Daily dose of medicine information: Atorvastatin (Lipitor)

Atorvastatin belongs to the cholesterol synthesis inhibitors. They are also called statins . They inhibit the production of cholesterol in the liver and lower blood cholesterol and fat.

Doctors write atorvastatin for too high cholesterol or a combination of too much cholesterol and too much fat in the blood. Doctors also prescribe people who have an increased risk of cardiovascular problems, such as angina pectoris or diabetes mellitus.

Important to know about atorvastatin (Lipitor)

• Atorvastatin reduces a number of blood fats, such as cholesterol, and reduces venous deterioration .
• In case of increased cholesterol and cardiovascular disease or high risk of it (eg diabetes or high blood pressure ).
• By using it every day, you have less chance of heart attack or stroke . Choose a fixed time to take Atorvastatin so you do not forget.
• The effect on the blood fats is measured after 2 to 4 weeks.
• Initially you may experience gastrointestinal complaints, headache, dizziness, fatigue or insomnia. This will leave after a few days.
• You can also get muscle aches. This is usually innocent . If you get severe muscle pain, consult your doctor.
• Do not drink grapefruit juice as long as you are taking this medicine. This increases the chance of side effects.
• Many interactions with other means. Ask your pharmacist if you can safely use atorvastatin with your other medicines, including medicines you bought without a prescription.
• Do not use if you are pregnant.

Too high cholesterol and / or fat content

Symptoms

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that the body uses to make cells, hormones and bile. Cholesterol is needed to process fat and to transport our body. Fats (triglycerides) are important for energy supply and for building cells.

The liver makes cholesterol, but it is also taken up by food. Too much cholesterol can go down with the fats to the inside of the blood vessels. This is especially the case with a certain type of cholesterol, namely LDL cholesterol. This allows the vessels to narrow or clog.

This is called arteriosclerosis (atherosclerosis). Atherosclerosis increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as a heart attack or stroke (brain infarction or cerebral hemorrhage).

Cause

Too high blood cholesterol or fat in our blood can occur if our body is too much or because we eat too fat, or both. Also, there is a hereditary form of high cholesterol, which occurs predominantly in certain families.

Treatment

If your cholesterol or blood fats are increased, your doctor will assess your risk of heart or vascular disease. Smoking, age, overweight, high blood pressure and diabetes (diabetes) are other factors that are included in this risk assessment.

At high risk your doctor will prescribe you a cholesterol lowering like simvastatin or pravastatin. If these medicines are insufficient or if your cholesterol is very high, your doctor may prescribe atorvastatin. In addition, your doctor will advise you on healthy eating, smoking and adequate physical exercise.

Function

Atorvastatin reduces cholesterol and therefore also the fat content in the blood. People who have lowered their cholesterol levels with this medicine show less cardiovascular disease, such as heart attacks or strokes.

Effect

After two to four weeks the full effect of this medicine has been reached. You do not notice much about the functioning of this medicine. You only know if it works in a blood test. However, it is important to take atorvastatin daily. Only then atorvastatin can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

What are possible side effects?

In addition to the desired effect, this drug may cause side effects.

The main side effects are the following.

Rare (in 1 to 10 in 100 people)

• Muscle pain, joint pain, muscle weakness, muscle cramp and muscle tearing. Usually this is innocent, but very rarely this can indicate a serious side effect on the muscles. The symptoms of this severe side effect are muscle aches, muscle weakness, general feeling sick, fever, nausea and vomiting. The muscle ache usually occurs in the calf or lower back, but the whole body can also hurt. Consult your doctor if you have an inexplicable muscle ache. If this muscle aches the medicine, the doctor may dosereduce or prescribe another medicine. If you experience severe symptoms, consult your doctor as soon as possible.

• Gastrointestinal disorders such as abdominal pain, blockage, flatulence, nausea, acid fires or diarrhea. These side effects occur especially at the beginning of treatment. Usually it helps if you take the medicine with some food. Do you still suffer from it after some days? Then contact your doctor.

• Headache. This side effect usually occurs when your body is used to it. Do you still suffer from it after some days? Then contact your doctor.

• Ear and n eusklachten, such as sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, nose and nasal dryness.

• Too high blood glucose. The characteristics of an excessive blood glucose are often peeing, a lot of drinking, thirst, dry tongue, fatigue and sleepiness.

Very rare (in less than 1 in 100 people)

• Ear noise and deafness . Contact your doctor if you have an ear infection or a hearing impairment.

• Blurred or double vision. If you notice these side effects, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

• Deaf or tingling sensation in the limbs. If you notice these side effects, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

• Taste changes. Contact your doctor at first sight.

• Sexual disorders , such as less sense in free and difficult erection. These side effects are over if you stop taking the medicine. If you suffer from this, contact your doctor.

• Psychological complaints such as anxiety, nightmares or depression . If you notice these side effects, contact your doctor or pharmacist. These side effects usually disappear if you stop taking atorvastatin.

• Breast formation (in men). This will disappear again if you stop using.
  Inflammation of the liver or of the pancreas . You may notice a sudden severe pain in the upper abdomen, sensitive, swollen stomach, dark urine or yellow discoloration of the skin or the eye whitening. If you notice these side effects, contact your doctor or pharmacist. Do you already have a reduced liver function? Then your doctor will check your liver function extra and adjust the dosage if necessary .

• Blood abnormalities . Warning your doctor with any of the following symptoms: unexplained bruising, spot bleeding in the skin or nose bleeds.

• Skin rash , itching and hair loss . These side effects will disappear again if you stop taking this medicine. If you suffer from this, consult your doctor.

