What is Lipitor used for?

Joe Ford

What is Lipitor used for?

LIPITOR is a prescription medicine that lowers cholesterol in the blood. It lowers the LDL-C (“bad” cholesterol) and triglycerides in your blood. It can raise your HDL-C (“good” cholesterol) as well.

What is Lipitor used for and what are the side effects?

Lipitor is a cholesterol-lowering drug that contains the active ingredient atorvastatin. It belongs to a group of drugs called statins. Doctors prescribe these drugs to patients who are at an increased risk for heart disease or who have cardiovascular risks associated with high cholesterol or triglyceride levels.

What are side effects of Lipitor?

Side effects of Lipitor include:

  • constipation,
  • diarrhea,
  • nausea,
  • fatigue,
  • gas,
  • heartburn,
  • headache, and.
  • mild muscle pain.

What should you not take with atorvastatin?

While taking atorvastatin (Lipitor), avoid high-fat and high-cholesterol foods as part of your overall treatment. You should avoid large quantities of grapefruit or grapefruit juice, which can increase the risk of serious side effects. Also, avoid excess alcohol use, as this may cause serious liver problems.

Does Lipitor keep you awake at night?

Statins such as atorvastatin (Lipitor) are a popular medication class used to treat high cholesterol or lower your risk of heart disease. The muscle pain statins may cause can keep you up at night.

What are the long term side effects of atorvastatin?

What are statin side effects?

  • Muscle pain and damage. One of the most common complaints of people taking statins is muscle pain.
  • Liver damage. Occasionally, statin use could cause an increase in the level of enzymes that signal liver inflammation.
  • Increased blood sugar or type 2 diabetes.
  • Neurological side effects.

Why are statins so bad?

Their review found statins decrease energy and fitness, and increase fatigue and sleep problems. They also found that statins may increase the risk of muscle aches and pains, kidney and liver problems, bleeding in the brain, and type 2 diabetes.

Can I refuse to take statins?

We know that for patients at high risk, statins can do this — and potentially save lives. Before you refuse to take a statin or stop taking a statin, consult your doctor. He or she can explain why you may benefit from the drug or help you find a different statin if you experience side effects.

Are statins really worth taking?

The short answer. Statins are worth it for people who already have cardiovascular disease. Statins are also worth it for people who are at high risk for getting cardiovascular disease in the future. Statins are not worth it for people at low risk of cardiovascular disease.

Are statins a waste of time?

A controversial new study found that high cholesterol does not shorten life span and that statins are essentially a “waste of time,” according to one of the researchers. Previous studies have linked statins with an increased risk of diabetes.

Do statins make you lose weight?

Statins may improve gut microbiota and help shed weight in obese individuals, finds a new study.

Can you eat oranges while taking statins?

Seville oranges, limes, and pomelos also contain this chemical and should be avoided if you’re taking statins.

Which statins must be taken at bedtime?

To maximize the effects of statins with a short half-life, fluvastatin, lovastatin, and simvastatin should be dosed at bedtime allowing the greatest drug concentration to be present during peak endogenous cholesterol synthesis.

Is it OK to take vitamin D with atorvastatin?

Interactions between your drugs No interactions were found between atorvastatin and Vitamin D3.

Is 5 mg atorvastatin effective?

In total, 19 patients were treated with the 20-mg dose of atorvastatin and 21 with the 5-mg dose. After 12 months, the 20-mg dose and 5-mg dose of atorvastatin both resulted in significant reductions in LDL cholesterol levels, decreasing LDL cholesterol 47% and 34%, respectively (p<0.001).

Does vitamin D increase cholesterol?

One 2012 study found that vitamin D supplements have no cholesterol-lowering effects, at least in the short term. In fact, the researchers found that the supplements were actually associated with an increase in LDL.

Does atorvastatin cause depression?

Psychiatric adverse effects, altering mood, personality, and behavior, sometimes arise in patients receiving statins. Statin psychiatric effects can include irritability/aggression, anxiety or depressed mood, violent ideation, sleep problems including nightmares, and possibly suicide attempt and completion.

Can statins affect bowel movements?

These side effects can have a profound impact upon a patient’s quality of life and ultimately compliance. The side effects of statins include diarrhoea and constipation, although no pathophysiological explanation is provided by the manufacturer.

What are the most common side effects of atorvastatin?

It’s usual to take atorvastatin once a day. The most common side effects are headaches, feeling sick (nausea), diarrhoea and cold-like symptoms. Do not take atorvastatin if you’re pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding.

How long does it take to get atorvastatin out of your system?

It takes about 77 hours (3 days) for atorvastatin to be out of your system. The elimination half life of atorvastatin is approximately 14 hours. This is the time it takes for your body to reduce plasma drug levels by half. It takes approximately 5.5 x elimination half lives for a medicine to be out of ones system.

Can I stop statins cold turkey?

It’s possible for some people to stop taking statins safely, but it can be especially risky for others. For instance, if you have a history of heart attack or stroke, it’s not recommended that you stop taking these drugs. This is because you’re more likely to have another such problem when you discontinue statins.

Is muscle damage from statins reversible?

While muscle side effects are the most common problem seen with statins, these side effects are relatively infrequent in people who do not have additional risk factors. Furthermore, and when they occur, muscle problems are almost always reversible. Life-threatening muscle problems from statins are extremely rare.