Lipitor how long should one take it

Speak to your doctor, who will be able to explain how the benefits of taking statins are likely to outweigh this small increased risk. If you already have type 2 diabetes, your doctor may advise monitoring your blood sugar levels more closely for the first few months. Tell your doctor or diabetes nurse if you find it harder to control your blood sugar. Statins all work in the same way, but they differ in how well they lower cholesterol. There are several other statin medicines for lowering your cholesterol, including:.

If you have a side effect with one statin, it may not happen with another. Some medicines do not mix well with one statin, but you can take them with a different one. Your doctor will find the right statin and dose for you, depending on your medical history, cholesterol level and the other medicines you take. There's no firm evidence to suggest that taking atorvastatin will reduce fertility in either men or women. However, speak to a pharmacist or your doctor before taking it if you're trying to get pregnant.

For women, atorvastatin may slightly increase the hormones released into your system from some contraceptive pills. You will still be protected from pregnancy, but this could increase your chances of side effects from contraceptive pills. However, drinking a lot of alcohol may mean you're more likely to get muscle and liver side effects.

Try not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week. A standard glass of wine ml is 2 units. A pint of lager or beer is usually 2 to 3 units of alcohol. It's best not to have too much grapefruit juice when taking atorvastatin. Drinking lots of grapefruit juice more than about a litre a day can interfere with the way this medicine works. It increases the concentration of atorvastatin in your system. Reducing your cholesterol may mean you don't need to be prescribed a statin medicine.

There are lifestyle changes you can make that will help lower your cholesterol:. Page last reviewed: 19 December Next review due: 19 December Atorvastatin On this page About atorvastatin Key facts Who can and cannot take atorvastatin How and when to take it Side effects How to cope with side effects Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions.

About atorvastatin Atorvastatin belongs to a group of medicines called statins. Help us improve our website Can you answer a quick question about your visit today? It's usual to take atorvastatin once a day.

The most common side effects are headaches, feeling sick nausea , diarrhoea and cold-like symptoms. Do not take atorvastatin if you're pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding. Keep taking atorvastatin even if you feel well, as you will still be getting the benefits.

Most people with high cholesterol don't have any symptoms. Atorvastatin is also called by the brand name Lipitor. Tell your doctor if you : have had an allergic reaction to atorvastatin or any other medicines in the past have liver or kidney problems are trying to get pregnant, think you might be pregnant, you're already pregnant, or you're breastfeeding have severe lung disease have previously had a stroke caused by bleeding into the brain drink large amounts of alcohol have an underactive thyroid have had muscular side effects when taking a statin in the past have had, or have, a muscle disorder including fibromyalgia Lipitor chewable tablets contain a substance called aspartame - check with your doctor before taking these if you have phenylketonuria a rare inherited disorder of protein metabolism.

Dosage The usual dose for adults is between 10mg and 80mg a day. What if I forget to take it? What if I take too much? Taking an extra dose of atorvastatin by accident is unlikely to harm you. Common side effects These common side effects of atorvastatin happen in more than 1 in people. Keep taking the medicine, but talk to your doctor or pharmacist if these side effects bother you or don't go away: feeling sick nausea or indigestion headaches aches and pains in your back and joints nosebleeds sore throat cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose, blocked nose or sneezing constipation or wind diarrhoea Report any unexplained muscle aches and pains, tenderness or weakness to a doctor straight away.

Serious side effects Serious side effects when taking atorvastatin are rare and happen in less than 1 in 1, people. Stop taking atorvastatin and call a doctor if you get: muscle pain, tenderness, weakness or cramps - these can be signs of muscle breakdown and kidney damage yellow skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow, or if you have pale poo and dark pee - this can be a sign of liver problems a skin rash with pink-red blotches, especially on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet severe stomach pain - this can be a sign of pancreas problems a cough, feeling short of breath, and weight loss - this can be a sign of lung disease Serious allergic reaction In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to atorvastatin.

Information: You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme. Visit Yellow Card for further information. What to do about: feeling sick nausea or indigestion - stick to simple meals and do not eat rich or spicy food.

It might help to take your atorvastatin after a meal or snack. If your doctor thinks you should take Lipitor with a fibrate, they may decide to lower your dosage of Lipitor or the fibrate.

Or they may decide to replace one drug or the other with a different medication. In addition to the drugs described above, other medications may increase your risk of myopathy muscle pain or weakness if taken with Lipitor. Your doctor may decide to prescribe a lower dosage of Lipitor or your other medication.

Or they may prescribe you a different medication rather than Lipitor or the drugs listed above. No herbs or supplements have been reported to interact with Lipitor. However, you should still check with your doctor or pharmacist before using any of these products while taking Lipitor.

You should avoid drinking excessive amounts of grapefruit juice while taking Lipitor. For more information on how grapefruit juice can interact with medications, explore this guide. Lipitor belongs to a class of medications known as statins. A medication class is a group of medications that work together in a similar manner. Statins are used to lower cholesterol levels.

People with high cholesterol, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease may need to take these other types of medications as well. For instance, they may need an ACE inhibitor or beta-blocker to manage high blood pressure. Or they made need a blood thinner to help prevent blood clots which could lead to heart attack or stroke.