• Too low blood glucose . The characteristics of low blood glucose are: hunger, paleness, tremor and sweating, changing mood, fatigue, dizziness and headache.

• Weight gain.

• Pain on the chest or back pain . Consult your doctor if you suffer from this.

• Dizziness, fatigue, insomnia or a feeling of weakness. These side effects occur especially at the beginning of treatment. Do you still suffer from it after some days? Then contact your doctor.

• Hypersensitivity to this medicine. You may notice skin rashes, gall bumps, swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat or tightness . You can also get a severe skin reaction with blisters or skin release. In all of these symptoms you should consult a doctor immediately or go to the First Aid. You may not use this medicine in the future. Therefore, ask the pharmacist's team to be hypersensitive to atorvastatin. They can then take care that you do not get this medicine and similar medicines again.

Consult your doctor if you have too much trouble with any of the above side effects, or if you experience other side effects you are worried about.

Explanation frequencies

Frequently: in more than 30 in 100 people
Sometimes: in 10 to 30 in 100 people
rare: in 1 to 10 in 100 people
very rare: in less than 1 in 100 people

How do I use this medicine?

Look for the correct dose on the pharmacy's label.

How?

• Plain tablets: take a lot with half a glass of water.
• Chewable tablets: chew or take a whole half with water.

When?

You may the drug take up at any time of the day. It's best to choose a fixed time, so you will lose a dose less quickly .

How long?

If this medicine lowers your cholesterol level, you should probably take this medicine for a long time. Only using this medicine every day reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease.

What should I do if I have forgotten a dose?

It is important to take this medicine consistently. If you have forgotten a dose:

Does it take more than 8 hours before you take the next tablet normally? Then take the forgotten tablet. Does it take less than 8 hours? Skip the forgotten tablet then.

Can I ride this medicine, drink alcohol and eat or drink anything?

driving?

Once upon a time, you may feel dizzy during the first days you use this medicine. Do not drive a car if you are dizzy. After a few days, that is usually over and driving is no problem.

drinking alcohol?

Too much alcohol is not good for the liver. Atorvastatin may, in rare cases, cause liver abnormalities. Do not use too much alcohol. One or two glasses a day is generally not a problem.

eat everything

Do not drink grapefruit juice. Grapefruit juice enhances the effect of atorvastatin, which may cause side effects. If you stop atorvastatin, you can drink grapefruit juice again from a day after. A glass of grapefruit juice (freshly squeezed or packed) contains the juice of several grapefruits. Side effects may also occur when eating grapefruits.

You may also eat anything else. However, for an optimal effect of this medicine, keeping a cholesterol lowering diet is essential. Talk about it with a dietician.

Can I use Atorvastatin with other medicines?

This medicine has interactions with other medicines. The text below lists only the active substances of these medicines, not the brand names. Whether your medicine contains any of these active substances can be found in your leaflet under the heading 'Composition'.

The medications with which the main interactions occur are the following.

• Some medicines against HIV and hepatitis C . Ask your pharmacist what medication this is about.

The following medicines may effect of atorvastatin reduced :

• Carbamazepine , phenobarbital , phenytoin and primidone , anti- epileptic drugs .

-Rifabutin and rifampicin , medicines used, among other things, in tuberculosis.

• St. John's Wort (Hypericum), a medicine used for depression . St. John's wort is also available as a herbal remedy. This herbal remedy also interacts with atorvastatin.

• Bosentan , a medicine used in pulmonary arterial hypertension, a severe form of high blood pressure in the lungs.

The following medicines may enhance the side effects of atorvastatin . In case of unexplained severe muscle aches, muscle weakness, less urine and dark brown urine , warn your doctor or pharmacist . Consult your doctor if you are prescribed any of these medicines. Your doctor may prescribe a different cholesterol lowering or reduce the dose of atorvastatin.

• Erythromycin, clarithromycin and fusidic acid, antibiotics .

• Some cardiovascular medicines , namely amiodarone, diltiazem and verapamil.

• Gemfibrozil , another cholesterol and lowering drug. Sometimes this combination is deliberately prescribed. Your doctor will then check your blood beforehand.

• Fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole and voriconazole, antifungal medicines .

• Ciclosporin , an anti-repellent medicine.

• Colchicine , a medicine against gout .

Do you doubt whether any of the above interactions are important to you? Then contact your pharmacist or doctor.

Can I use this medicine if I'm pregnant, want to be breastfeeding?

Pregnancy

Consult your doctor. You may NOT use this medicine better if you are pregnant or want to become soon. There are not many pregnant women who have used this medicine. Therefore, it is not certain that this medicine is safe "> safe for the development of the child.

Do you already use this medicine and are you pregnant or want to become pregnant? Talk to your doctor. Perhaps you may temporarily stop using this medicine. In most cases, temporary cessation has no major consequences for your health.

Breastfeeding

You may NOT use this medicine better if you are breastfeeding. It is not known whether it is in the breast milk and whether it is harmful to the baby. Perhaps you may temporarily stop using this medicine. In most cases, temporary cessation has no major consequences for your health. Consult with your doctor.

Can I just stop this medicine?

You can stop using this medicine at any time. Your cholesterol will increase again and your chance of cardiovascular disease will also increase again. Therefore, stop talking to your doctor only.

Which names are atorvastatin available?

The active substance atorvastatin is in the following products:

• Lipitor
• Atorvastatin
• Atozet

Do I need a recipe?

Atorvastatin has been on the market since 1997. It is available on prescription under the brand name Lipitor and as the brandless Atorvastatin in tablets and chewable tablets.

Atorvastatin is also used in tablets in combination with ezetimibe under the brand name Atozet.

Sources
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