Lipitor (Atorvastatin Calcium)
Brand Names: Lipitor
Related Medications: Advicor, Altocor, Antara, Baycol, Crestor, Durlaza, Eliquis, Epanova, Fenoglide, Fibricor, Ionamin, Lescol, Lipofen, Livalo, Lopid, Lovaza, Mevacor, Niaspan, Omtryg, Synjardy, Tricor, Trilipix, Vascepa, Vayarol, Vytorin, Welchol, Zetia, Zocor
When and How to Take Lipitor
Lipitor is a popular medication taken to treat high cholesterol levels, triglycerides, LDL and elevate HDL cholesterol in the blood. However, users need to
know that its effectiveness is related to certain doses, which means that higher doses decrease cholesterol levels more.
Common Lipitor Uses
Nowadays, many doctors prescribe patients to take this medicine to prevent heart attacks, stroke, chest pain and other similar issues. Its intake decreases
the possible risk of developing these serious diseases, especially in adults who have different risk factors for that. Lipitor also prevents strokes and
heart attacks in those people who are diagnosed with diabetes. This medication is easy to find as standard pills that come in a variety of strengths, from
10 mg to 80 mg.
Potential Adverse Effects
Like other drugs, the use of Lipitor is associated with certain side effects, such as the following:
Besides, this medicine may result in muscle and liver damages, but these serious symptoms are quite rare. It’s advisable to make liver tests on a regular
basis when undergoing this treatment. To prevent serious rhabdomyolysis, people who take Lipitor need to call their doctor if they notice such symptoms as
weakness, unexplained muscle pain and tenderness. Some patientsalsoreport:
The best part is that most adverse effects may start at the very beginning of this treatment and pass away fast.
Unwanted Drug Interactions
There are some medications that shouldn’t be combined with Lipitor if patients don’t want to end up with reduced effectiveness and negative results. For
example, it’s not advisable to take it together with Nizoral, E-Mycin, Biaxin, Ketek, Sporanox, Serzone, cyclosporine, HIVprotease inhibitors, grapefruit
juice, Isoptin, Cordarone, Niaspan, Tricor, Lopid, Warfarin, Lanoxin, Questran, rifampin and a few others. That’s why people should tell their physicians
about other pharmaceutical products they are using to be on a safe side while taking Lipitor. For pregnant and nursing females, they should be careful when
taking this medicine because of possible health risks.
Other Important Details
Before starting this treatment, people should be aware of their right dosage. Commonly, Lipitor is prescribed to be used only once a day, and a usual
initial dose is 10-20 mg used on a daily basis. Those patients who need to decrease more than 45% of their LDL cholesterol must start their treatment with
40 mg taken every day. For minor patients, it’s necessary to use 10 mg of Lipitor either with or without food.
In conclusion, they all should know that Lipitor is an oral medicine that belongs to a group of meds called statins. It acts by preventing the production
of bad cholesterol in their liver by blocking the enzyme that is responsible for this process.