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Lipitor
Product Information
Lipitor, generic name Atorvastatin is an oral prescription
drug manufactured and marketed by Pfizer drug. This drug
helps in lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood and the triglyceride
levels. Lipitor (Atorvastatin) approved by the FDA in 1996, belongs to
a class of drugs referred to as statins
which prevent the production of cholesterol by the liver by blocking the
enzyme, HMGCoA reductase responsible for making cholesterol.
Lipitor, besides lowering composite levels of blood cholesterol,
especially helps in lowering LDL or 'bad' cholesterol levels, which are
mainly responsible for the development of coronary artery disease. Lipitor
not only retards the progression but may even reverse coronary artery
disease. Its effectiveness on high blood concentrations of triglycerides
also can be considered as a means to curtail coronary artery disease.
Drug Class - Statins
Brand Name - Lipitor (Pfizer.Inc)
How to Use
- Use Lipitor as prescribed by the doctor and regularly to get maximum
benefit.
- Lipitor should be taken with water once a day with or without food
or as directed by the doctor.
- As Lipitor may have side-effects on those suffering from liver disease,
regular monitoring of liver functions have to be done while the treatment
is in progress so that the drug dosage can be adjusted if needed.
- To realize beneficial effects from Lipitor, eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol
diet.
- Do not start or stop taking Lipitor without consulting your doctor.
Lipitor may need to be taken for long-term treatment of high cholesterol.
Side Effects
The initial adjustment: As your body adjusts to the medication,
you may have
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Gas
- Heartburn
- Headache
Consult a Doctor
Consult your doctor if these effects persist or you have symptoms like
muscle inflammation (myositis) or muscle breakdown that may eventually
result in kidney failure. Moreover, consult your doctor if you have allergic
reactions like difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of
the lips, tongue, or face; or hives; decreased urine or rust-colored urine
and blurred vision.
Drug Interaction
- Use Lipitor after judging all possibilities of drug interaction.
- Consult your doctor and inform about all the prescription and nonprescription
drugs you use including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products.
- Avoid Lipitor if you are on antifungal medication such as itraconazole
(Sporanox), fluconazole (Diflucan), or ketoconazole (Nizoral).
- Avoid Lipitor
if you are using hormonal birth control (pills, patches, or implants)
- Consult your doctor if you are using any of the drugs like cyclosporine
(Sandimmune, Neoral); gemfibrozil (Lopid), clofibrate (Atromid-S), or
fenofibrate (Tricor); niacin (Nicolar, Nicobid, Slo-Niacin, others);
erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, others) or clarithromycin (Biaxin);
cholestyramine (Questran) or colestipol (Colestid).
Precautions
- Precautions should be taken to guard against obscure possibilities
if you are affected by chronic muscular disease, have blood disorder,
drink alcoholic beverages or is expecting a major surgery.
- Inform your doctor if you are affected by liver disease.
- Lipitor has been enlisted in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means
that Lipitor is known to cause birth defects if it is taken during pregnancy.
Therefore, Lipitor is not recommended to be taken if you are pregnant
or contemplating pregnancy during treatment.
- Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Lipitor leading
to potentially dangerous effects.
- It is not known whether Lipitor passes into breast milk. Therefore,
consult your doctor for you may have to stop nursing or stop using this
drug.
- This drug is not recommended for use in children.
Dosage
- The recommended starting dose of Lipitor is 10 or 20 mg once daily.
For patients requiring large reduction in LDL-C (more than 45%) can
be started off with an initial dose of 40 mg once daily.
- It can be taken with food or without food anytime of the day.
- After the initial dosage of Lipitor for 2 to 4 weeks, lipid levels
should be analyzed and dosage adjusted accordingly.
- Lipitor are strictly advised to be used only under medical supervision
so as to prevent probable drug interaction and possible side-effects.
- The dosage for the drug varies from person to person depending upon
the body metabolism.
Overdose
Seek emergency medical attention immediately. Symptoms of Lipitor
overdose are not clearly known.
Missed Dose
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is too late
or almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take only
your next regularly scheduled dose. Never take a double dose of lipitor
medication.
Storage
Lipitor should be stored at room temperature in a cool
and dry place. Keep away from the reach of children.
Important Note
The following information is intended to supplement and not substitute
for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist or other
healthcare professional. It should not be interpreted to indicate that
use of the Lipitor drug is safe, apt, or effectual for you. It is recommended
that you consult your healthcare provider before using Lipitor drug. |
