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What is the most important information I should know about
atorvastatin?
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Rare cases of muscle problems and liver problems have been
associated with the use of atorvastatin and other similar medicines.
Contact your doctor immediately if you experience unexplained muscle
pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if accompanied by a fever or
flulike symptoms or yellowing of the skin or eyes, abdominal pain,
unexplained fatigue, dark colored urine or pale colored stools. These
may be early symptoms of muscle or liver problems. |
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• |
Do not take atorvastatin without first talking to your doctor
if you have liver disease. |
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Alcohol and atorvastatin can both be damaging to the liver.
Alcohol should be used only in moderation. Discuss the use of alcohol
with your doctor so that the potential for liver problems can be
determined. |
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• |
Do not take atorvastatin if you are pregnant, could become
pregnant during treatment, or if you are breast-feeding a baby. |
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Atorvastatin is an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor. Atorvastatin
blocks the production of cholesterol (a type of fat) in the body. |
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Atorvastatin is used to reduce the amounts of LDL (bad)
cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides (another type of fat), and
apolipoprotein B (a protein needed to make cholesterol) in your blood.
Atorvastatin is also used to increase the level of HDL (good)
cholesterol in your blood. These actions are important in reducing the
risk of hardening of the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks,
stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. |
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Atorvastatin may also be used for purposes other than those
listed in this medication guide. |
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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking
atorvastatin?
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• |
Do not take atorvastatin without first talking to your
doctor if you have liver disease. |
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Before taking atorvastatin, tell your doctor if you |
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drink alcoholic beverages, |
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have a chronic muscular disease, |
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require major surgery, or |
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You may not be able to take atorvastatin, or you may require
a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have
any of the conditions listed above. |
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Atorvastatin is in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means that
atorvastatin is known to cause birth defects if it is taken during
pregnancy. Do not take atorvastatin if you are pregnant or could
become pregnant during treatment. |
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It is not known whether atorvastatin passes into breast milk. Do not
take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are
breast-feeding a baby. |
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How should I take atorvastatin?
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Take atorvastatin exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not
understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to
explain them to you. |
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Take each dose with a full glass of water. |
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Atorvastatin can be taken with or without food. |
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Atorvastatin is usually taken once a day. Try to take your dose at
the same time each day. Follow your doctor's instructions. |
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Your doctor may want to monitor your liver function with blood tests
before starting treatment with atorvastatin, at twelve weeks after both
the start of your treatment and any increase in dose, and periodically (every
6 months) thereafter. Depending on the results of these tests, your
doctor can determine how much monitoring you will require. |
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Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with atorvastatin. The
interaction could lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use
of grapefruit and grapefruit juice with your doctor. Do not increase or
decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first
talking to your doctor. |
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Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. To realize beneficial effects
from atorvastatin, avoid fatty, high-cholesterol foods. |
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It is important to take atorvastatin regularly to get the most
benefit. |
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Do not stop taking atorvastatin without first talking to your doctor.
Atorvastatin may need to be taken on a long-term basis for the treatment
of high cholesterol. |
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Your doctor may want you to have blood tests or other medical
evaluations during treatment with atorvastatin to monitor progress and
side effects. |
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Store atorvastatin at room temperature away from moisture and heat. |
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What happens if I miss a dose?
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Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is
almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the
next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this
medication. |
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What happens if I overdose?
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Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is suspected. |
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The symptoms of an atorvastatin overdose are not known. |
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What should I avoid while taking atorvastatin?
|
|
• |
Alcohol and atorvastatin can both be damaging to the liver. Alcohol
should be used only in moderation. Discuss the use of alcohol with your
doctor so that the potential for liver problems can be determined. |
|
• |
Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with atorvastatin. The
interaction could lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use
of grapefruit and grapefruit juice with your doctor. Do not increase or
decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first
talking to your doctor. |
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What are the possible side effects of atorvastatin?
|
|
• |
Rare cases of muscle problems and liver problems have been
associated with the use of atorvastatin and other similar medicines.
Contact your doctor immediately if you experience unexplained muscle
pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if accompanied by a fever or
flulike symptoms or yellowing of the skin or eyes, abdominal pain,
unexplained fatigue, dark colored urine or pale colored stools. These
may be early symptoms of muscle or liver problems. |
|
• |
If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop
taking atorvastatin and seek emergency medical attention or contact your
doctor immediately: |
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an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat;
swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives); |
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decreased urine or rust-colored urine; or |
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Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur.
Continue to take atorvastatin and talk to your doctor if you experience |
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upset stomach or flatulence; or |
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Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to
your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is
especially bothersome. |
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What other drugs will affect atorvastatin?
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Do not take atorvastatin without first talking to your doctor if you
are taking any of the following medicines: |
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cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral); |
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gemfibrozil (Lopid), clofibrate (Atromid-S), or fenofibrate (Tricor); |
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niacin (Nicolar, Nicobid, Slo-Niacin, others); |
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erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, others) or clarithromycin (Biaxin); |
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cholestyramine (Questran) or colestipol (Colestid); |
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hormonal birth control (pills, patches, or implants); or |
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an antifungal medication such as itraconazole (Sporanox),
fluconazole (Diflucan), or ketoconazole (Nizoral). |
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• |
You may not be able to take atorvastatin, or you may require a
dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you are
taking any of the medicines listed above. |
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Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with
atorvastatin. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any
prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins, minerals,
and herbal products. |
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Where can I get more information?
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Your pharmacist has additional information about atorvastatin
written for health professionals that you may read. |
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Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of
children, never share your medicines with others, and use this
medication only for the indication prescribed. |
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Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided
by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete,
but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained
herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for
use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and
therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States
are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug
information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend
therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed
to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients
and/ or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and
not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of
healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or
drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug
or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given
patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of
healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The
information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses,
directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions,
or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking,
check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. |
Copyright 1996-2005 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 9.01. Revision date: 10/
10/ 05. |
