Lipitor

Lipitor (atorvastatin) is a commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication intended for the treatment of patients with high levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. This is a dangerous condition as it can potentially cause a stroke, a heart attack or some other disease of the kind. Notify your health care provider of any of the following health conditions you have or used to have, as this may be important in prescribing a certain dose of Lipitor: diabetes, muscle disorder, a history of liver disease, underactive thyroid, and kidney disease. If there are any other health problems you would like to discuss – do not hesitate to let your doctor know about them, as anything can be important when deciding which dose will be low enough for you to avoid serious side effects, yet high enough for you to benefit from the treatment as much as possible. This drug is FDA pregnancy category X. You need to use an effective form of birth control while taking this medication, as this medicine can cause serious birth defects in unborn babies. Pregnant or breastfeeding women must talk to their health care provider to learn more about the risks of this treatment and their doctor will be able to offer a safer alternative. Lipitor is not supposed to be used by children younger than 10. The following serious side effects have been reported by a small number of patients using Lipitor: dark urine, low fever, muscle weakness, muscle pain, loss of appetite, muscle tenderness, stomach pain, and clay-colored stools. If you notice any of these side effects – report them as soon as possible to your doctor to make sure they are treated timely and properly. Some of these side effects may actually indicate your treatment is not going as planned. Most patients, however, are likely to get only a few mild side effects, such as mild nausea, stuffy nose, itching, bloating, constipation, gas, skin rash, headache, stomach upset, and heartburn. The side effects in most cases go away on their own and are unlikely to last for too long. Make sure you avoid combining Lipitor with any other medications until your health care provider is notified of your intentions to do so. Some drugs can interact with the effects of Lipitor, and you need to be aware of this possibility. Make sure you report any of the following medications to the doctor prescribing Lipitor before starting the treatment: steroids, HIV or AIDS medications, digoxin, gemfibrozil, erythromycin, cancer medicines, antifungal medications, and niacin. If you are taking any other prescription or over-the-counter medications, as well as any vitamins of herbal preparations – these are also worth mentioning. Although an overdose of this medication is not expected to produce life-threatening symptoms, you will need to seek emergency help if you have taken too much of Lipitor either intentionally or accidentally. If you think you need a dose adjustment – make sure you wait until your doctor approves of such a plan. Never adjust the dose yourself to avoid serious health consequences that may occur in that case.