What Is Lipitor?
Lipitor (atorvastatin) is a prescription treatment used to deal with excessive ldl cholesterol. It belongs to a category of medicine generally often known as statins, antihyperlipidemics (cholesterol-lowering medicine), or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.
Statins work by blocking an enzyme referred to as HMG-CoA reductase. This enzyme’s function is to hurry up the physique’s technique of constructing ldl cholesterol. Blocking this enzyme by taking a statin drug slows down pure ldl cholesterol manufacturing and lowers the quantity of ldl cholesterol in your blood.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made by the physique. It additionally comes from consuming sure meals. The physique wants ldl cholesterol, additionally referred to as lipids, for a lot of important features. However, having an excessive amount of ldl cholesterol within the blood can result in life-threatening coronary heart issues like a coronary heart assault or stroke. Lipitor is prescribed together with a nutritious diet to scale back excessive levels of cholesterol and decrease the chance of heart problems and demise.
Lipitor is a pill that comprises the energetic ingredient atorvastatin and is often taken as soon as a day.
Drug Details
Generic Identify: Atorvastatin
Model Identify(s): Lipitor
Drug Availability: Prescription
Therapeutic Classification: Antihyperlipidemic
Accessible Generically: Sure
Managed Substance: N/A
Administration Route: Oral
Lively Ingredient: Atorvastatin
Dosage Kind(s): Pill
What Is Lipitor Used For?
Lipitor is used to deal with excessive ldl cholesterol. Particularly, the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) has permitted it for the next makes use of, together with a nutritious diet for the next.
Lipitor helps stop severe cardiovascular occasions corresponding to coronary heart assault and stroke in adults thought of high-risk for creating these issues. It’s also permitted to scale back the chance of angina and the necessity for sure forms of heart surgery in high-risk people. Persons are thought of high-risk if they’ve a number of cardiovascular (heart) risk factors, corresponding to:
Lipitor reduces the chance of great cardiovascular occasions in adults with coronary heart illness, corresponding to coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular illness (narrowing of the blood vessels), or a historical past of stroke or different blood movement issues.
It additionally decreases or improves levels of cholesterol in adults with circumstances that trigger excessive levels of cholesterol, together with:
- Major hyperlipidemia: Excessive ranges of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), generally often known as “unhealthy” ldl cholesterol, within the blood
- Hypertriglyceridemia: Excessive ranges of triglycerides, one other kind of lipid, within the blood
- Blended dyslipidemia: Low ranges of HDL together with excessive ranges of LDL and triglycerides within the blood
- Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH): A genetic situation that may trigger very excessive ranges of LDL
Lipitor reduces levels of cholesterol in kids ages 10 years and older with HeFH.
The right way to Take Lipitor
Take Lipitor by mouth as directed by your healthcare supplier, usually as soon as a day. It doesn’t matter what time of day you’re taking Lipitor, but it surely’s finest to take it across the similar time every day. The treatment could also be taken with or with out meals.
To assist cut back unintended effects whereas taking Lipitor, it’s finest to keep away from consuming a lot of grapefruit juice when taking it.
Storage
Retailer Lipitor in a closed container at room temperature, away from moisture.
Off-Label Makes use of
Lipitor is most frequently prescribed to deal with excessive ldl cholesterol and cut back your threat of great cardiovascular issues like coronary heart assault and stroke. Healthcare suppliers may additionally prescribe Lipitor off-label for different makes use of that haven’t been permitted by the FDA.
Lipitor could also be used off-label to:
- Deal with sure forms of most cancers corresponding to colorectal most cancers
- Deal with neurodegenerative issues corresponding to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s illness
- Scale back excessive levels of cholesterol associated to HIV
- Decrease the chance of cardiovascular occasions associated to autoimmune circumstances corresponding to rheumatoid arthritis and lupus
How Lengthy Does Lipitor Take to Work?
It often takes at the least two weeks for Lipitor to begin working. Excessive ldl cholesterol is a silent situation that doesn’t often have signs. So, a blood take a look at is the one solution to verify how nicely Lipitor is working for you.
What Are the Aspect Results of Lipitor?
This isn’t a whole checklist of unintended effects and others could happen. A healthcare supplier can advise you on unintended effects. In the event you expertise different results, contact your pharmacist or a healthcare supplier. It’s possible you’ll report unintended effects to the FDA at fda.gov/medwatch or 1-800-FDA-1088.
Widespread Aspect Results
Extra frequent unintended effects of Lipitor could embrace:
- Widespread chilly signs corresponding to sore throat or sneezing
- Joint ache
- Diarrhea
- Ache within the arms, legs, arms, or toes
- Urinary tract an infection (UTI)
Extreme Aspect Results
Uncommon however severe unintended effects can happen whereas taking Lipitor. In the event you discover the signs described beneath, don’t wait to see in the event that they go away. Name your healthcare supplier straight away, or name 911 for emergency medical care in case your signs really feel life-threatening. Severe unintended effects and their signs can embrace the next:
- Muscle discomfort: Muscle ache, weak point, spasms, or stiffness
- Rhabdomyolysis: A uncommon however life-threatening situation during which muscle groups break down and may result in kidney failure, extreme muscle ache or weak point, nausea or vomiting, dark-colored urine, dizziness, coronary heart palpitations, feeling exhausted or confused
- Liver harm: Indicators embrace fatigue, nausea or vomiting, dark-colored urine, and jaundice which is yellowing of your pores and skin or the whites of your eyes. A blood take a look at exhibiting elevated liver enzyme ranges may also be an indication of liver harm.
- Reminiscence issues
- Allergic reactions: Swelling of the tongue, lips, and face or hassle respiratory
Lengthy-Time period Aspect Results
It’s attainable that Lipitor could trigger unintended effects that will proceed to have an effect on you even after therapy with the treatment has ended. The next long-term unintended effects have been reported after therapy with atorvastatin:
- Diabetes: Will increase in blood sugar ranges have been reported with statin use, together with Lipitor. Elevated blood sugar ranges could improve your threat for diabetes or make diabetes extra extreme.
- Necrotizing myopathy: It is a uncommon however severe situation during which the immune system assaults muscle tissue and causes harm. Muscle weak point could also be a long-lasting symptom of this situation. Blood take a look at outcomes could proceed to indicate raised ranges of creatine kinase after therapy is stopped.
Dosage: How A lot Lipitor Ought to I Take?
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The dose of this drugs can be totally different for various sufferers. Observe your physician’s orders or the instructions on the label. The next data consists of solely the common doses of this drugs. In case your dose is totally different, don’t change it until your physician tells you to take action.
The quantity of medication that you just take is dependent upon the power of the drugs. Additionally, the variety of doses you’re taking every day, the time allowed between doses, and the size of time you’re taking the drugs rely on the medical downside for which you might be utilizing the drugs.
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For oral dosage type (tablets):
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For prime ldl cholesterol:
- Adults—At first, 10 or 20 milligrams (mg) as soon as a day. Some sufferers may have to begin at 40 mg per day. Your physician could improve your dose as wanted. Nonetheless, the dose is often no more than 80 mg per day.
- Youngsters 10 to 17 years of age—At first, 10 mg as soon as a day. Your physician could improve your dose as wanted. Nonetheless, the dose is often no more than 20 mg per day.
- Youngsters youthful than 10 years of age)—Use and dose should be decided by your physician.
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For prime ldl cholesterol:
Modifications
Your healthcare supplier could advocate dose changes of Lipitor primarily based on a number of components, corresponding to:
- Age
- Severity of your situation
- Different medicines or dietary supplements that you could be be taking
- Different well being circumstances that you could have (ex., liver illness, which might improve Lipitor ranges within the physique)
- How nicely Lipitor works for you primarily based in your blood levels of cholesterol
- Whether or not your physique tolerates the drugs with out bothersome unintended effects
You shouldn’t crush, lower, or chew Lipitor tablets. Make sure you speak to your healthcare supplier earlier than making any modifications to your dose.
Missed Dose
In the event you miss a dose of Lipitor, attempt to take it as quickly as attainable. However, in the event you miss your dose by greater than 12 hours, simply wait and take the subsequent dose at your common time. You shouldn’t take an additional dose to make up for a missed dose.
It’s best to take Lipitor daily to get the complete good thing about the treatment.
Overdose: What Occurs If I Take Too A lot Lipitor?
Taking greater than the beneficial dose of Lipitor could improve your threat for experiencing unintended effects. Contact your healthcare supplier instantly or go to your nearest emergency room in the event you imagine that an overdose has occurred.
What Occurs If I Overdose on Lipitor?
In the event you suppose you or another person could have overdosed on Lipitor, name a healthcare supplier or the Poison Management Heart (800-222-1222).
If somebody collapses or is not respiratory after taking Lipitor, name 911 instantly.
Precautions
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IBM Micromedex®
It is vitally vital that your physician verify your progress at common visits. This may permit your physician to see if the drugs is working correctly to decrease your ldl cholesterol and triglyceride ranges and to resolve in the event you ought to proceed to take it. Blood assessments could also be wanted to verify for negative effects.
Utilizing this drugs when you are pregnant can hurt your unborn child. Use an efficient type of contraception to maintain from getting pregnant. In the event you suppose you’ve got turn into pregnant whereas utilizing the drugs, inform your physician straight away.
