thereafter. Depending on the results of these tests, your doctor can determine how much monitoring you will require.
- Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with this medication. The interaction could lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit and grapefruit juice with your doctor. Do not increase or decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor.
- Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. To realize beneficial effects, avoid fatty, high-cholesterol foods.
- It is important to take regularly to get the most benefit.
- Do not stop taking Lipitor without first talking to your doctor. Medication may need to be taken on a long-term basis for the treatment of high cholesterol.
- Your doctor may want you to have blood tests or other medical evaluations during treatment to monitor progress and side effects.
- Lipitor should be stored at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Miss a dose: Problems?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of Lipitor.
Lipitor Overdose?
- Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is suspected.
- The symptoms of an overdose are not known.
Avoid During Treatment
- Alcohol and this medication can both be damaging to the liver. Alcohol should be used only in moderation. Discuss the use of alcohol with your doctor so that the potential for liver problems can be determined.
- Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with this medication. The interaction could lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit and grapefruit juice with your doctor. Do not increase or decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor.
Lipitor Side Effects
- Rare cases of muscle problems and liver problems have been associated with the use of this medication and other similar medicines. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if accompanied by a fever or flulike symptoms or yellowing of the skin or eyes, abdominal pain, unexplained fatigue, dark colored urine or pale colored stools. These may be early symptoms of muscle or liver problems.
- If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking Lipitor and seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately:
- an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives)
- decreased urine or rust-colored urine
- blurred vision
- Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take atorvastatin and talk to your doctor if you experience:
- headache
- upset stomach or flatulence
- a rash
- Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
What other drugs to avoid while undergoing treatment
- Do not take atorvastatin without first talking to your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
- cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral)
- gemfibrozil (Lopid), clofibrate (Atromid-S), or fenofibrate (Tricor)
- niacin (Nicolar, Nicobid, Slo-Niacin, others)
- erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, others) or clarithromycin (Biaxin)
- cholestyramine (Questran) or colestipol (Colestid)
- hormonal birth control (pills, patches, or implants)
- an antifungal medication such as itraconazole (Sporanox), fluconazole (Diflucan), or ketoconazole (Nizoral)
- You may not be able to take Lipitor, or you may require a special dosage or monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicines listed above.
- Drugs other than those listed here may also interact. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products.
Lipitor or atorvastatin is a cholesterol-lowering drug. Lipitor 40 mg is used in addition to diet and exercise for the treatment of people with high cholesterol levels. Lipitor reduces the amount of LDL in the blood and increases levels of good cholesterol.
Lipitor 40 mg works by blocking an enzyme that is needed to make cholesterol in the liver. It helps to clear harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol out of the blood and by limiting the body's ability to form new LDL cholesterol.
Lipitor 40 mg is usually prescribed only if diet, exercise, and weight loss fail to bring your cholesterol levels under control. Taking Lipitor 40 mg with grapefruit and/or grape juice can lead to violent interactions and cause potentially dangerous side effects. Store Lipitor 40 mg drug at room temperature away from light and moisture.
