The adverse effects of taking statins have repeatedly been under the spotlight. However, are these fears unfounded? MNT take a look at statin safety. Cholesterol can deposit around the eyes and form fatty, yellow lumps.
Learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatments for cholesterol deposits here. What is Lipitor? Medically reviewed by Alan Carter, Pharm. What do statins do? Uses of Lipitor Adverse effects Precautions Lipitor is a statin. Share on Pinterest A doctor may prescribe Lipitor if a person has high cholesterol. Uses of Lipitor. Adverse effects. Share on Pinterest Headaches can be an adverse effect.
Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals. Costs associated with obesity may account for 3. Related Coverage. Statins increase the risk of developing diabetes in at-risk people Do statins increase the risk of type 2 diabetes? Recipes for a cholesterol-free diet. How does high cholesterol cause cancer? This can reduce your risk of having heart disease and other problems, such as stroke. You should avoid eating large amounts of grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while taking Lipitor.
Certain substances found in grapefruit can slow down the activity of an enzyme in your body called CYP3A4. CYP3A4 helps your body break down drugs, including Lipitor.
This can increase your risk for side effects from the drug. Drinking more than 1. If you have any questions about eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while taking Lipitor, talk to your doctor. The medication may not work as well otherwise. The American Heart Association offers dietary recommendations for managing cholesterol and lowering your risk of heart disease, including:.
Although not common, Lipitor can cause myopathy muscle pain or weakness and muscle damage. Lipitor belongs to a class of medications called statins. Some people think statin drugs, such as Lipitor, have too many risks. This may be because, in a small number of studies , taking statins was linked to an increased risk for certain side effects. These included high blood sugar, type 2 diabetes, and memory problems. However, the risk of these side effects has been shown to be very low.
Also, other risk factors play a role when people develop these side effects. Whether Lipitor is right for you depends on your health conditions and risk factors. If you have additional questions about taking Lipitor, talk with your doctor. Cholesterol is a type of lipid. Lipids are fat-like substances made by your liver. So your liver also makes lipoproteins, which carry cholesterol through the bloodstream. Having too much LDL cholesterol in your blood is known as high cholesterol.
This buildup is called cholesterol plaque. Cholesterol plaques raise your risk for developing blood clots. This is because plaques narrow your blood vessels and limit your blood flow.
This increases the chance that blood could stick to your blood vessel wall, completely blocking off blood flow. Eventually, a plaque may grow large enough to block off blood flow on its own. Also, cholesterol plaques may break off and travel through your blood. If a plaque reaches an artery in your heart, it can block blood flow and cause a heart attack.
If it reaches an artery in your head, it can block blood flow and cause a stroke. This is because it works to bring LDL cholesterol back to your liver. Your liver converts cholesterol into bile salts, which then get sent to your intestines for removal from your body. In this way, HDL helps prevent cholesterol plaques from forming in your arteries.
Atorvastatin affects the way your body makes cholesterol. An enzyme is a protein your body makes to help speed up reactions, such as making cholesterol. HMG-CoA is one of the most important enzymes for making cholesterol. By blocking this enzyme, atorvastatin reduces the amount of cholesterol your body makes.
This lowers the amount of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and other fats in your blood. Lipitor begins working as soon as you take your dose. It reaches its highest levels in your blood about 1 to 2 hours after you take your dose. Most people see improvements in cholesterol within 2 to 4 weeks. The only way to know what your cholesterol levels look like is by having a blood test.
Your doctor will check your blood from time to time to see how well Lipitor is working. You can take Lipitor at any time of day.
So even if you take it in the morning, it will still work just as well at night. As with all medications, the cost of Lipitor can vary. To find current prices for Lipitor in your area, check out GoodRx. The cost you find on GoodRx. Before approving coverage for Lipitor, your insurance company may require you to get prior authorization. This means that your doctor and insurance company will need to communicate about your prescription before the insurance company will cover the drug. The insurance company will review the prior authorization request and decide if the drug will be covered.
If you need financial support to pay for Lipitor, or if you need help understanding your insurance coverage, help is available. Pfizer, the manufacturer of Lipitor, offers a Lipitor Savings Card.
This card may help lower the cost of the drug for you. Lipitor is available in a generic form called atorvastatin. And generics tend to cost less than brand-name drugs. To find out how the cost of atorvastatin compares to the cost of Lipitor, visit GoodRx.
They may have a preference for one version or the other. Studies have shown that statin drugs, including Lipitor, may cause birth defects if used during pregnancy. They can offer advice about your birth control needs while using this drug. If it does show up in human breast milk, Lipitor could cause serious side effects in a child who is breastfed. Lipitor is also used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and related death, and to reduce the need for certain types of heart surgery.
Your doctor will likely have you continue to take medications you use for other conditions, including heart disease. Before taking Lipitor, talk with your doctor about your health history. Lipitor may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors affecting your health.
These include:. Do not use more Lipitor than your doctor recommends. For some drugs, doing so may lead to unwanted side effects or overdose. You can also call the American Association of Poison Control Centers at or use their online tool. But if your symptoms are severe, call or your local emergency number, or go to the nearest emergency room right away. When you get Lipitor from the pharmacy, the pharmacist will add an expiration date to the label on the bottle.
This date is typically 1 year from the date they dispensed the medication. The expiration date helps guarantee that the medication is effective during this time. If you have unused medication that has gone past the expiration date, talk to your pharmacist about whether you might still be able to use it.
How long a medication remains good can depend on many factors, including how and where you store the medication. It should be kept in a tightly sealed container. Avoid storing this medication in areas where it could get damp or wet, such as bathrooms. This helps prevent others, including children and pets, from taking the drug by accident. It also helps keep the drug from harming the environment.
This article provides several useful tips on medication disposal. You can also ask your pharmacist for information on how to dispose of your medication. Lipitor is also indicated in children aged 10 to 17 years who have HeFH.
Lipitor comes as a tablet that is given by mouth. The typical dosing range is 10 mg to 80 mg once daily, depending on the condition being treated and several patient factors. HMG-CoA serves as the catalysts for the rate-limiting step in cholesterol synthesis.
Whether the drug is taken with or without food is not expected to have a clinical impact. Metabolism is primarily hepatic via CYP3A4. Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or other healthcare professional before taking any medication.
The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses. Read this article to find out the….
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People can lower their cholesterol levels by making lasting changes to their diet and lifestyle. Learn more. Lipitor atorvastatin. What is Lipitor? Lipitor generic. Lipitor side effects. Lipitor dosage. Philadelphia, Pa. Adhyaru BB, et al. Safety and efficacy of statin therapy.
Nature Reviews Cardiology. Alonso R, et al. Diagnosis and management of statin intolerance. Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis. Mach F, et al. Adverse effects of statin therapy: Perception vs.
European Heart Journal. About cholesterol. American Heart Association. Statin intolerance. Rochester, Minn. Anyanwagu U, et al. Drug-induced diabetes mellitus: Evidence for statins and other drugs affecting glucose metabolism.
Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Lopez-Jimenez F expert opinion. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 18, See also After a flood, are food and medicines safe to use? Arcus senilis: A sign of high cholesterol?
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