Why would a patient be on Lipitor?

Why would a patient be on Lipitor?

Lipitor is a prescription drug used to lower bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other heart and blood vessel problems. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the medication in 1996. Its active ingredient is atorvastatin calcium.

What is Lipitor used for besides cholesterol?

Lipitor is used to treat high cholesterol, and to lower the risk of stroke, heart attack, or other heart complications in people with type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, or other risk factors such as genetically high cholesterol. Lipitor is for use in adults and children who are at least 10 years old.

What are the common uses for Lipitor?

Lipitor is a prescription medicine used to lower blood levels of “bad” cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL), to increase levels of “good” cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL), and to lower triglycerides and to treat the symptoms of high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia) and to lower the risk of stroke.

What are the dangers of taking Lipitor?

Lipitor can cause severe and even life-threatening side effects including:

• Muscle damage (myopathy)
• Severe muscle damage (rhabdomyolysis) leading to possible kidney failure.
• Liver dysfunction.
• Tendon rupture.
• Blood disorders (low blood cell counts)
• Lung injury and scarring.

Does Lipitor cause weight gain?

Atorvastatin and weight gain: Individuals often ask about Lipitor in connection with weight gain. There is nothing in the medical literature on this subject. However, while on this medication, you should exercise and maintain a healthy diet to prevent gaining weight.

Does Lipitor lower blood pressure?

Atorvastatin significantly reduced 24-h systolic and diastolic BP (DBP; median (range)) as compared with placebo (-5.0 (-21.0, 4.0) vs +1.0 (-6.0, 7.0) mm Hg, P<0.001 and -3.0 (-16.0, 2.0) vs +0.1 (-7, 4) mm Hg, P<0.01, respectively).

Is Lipitor for high blood pressure?

Lipitor is a prescription medication. It is used in patients with multiple risk factors for heart disease such as family history, high blood pressure, age, low HDL (“good” cholesterol) or smoking to reduce the risk of a heart attack and stroke, certain kinds of heart surgery and chest pain.

What should you not take with Lipitor?

Common medications that may interact with Lipitor include:

• amiodarone.
• antibiotics, such as erythromycin.
• antidepressants, such as nefazodone.
• antifungals, such as itraconazole, ketoconazole, posaconazole, or voriconazole.
• bezafibrate.
• calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine, diltiazem, or verapamil.
• colchicine.

Does Lipitor make you pee a lot?

The study also found that statins were linked to fewer sleep disturbances, but an increase in reports of needing to urinate at night and urinate more frequently, while there were too few reports of cognitive problems to draw any conclusions.

Can Lipitor make you tired?

While some medications may make you tired, the statin drugs like atorvastatin should not make you sleepy.

How long can you be on Lipitor?

Your cholesterol levels should drop noticeably within 4 weeks – if you take your medicine regularly, as prescribed. How long will I take atorvastatin for? Usually, treatment with a statin such as atorvastatin is for life. The benefits will only continue for as long as you take it.

How is Lipitor used to treat high cholesterol?

1 Lipitor is a brand (trade) name for atorvastatin. Atorvastatin may be used for the treatment of high cholesterol. 2 Atorvastatin works by blocking an enzyme in the liver that makes different types of lipids (fats and cholesterol). Atorvastatin also boosts the breakdown of lipids. 3 Lipitor belongs to the class of medicines known as statins.

What’s the difference between Lipitor and atorvastatin?

Generic Lipitor. Atorvastatin (Lipitor) is an inexpensive drug that lowers levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. Atorvastatin may also reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke in patients with risk factors for heart disease.

How old do you have to be to take Lipitor?

Lipitor is a prescription medication that’s approved by the FDA to: Treat high cholesterol levels. For this use, it’s prescribed in combination with a healthy diet for adults and certain children. These children are ages 10 to 17 years with high cholesterol caused by heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (a genetic condition).

Is there a generic version of Lipitor available?

Lipitor is available in a generic form called atorvastatin. A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication.