Lipitor
Lipitor is a statin medicine that helps lower blood fats and cholesterol, used alongside diet and lifestyle changes or when there's an increased risk of heart disease.
Form
tabletti, kalvopäällysteinen
Strength
20 mg
Active Ingredient
Atorvastatin calcium trihydrate
Manufacturer
Upjohn EESV
How to Use
Dosage
The usual starting dose for adults and children aged 10 and older is 10 mg once a day.
Method
Swallow the tablet whole with water, at any time of day, with or without food, but try to take it at the same time each day.
Important
The maximum daily dose is 80 mg once a day.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Inflammation in the nose, sore throat, nosebleeds
- •Allergic reactions
- •Increased blood sugar levels (if you have diabetes, keep monitoring your sugar carefully), increased creatine kinase in the blood
- •Headache
- •Nausea, constipation, gas, indigestion, diarrhea
- •Joint pain, muscle pain, and back pain
- •Abnormal liver function test results
RARE
- •Loss of appetite, weight gain, decreased blood sugar levels (if you have diabetes, keep monitoring your sugar carefully)
- •Nightmares, sleeplessness
- •Dizziness, numbness or tingling in fingers and toes, reduced sense of pain or touch, changes in taste, memory loss
- •Blurred vision, visual disturbances
- •Ringing in the ears and/or head
- •Vomiting, belching, upper and lower belly pain, pancreas inflammation (pancreatitis)
- •Liver inflammation (hepatitis)
- •Rash, itching, hives, hair loss, skin rash or mouth sores, purplish skin lesions (signs of blood vessel inflammation)
- •Neck pain, muscle fatigue
- •Tiredness, feeling unwell, weakness, chest pain, swelling (especially in the ankles), fever
- •Positive white blood cell test in urine
- •Unexpected bleeding or bruising
- •Bile duct blockage (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
- •Tendon injury
- •Severe allergic reaction with sudden wheezing, chest pain or tightness, swelling of eyelids, face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat, breathing difficulties, fainting
- •Hearing loss
- •Breast enlargement in men (gynecomastia)
- •Persistent muscle weakness
- •Myasthenia gravis (a condition causing general muscle weakness, sometimes including breathing muscles) or ocular myasthenia (a condition causing eye muscle weakness)
- •Sexual dysfunction
- •Depression
- •Breathing problems, such as 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 this medicine if you are allergic to atorvastatin or any other ingredient in Lipitor.
- Do not take this medicine if you have or have had liver disease, or if you have unexplained abnormal liver blood test results.
- Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, breastfeeding, or a woman of childbearing age not using reliable birth control.
- Do not take this medicine if you are taking glecaprevir/pibrentasvir for hepatitis C.
- Stop taking this medicine and see a doctor right away if you get a severe allergic reaction with swelling of your face, tongue, or throat, which can make it hard to breathe.
Show 6 more warnings
- Seek immediate medical help if you develop a serious skin condition with severe peeling and swelling of the skin, blisters on the skin, mouth, eyes, genitals, and fever, or a rash with pink-red spots, especially on palms or soles.
- Contact your doctor if you experience muscle weakness, tenderness, pain, muscle breakdown, or reddish-brown urine, especially if you also feel unwell or have a high fever, as these could be signs of a serious muscle problem.
- Tell your doctor right away if you have unexpected bleeding or bruising, as this might suggest liver problems.
- Inform your doctor if you are taking or have recently taken fusidic acid (a medicine for bacterial infections), as combining it with Lipitor can lead to serious muscle problems.
- Do not drink more than 1-2 small glasses of grapefruit juice daily, as large amounts can affect how Lipitor works.
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol while taking this medicine.
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)