Generic name: Atorvastatin
Brand name: Lipitor
General Information:
Lipitor is known as a cholesterol-lowering medication which blocks the production of cholesterol in the body. This can help prevent heart disease and hardening of the arteries, conditions that can lead to stroke, heart attack, and vascular disease.
Your doctor may prescribe this remedy for other purposes. Contact your physician if you want to learn more detailed information about this drug.
Don’t stop treatment with Lipitor earlier than it was recommended by your physician even in case you feel improvements of your condition. Stopping the medication too early may worsen your condition. Be careful about doing dangerous tasks, driving, operating machinery or climbing until you are aware how this drug affects you. Don’t drink alcohol. Always contact a medic before giving Lipitor to a child.
What symptoms or conditions should I report to a doctor before I take this medicine?
It is important to report to a physician if you have or had the following conditions:
- allergy to Lipitor, other preservatives, medicines, foods or dyes
- liver or kidney disease
- underactive thyroid
- diabetes
- a muscle disorder
How do I take this medicine?
Note: This remedy was prescribed to you only. Don’t share this medicament with others. Follow strictly your doctor’s recommendations. Don’t take more or longer than your doctor recommended.
Take Lipitor orally with some water with or without food. Take the doses at fixed intervals.
Overdosage:
Taking any medicine in large doses you can have serious consequences for your health. If you feel an overdose, contact your health care professional instantly.
Attention:
This drug is only for your use. Do not share this drug Lipitor with anyone.
If the dose is missed:
If you forget to take the dose, try to take it as soon as you have the opportunity. Take only one dose if it is time for your next dose. You don’t have to double the dose.
Interactions may occur with:
- an antifungal medication such as ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), fluconazole (Diflucan)
- gemfibrozil (Lopid), fenofibrate (Tricor), clofibrate (Atromid-S),
- digoxin (Lanoxin, digitalis, Lanoxicaps)
- erythromycin (E-Mycin, Ery-Tab, E.E.S., others), clarithromycin (Biaxin)
- drugs that lowers your immune system such as steroids, cancer medicine, tacrolimus (Prograf), sirolimus (Rapamune), cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Gengraf, Neoral), and others
- niacin (Nicolar, Nicobid, Slo-Niacin, others)
- HIV or AIDS medication such as indinavir (Crixivan), ritonavir (Norvir), nelfinavir (Viracept), or saquinavir (Fortovase, Invirase), lopinavir-ritonavir (Kaletra)
This list of interactions may be not complete. Provide your medical practitioners entire list of medicines, herbs, dietary supplements or non-prescription drugs you take. Moreover tell them whether you drink alcohol, use illegal drugs or smoke. Particular items may interact with your drug.
Side Effects:
Contact your physician at once in case you experience any of the following serious side effects:
- allergy like skin rash, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, hives, itching, difficulty breathing
- low fever
- clay-colored stools
- flu symptoms, weakness with fever
- stomach pain, nausea,
- loss of appetite
- jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes), dark urine
- tenderness
- muscle pain
Side effects which as a rule do not need medical attention
(apprise your health care provider if they continue or become annoying):
- stuffy nose
- headache, mild nausea
- stomach pain, stomach upset, constipation
- heartburn
- bloating, gas
- skin rash, itching
This list of side effects may be not complete, others may occur. Inform your medical practitioners about all side effects you experience.
Important Information:
FDA pregnancy category X. Don’t take Lipitor during pregnancy, breast-feeding or if you are trying to get pregnant. Use an effective form of birth control during treatment.
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with this remedy. Ask your physician for mor details.
Sometimes Lipitor can cause a condition which leads to breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue. It can result in kidney failure. Inform your physician immediately if you have tenderness or unexplained muscle pain, muscle weakness, flu symptoms, fever and dark urine.
Check your physician regularly. You may need regular tests to make sure your liver is working properly. Your doctor or a dietician can suggest a low-cholesterol and low-fat diet to help. Avoid alcohol and smoking, and keep a proper exercise schedule.
Storage:
Keep Lipitor at room temperature, in a tightly closed container. Protect from moisture, direct heat, and light. Don’t store in the bathroom or near a sink.
Keep Lipitor out of the reach of children and away from animals.
Warning: Before taking the drug you need to consult your doctor. The information contained in this article is not intended to cover all possible precautions, drug interactions, adverse effects, directions, uses, allergic reactions or warnings.
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