Atorvastatin Lipitor: Top 12 Drug Facts You Need to Know

what is the drug atorvastatin

Talk to your care team about the use of this medication in children. While it may be prescribed for children as young as 10 for selected conditions, precautions do apply. This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions. Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.

Cholesterol Management: Lower, Treat, and Prevent High Cholesterol

what is the drug atorvastatin

However, time of administration does not affect the plasma LDL-C-lowering efficacy of atorvastatin. Statin drugs can decrease bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. However, they can cause problems if you have certain medical conditions or if you’re taking another medication or supplement with the statin. Various statin drugs are metabolized or processed by your body differently. That means the potential for drug interactions can be different with various statins.

Common atorvastatin side effects

If you have questions about whether Lipitor is safe for you to take, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. If you take other medications and are interested in taking Lipitor, talk with your doctor to make sure the drugs are safe to take together. Beta-blockers help manage high blood pressure, and blood thinners help prevent blood clots. Some people taking Lipitor may also need to take beta-blockers or blood thinners, depending on their other health conditions.

Symptoms of overdose

Atorvastatin helps to prevent cholesterol from building up in your arteries. Clogged arteries can block blood flow to your heart and brain. The following what to look for in a substance abuse counselor drugs also may increase the risk of muscle toxicity when combined with Lipitor. People with advanced liver disease shouldn’t use statin medications.

Dosage for lowering cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular problems

Pup development was delayed (rotorod performance at 100 mg/kg/day and acoustic startle at 225 mg/kg/day; pinnae detachment and eye-opening at 225 mg/kg/day). These doses correspond to 6 times (100 mg/kg) and 22 times (225 mg/kg) the human exposure at the MRHD, based on AUC. Alternatively, consider the ongoing therapeutic needs of the individual patient.

what is the drug atorvastatin

Is Lipitor considered a safe medication? Why might some people think it’s bad for you?

  1. These statins have a longer half-life, meaning you will have enough of the medication in the body to last the whole day.
  2. One study compared adults who took Lipitor with those who took a placebo for hyperlipidemia (high blood lipid levels).
  3. Or they may decide to replace one drug or the other with a different medication.
  4. This may be done to lower their risk for certain cardiovascular problems, such as heart attack or stroke.

Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription. Your doctor may start you on a low dose of atorvastatin and gradually increase your dose, not more than once every 2 to 4 weeks. You should not use Lipitor if you are allergic to atorvastatin, or if you have liver failure or cirrhosis. Lipitor will not be as effective in lowering your cholesterol if you do not follow a cholesterol-lowering diet plan.

While statins are an effective way to lower cholesterol, it is important to recognize lifestyle changes can also help you reach your cholesterol goal. There may be other considerations to keep in mind while taking atorvastatin or other statins. Unlike some other statins, atorvastatin is it safe to mix alcohol with lipitor has a longer half-life (14 hours) when compared to other statins. Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of this drug compared with other medications available to treat your condition. If you accidentally took a double dose of atorvastatin, you may experience side effects.

And being dehydrated can worsen kidney-related side effects of atorvastatin. Generic drugs are thought to be as safe and effective as the brand-name drug they’re based https://rehabliving.net/kidney-cleanse-does-it-work-2-day-plan-and-risks/ on. In general, generics usually cost less than brand-name drugs do. The expiration date helps guarantee that the medication is effective during this time.

Here are some common questions related to taking atorvastatin oral tablets. Lipitor is also used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems and related hospitalization or surgery. For this purpose, Lipitor doesn’t have to be used with any particular medication.

When used alone, statins cause rhabdomyolysis in less than one percent of patients. Very rarely, statins can cause life-threatening muscle damage called rhabdomyolysis (rab-doe-my-OL-ih-sis). Rhabdomyolysis can cause extreme muscle pain, liver damage, kidney failure and death. Only a few cases of rhabdomyolysis occur per million people taking statins. Rhabdomyolysis can occur when you take statins in combination with certain drugs or if you take a high dose of statins.

But if you stop taking Lipitor and do not replace it with a different treatment, your cholesterol may increase again. This is a rare but serious side effect of statins, including Lipitor. If you have mild muscle or joint pain, your doctor may lower your dose of Lipitor. Or they may prescribe a different drug to treat your condition.

Developing this condition with the drug may depend on individual factors. For example, ED may be caused by other conditions you have or other medications you’re taking. If you’re concerned about weight changes with atorvastatin, talk with your doctor. They can discuss with you what to do to manage the change. If you have more questions about how this drug works, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. (Contraindications are reasons a drug shouldn’t be used.) These and other warnings are listed below.