However, studies have shown that when used with a healthy diet, Lipitor can lower the amount of cholesterol in your blood. This can reduce your risk of having heart disease and other problems, such as stroke. You should avoid eating large amounts of grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while taking Lipitor.

Certain substances found in grapefruit can slow down the activity of an enzyme in your body called CYP3A4. CYP3A4 helps your body break down drugs, including Lipitor. This can increase your risk for side effects from the drug. Drinking more than 1. If you have any questions about eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while taking Lipitor, talk to your doctor.

The medication may not work as well otherwise. The American Heart Association offers dietary recommendations for managing cholesterol and lowering your risk of heart disease, including:. Although not common, Lipitor can cause myopathy muscle pain or weakness and muscle damage. Lipitor belongs to a class of medications called statins. Some people think statin drugs, such as Lipitor, have too many risks. This may be because, in a small number of studies , taking statins was linked to an increased risk for certain side effects.

These included high blood sugar, type 2 diabetes, and memory problems. However, the risk of these side effects has been shown to be very low. Also, other risk factors play a role when people develop these side effects. Whether Lipitor is right for you depends on your health conditions and risk factors.

If you have additional questions about taking Lipitor, talk with your doctor. Cholesterol is a type of lipid. Lipids are fat-like substances made by your liver.

So your liver also makes lipoproteins, which carry cholesterol through the bloodstream. Having too much LDL cholesterol in your blood is known as high cholesterol. This buildup is called cholesterol plaque. Cholesterol plaques raise your risk for developing blood clots. This is because plaques narrow your blood vessels and limit your blood flow. This increases the chance that blood could stick to your blood vessel wall, completely blocking off blood flow.

Eventually, a plaque may grow large enough to block off blood flow on its own. Also, cholesterol plaques may break off and travel through your blood. If a plaque reaches an artery in your heart, it can block blood flow and cause a heart attack. If it reaches an artery in your head, it can block blood flow and cause a stroke.

This is because it works to bring LDL cholesterol back to your liver. Your liver converts cholesterol into bile salts, which then get sent to your intestines for removal from your body. In this way, HDL helps prevent cholesterol plaques from forming in your arteries. Atorvastatin affects the way your body makes cholesterol. An enzyme is a protein your body makes to help speed up reactions, such as making cholesterol.

HMG-CoA is one of the most important enzymes for making cholesterol. By blocking this enzyme, atorvastatin reduces the amount of cholesterol your body makes. This lowers the amount of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and other fats in your blood. Lipitor begins working as soon as you take your dose.

It reaches its highest levels in your blood about 1 to 2 hours after you take your dose. Most people see improvements in cholesterol within 2 to 4 weeks.

The only way to know what your cholesterol levels look like is by having a blood test. Your doctor will check your blood from time to time to see how well Lipitor is working. You can take Lipitor at any time of day. So even if you take it in the morning, it will still work just as well at night.

As with all medications, the cost of Lipitor can vary. To find current prices for Lipitor in your area, check out GoodRx. The cost you find on GoodRx. Before approving coverage for Lipitor, your insurance company may require you to get prior authorization. This means that your doctor and insurance company will need to communicate about your prescription before the insurance company will cover the drug. The insurance company will review the prior authorization request and decide if the drug will be covered.

If you need financial support to pay for Lipitor, or if you need help understanding your insurance coverage, help is available. Pfizer, the manufacturer of Lipitor, offers a Lipitor Savings Card. This card may help lower the cost of the drug for you. Lipitor is available in a generic form called atorvastatin. And generics tend to cost less than brand-name drugs. To find out how the cost of atorvastatin compares to the cost of Lipitor, visit GoodRx. They may have a preference for one version or the other.

Studies have shown that statin drugs, including Lipitor, may cause birth defects if used during pregnancy. They can offer advice about your birth control needs while using this drug. If it does show up in human breast milk, Lipitor could cause serious side effects in a child who is breastfed.

Lipitor is also used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and related death, and to reduce the need for certain types of heart surgery. Your doctor will likely have you continue to take medications you use for other conditions, including heart disease. Before taking Lipitor, talk with your doctor about your health history.

Take atorvastatin at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand.

Take atorvastatin exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor may start you on a low dose of atorvastatin and gradually increase your dose, not more than once every 2 to 4 weeks. Continue to take atorvastatin even if you feel well.

Do not stop taking atorvastatin without talking to your doctor. This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. You should not become pregnant while you are taking atorvastatin. Talk to your doctor about birth control methods that you can use during your treatment. If you become pregnant while taking atorvastatin, stop taking atorvastatin and call your doctor immediately. Atorvastatin may harm the fetus. Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet.

Be sure to follow all exercise and dietary recommendations made by your doctor or dietitian. Avoid drinking large amounts [more than 1. Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is less than 12 hours until your next scheduled dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. Atorvastatin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses. Do not take 2 doses of this medicine if it has been more than 12 hours since you missed your last dose.

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health. Error Email field is required. Error Include a valid email address. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information and to understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your e-mail and website usage information with other information we have about you.