Name your physician straight away if in case you have unexplained muscle ache, tenderness, or weak point, particularly in the event you even have uncommon tiredness or a fever. These could also be signs of great muscle issues, corresponding to myopathy or immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM).
Name your physician straight away if in case you have dark-colored urine, fever, muscle cramps or spasms, muscle ache or stiffness, or uncommon tiredness or weak point. These may very well be signs of a severe muscle downside referred to as rhabdomyolysis, which might trigger kidney issues.
Name your physician straight away in the event you get a headache, abdomen ache, vomiting, dark-colored urine, lack of urge for food, weight reduction, common feeling of tiredness or weak point, light-colored stools, higher proper abdomen ache, or yellow eyes or pores and skin. These may very well be signs of liver harm.
Be certain that any physician or dentist who treats you is aware of that you’re utilizing this drugs. It’s possible you’ll must cease utilizing this drugs if in case you have a serious surgical procedure, main harm, otherwise you develop different severe well being issues.
Don’t take different medicines until they’ve been mentioned together with your physician. This consists of prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and natural or vitamin dietary supplements.
What Are Causes I Shouldn’t Take Lipitor?
You shouldn’t take Lipitor if:
- You may have liver illness.
- You might be pregnant or plan to turn into pregnant.
- You might be breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.
- You had an allergic response to Lipitor or one in every of its elements prior to now.
What Different Drugs Work together With Lipitor?
Lipitor can work together with another drugs. Some drug interactions could also be managed with dose changes by your healthcare supplier, whereas others ought to be averted altogether. Earlier than taking atorvastatin, speak to your healthcare supplier about all your present drugs, together with prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, nutritional vitamins, and dietary supplements (together with herbs).
Among the most vital interactions to concentrate on whereas taking Lipitor embrace:
- “Azole” antifungals corresponding to Nizoral (ketoconazole) and Sporanox (itraconazole)
- Sure macrolide antibiotics corresponding to Biaxin (clarithromycin) and erythromycin
- Sure protease inhibitors used to deal with HIV corresponding to Aptivus (tipranavir), Norvir (ritonavir), and Invirase (saquinavir)
- Digoxin
- Fibrates, corresponding to fenofibrate
- Gemfibrozil
- Neoral (cyclosporine)
- Niacin (vitamin B3)
- St. John’s Wort, an natural treatment thought to have antidepressant results
What Drugs Are Related?
Lipitor belongs to a category of medicine referred to as statins. Different statin medicine can be found in addition to Lipitor. Like most forms of drugs, particular person outcomes can fluctuate with totally different medicine in the identical class. If one statin doesn’t work nicely for you or causes unintended effects, your healthcare supplier could swap you to a distinct statin drug. You shouldn’t take a couple of statin drug on the similar time. In case you have questions on different therapy choices, speak to your healthcare supplier or pharmacist.
Statin medicine which can be just like Lipitor (atorvastatin) embrace:
- Altoprev, Mevacor (lovastatin)
- Livalo (pitavastatin)
- Pravachol (pravastatin)
- Crestor (rosuvastatin)
- Zocor (simvastatin)
How Can I Keep Wholesome Whereas Taking Lipitor?
When your healthcare supplier prescribes a brand new treatment, it’s frequent to really feel involved about issues like unintended effects. Thousands and thousands of individuals have taken Lipitor for greater than 25 years because it got here available on the market. Most individuals don’t expertise any unintended effects from this treatment. Some folks discover gentle unintended effects, however extreme unintended effects are uncommon.
Understandably, some folks don’t like taking drugs. It’s possible you’ll favor to attempt altering your food plan and life-style as a substitute of beginning a drug like Lipitor. Typically modifications in your food plan alone is probably not sufficient. Excessive ldl cholesterol could be genetic and run in households. Additionally, having untreated excessive ldl cholesterol can put you at elevated threat for a coronary heart assault, stroke, or different severe well being downside. Taking atorvastatin can decrease your ldl cholesterol and cut back these dangers.
Healthcare suppliers advocate taking an energetic function in your well being. Within the case of excessive ldl cholesterol, you may take an energetic function by taking Lipitor as soon as a day and making modifications to your food plan and life-style. This will likely embrace decreasing fried meals, red meat and saturated fats, and incorporating extra whole foods into your day. In the event you’re not used to exercising, begin with a brief day by day stroll. Contemplate speaking to your healthcare supplier about an train program that’s finest for you.
Medical Disclaimer
Verywell Well being’s drug data is supposed for academic functions solely and never supposed as a substitute for medical recommendation, prognosis, or therapy from a healthcare supplier. Seek the advice of your physician earlier than taking any new treatment(s). IBM Watson Micromedex supplies among the drug content material, as indicated on the web page.
