Atorvastatin ratiopharm
This medicine is a statin that helps lower the levels of fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) in your blood, especially when diet changes are not enough, or if you have a high risk of heart disease.
Form
tabletti, kalvopäällysteinen
Strength
20 mg
Active Ingredient
Atorvastatin calcium
Manufacturer
Teva B.V.
How to Use
Dosage
The usual starting dose for adults and children aged 10 and older is 10 mg once a day. Your doctor may increase the dose if needed.
Method
Swallow the tablets whole with water at any time of day, with or without food. Try to take your tablet at the same time each day.
Important
The maximum daily dose of Atorvastatin ratiopharm is 80 mg.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Inflammation in nasal passages, sore throat, nosebleeds
- •Allergic reactions
- •Increased blood sugar levels (if you have diabetes, carefully monitor your blood sugar), increased creatine kinase in blood
- •Headache
- •Nausea, constipation, gas, indigestion, diarrhea
- •Joint pain, muscle pain, back pain
- •Abnormal results in liver function blood tests
RARE
- •Severe allergic reaction (swelling of face, tongue, throat, difficulty breathing)
- •Severe skin reaction with peeling, swelling, blisters on skin, mouth, eyes, genitals, and fever; pink or red patches on palms/soles that may form blisters.
- •Muscle weakness, tenderness, pain, rupture, or reddish-brown urine, especially with feeling unwell or high fever, may be a sign of severe muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) which can lead to kidney problems.
- •Unexpected or unusual bleeding or bruising, possibly indicating liver problems (contact doctor immediately).
- •Lupus-like illness (including rash, joint pain, blood cell effects).
- •Loss of appetite, weight gain, decreased blood sugar levels (if you have diabetes, continue monitoring blood sugar carefully)
- •Nightmares, insomnia
- •Dizziness, numbness or tingling in fingers and toes, decreased sensation of pain or touch, changes in taste, memory loss
- •Blurred vision
- •Ringing in ears and/or head
- •Vomiting, belching, upper and lower abdominal pain, pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas causing abdominal pain)
- •Hepatitis (liver inflammation)
- •Rash, itching, hives, hair loss
- •Neck pain, muscle fatigue
- •Fatigue, feeling unwell, weakness, chest pain, swelling, especially in ankles (edema), fever
- •Positive urine test for white blood cells
- •Visual disturbances
- •Cholestasis (yellowing of skin and whites of eyes)
- •Tendon injury
- •Possible rash on skin or mouth ulcers (lichenoid drug reaction)
- •Purple skin lesions (signs of blood vessel inflammation or vasculitis)
- •Severe allergic reaction with sudden wheezing, chest pain or tightness, swelling of eyelids, face, lips, tongue, throat, breathing difficulties, collapse.
- •Hearing loss
- •Gynecomastia (breast enlargement in men)
- •Persistent muscle weakness
- •Myasthenia gravis (a disease causing general muscle weakness, sometimes affecting breathing muscles)
- •Ocular myasthenia (a disease causing eye muscle weakness)
- •Sexual difficulties
- •Depression
- •Breathing problems, persistent cough and/or shortness of breath or fever
- •Diabetes (more likely if you have high blood sugar, high fat levels, are overweight or have high blood pressure)
Important Warnings
- Do not take if you are allergic to atorvastatin or any other ingredient in this medicine.
- Do not take if you have or have had a liver disease, or if your liver blood tests are abnormal.
- Do not take if you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, breastfeeding, or are a woman of childbearing age not using reliable contraception.
- Do not take if you are using a combination of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir for hepatitis C treatment.
- Talk to your doctor if you have severe lung disease.
Show 9 more warnings
- If you are taking or have taken fusidic acid (a medicine for bacterial infections) by mouth or injection in the last 7 days, you must temporarily stop taking this medicine. Concurrent use can lead to severe muscle problems (rhabdomyolysis).
- Talk to your doctor if you have had a stroke with bleeding in the brain, or small fluid pockets in the brain from previous strokes.
- Talk to your doctor if you have kidney problems.
- Talk to your doctor if you have an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).
- Talk to your doctor if you have had repeated or unexplained muscle aches or weakness, or if you or a family member has had muscle problems, especially related to other cholesterol-lowering medicines (statins or fibrates).
- Talk to your doctor if you have myasthenia (a disease causing general muscle weakness, sometimes affecting breathing muscles) or ocular myasthenia (a disease causing eye muscle weakness), as statins can worsen these conditions.
- Talk to your doctor if you regularly drink large amounts of alcohol. Avoid excessive alcohol during treatment.
- Talk to your doctor if you are over 70 years old.
- Do not drink more than one or two small glasses of grapefruit juice per day, as large amounts can affect how this medicine works.
Use in Elderly Patients
Category A
Suitable for older adults. Possible adverse effects include muscle pain and muscular weakness. Consider potential interactions. Avoid grapefruit. (updated 17.4.2023)