Cholesterol Lowering - Lipovastatin (Brand name: lipitor)

Common use

Atorvastatin is a cholesterol-lowering used to treat high cholesterol or to lower the risk of stroke, heart attack or other heart complications in patients with coronary heart disease or second type of diabetes. Atorvastatin helps to clear harmful low-density lipoprotein cholesterol out of the blood and by limiting the body's ability to form new LDL cholesterol. Thus it can help prevent hardening of the arteries and heart disease, conditions that can lead to vascular disease, heart attack, stroke.

Dosage and direction

Take it orally once a day with or without food. Atorvastatine should be taken with full glass of water.
The common dose for adults is 10 mg once daily.
The common dose for children from 10 to 17 years of age is 10 mg once daily.
Using Atorvastatin in children less than 10 years of age is not recommended and dose must be determined by your family doctor.

Note: this instruction presented here just for review. It's very necessary to consult with your doctor before using. It help you to get best results.

Precautions

People with diabetes, underactive thyroid glands, kidney disease, or muscle disease sometimes need additional tests before or during atorvastatin therapy since dosage adjustments may be required. Do not use large amounts of alcohol while taking this drug because it can worsen the adverse effects of this medicine on the liver. Atorvastatin should not be used during pregnancy, becoming pregnant or lactating without doctor's advice. Do not use Atorvastatin before breast-feeding without doctor's permission.

Contraindications

Atorvastatin is not allowed to people who have liver problems or unexplained abnormal liver function tests. Do not use it if you are taking an HIV protease inhibitor (eg, ritonavir), itraconazole, or mibefradil. Also Atorvastatin contraindicated if you are hypersensitive to any components of this medication, pregnancy or breast-feeding.

Possible side effect

They may include all types of an allergic reaction. Also the most possible side effects include:
muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness with fever or flu symptoms; or
nausea, clay-colored stools, stomach pain, low fever, jaundice, loss of appetite, dark urine.
Less serious include:
mild nausea or stomach pain, stomach upset, heartburn;
constipation, bloating, gas;
stuffy nose;
itching, skin rash;
headache.
If you experience one of them stop using Atorvastatin and tell your doctor as soon as possible. Also consult with your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual.

Drug interaction

Atrovastatin interact with the following drugs: digoxin; erythromycin or clarithromycin; gemfibrozil or fenofibrate; niacin; an antifungal medication such as itraconazole, fluconazole, or ketoconazole; drugs that weaken your immune system such as cancer medicine or steroids, cyclosporine, sirolimus, tacrolimus, and others; HIV or AIDS medication such as indinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, lopinavir-ritonavir, or saquinavir. Also note that interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of them. As usual it affects the the effect of drugs, so consult with your doctor about how it interactions are being managed or should be managed.

Missed dose

If you forgot to take your dose in time, please do it as soon as you remember. But do not take if it is too late or almost time for your next dose. Do not increase your recommended dose. Take your usually dose next day in the same regularly time.

Overdose

Symptoms of Atorvastatin are not known well but most possible of them include a severe drop in blood pressure and a faster heartbeat. If you experience one of them or any unusual symptoms, call your doctor immediately.

Storage

Store at room temperature between 59-77 degrees F (15-25 degrees C) away from light and moisture, kids and pets. Do not use after expiration term.

Disclaimer

We provide only general information about medications which does not cover all directions, possible drug integrations, or precautions. Information at the site cannot be used for self-treatment and self-diagnosis. Any specific instructions for a particular patient should be agreed with your health care adviser or doctor in charge of the case. We disclaim reliability of this information and mistakes it could contain. We are not responsible for any direct, indirect, special or other indirect damage as a result of any use of the information on this site and also for consequences of self-treatment.

Please find the full description of Lipitor at Drugs.com and general information at Wikipedia