clinical practice lipitor side effects

What is the most important information I should know about Lipitor?
• Do not take Lipitor without first talking to your doctor if you haveliver disease clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Alcohol and Lipitor can both damage your liver clinical practice lipitor side effects. Discuss with your doctorthe amount of alcohol that you drink so that it can be determined if Lipitoris the best choice for lowering your cholesterol clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Do not take Lipitor if you are pregnant, if you are planning a pregnancy,or if you are breast-feeding a baby clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Contact your doctor immediately if you experience unexplained musclepain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if it is accompanied by a fever orflulike symptoms or yellowing of your skin or eyes clinical practice lipitor side effects.

What is Lipitor?
• Lipitor blocks the production of cholesterol (a type of fat) in yourbody clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Lipitor is used to reduce the amounts of LDL (bad) cholesterol, totalcholesterol, triglycerides (another type of fat), and apolipoprotein B (a proteinneeded to make cholesterol) in your blood clinical practice lipitor side effects. Lipitor is also used to increasethe level of HDL (good) cholesterol in your blood clinical practice lipitor side effects. These actions are importantin reducing the risk of hardening of the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks,stroke, and peripheral vascular disease clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Lipitor may also be used for purposes other than those listed in thismedication guide clinical practice lipitor side effects.

Who should not take Lipitor?
• Do not take Lipitor without first talking to your doctor if you haveliver disease clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Before taking Lipitor, tell your doctor if you
· drink alcoholic beverages,
· have a chronic muscular disease,
· require major surgery, or
· have a blood disorder clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• You may not be able to take Lipitor, or you may require a dosage adjustmentor special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listedabove clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Lipitor is in the FDA pregnancy category X clinical practice lipitor side effects. This means that Lipitor willcause birth defects if it is taken during pregnancy clinical practice lipitor side effects. Cholesterol is very importantfor the proper development of a baby clinical practice lipitor side effects. Do not take Lipitor if you are pregnantor are planning a pregnancy clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• It is not known whether Lipitor passes into breast milk clinical practice lipitor side effects. Do not takethis medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feedinga baby clinical practice lipitor side effects.

How should I take Lipitor?
• Take Lipitor exactly as directed by your doctor clinical practice lipitor side effects. If you do not understandthese directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Take each dose with a full glass of water clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Lipitor can be taken with or without food clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Lipitor is usually taken once a day clinical practice lipitor side effects. Try to take your dose at the sametime each day clinical practice lipitor side effects. Follow your doctor's instructions clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Your doctor may want to monitor your liver function with blood testsbefore starting treatment with Lipitor, at twelve weeks after both the startof your treatment and any increase in dose, and periodically (every 6 months)thereafter clinical practice lipitor side effects. Depending on the results of these tests, your doctor can determinehow much monitoring you will require clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Lipitor clinical practice lipitor side effects. The interactioncould lead to potentially dangerous effects clinical practice lipitor side effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit andgrapefruit juice with your doctor clinical practice lipitor side effects. Do not increase or decrease the amount ofgrapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet clinical practice lipitor side effects. To realize beneficial effects fromLipitor, avoid fatty, high-cholesterol foods clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Do not stop taking Lipitor without first talking to your doctor clinical practice lipitor side effects. It maybe weeks or months before beneficial effects are seen from this medication clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Store Lipitor at room temperature away from moisture and heat clinical practice lipitor side effects.

What happens if I miss a dose?
• Take the missed dose as soon as you remember clinical practice lipitor side effects. However, if it is almosttime for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take only your next regularlyscheduled dose clinical practice lipitor side effects. Do not take a double dose of this medication clinical practice lipitor side effects.

What happens if I overdose?
• Seek emergency medical attention clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• The symptoms of an overdose of Lipitor are not known clinical practice lipitor side effects.

What should I avoid while taking Lipitor?
• Alcohol and Lipitor can both damage your liver clinical practice lipitor side effects. Discuss with your doctorthe amount of alcohol that you drink so that it can be determined if Lipitoris the best choice for lowering your cholesterol clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Lipitor clinical practice lipitor side effects. The interactioncould lead to potentially dangerous effects clinical practice lipitor side effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit andgrapefruit juice with your doctor clinical practice lipitor side effects. Do not increase or decrease the amount ofgrapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor clinical practice lipitor side effects.

What are the possible side effects of Lipitor?
• If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop takingLipitor and seek emergency medical attention or call your doctor immediately:
· an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat;swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives);
· muscle aches, pain, or weakness;
· "flu-like" symptoms;
· decreased urine or rust-colored urine;
· blurred vision; or
· yellowing of your skin or eyes clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur clinical practice lipitor side effects. Continueto take Lipitor and talk to your doctor if you experience
· headache;
· upset stomach or flatulence; or
· a rash clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur clinical practice lipitor side effects. Talk to yourdoctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome clinical practice lipitor side effects.

What other drugs will affect Lipitor?
• Do not take Lipitor without first talking to your doctor if you are takingany of the following medicines:
· cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral);
· gemfibrozil (Lopid);
· niacin (Nicolar, Nicobid, Nicotinex, others);
· clarithromycin (Biaxin);
· erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, Ilotycin, Eryc, PCE, Ilosone,others); or
· fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), or ketoconazole (Nizoral) clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• The medications listed above interact with Lipitor and may cause damageyour muscles clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Before taking Lipitor, tell your doctor if you are taking any of thefollowing medicines:
· other cholesterol-lowering drugs such as cholestyramine (Questran)or colestipol (Colestid); or
· digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps) clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• You may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatmentif you are taking any of the medicines listed above clinical practice lipitor side effects.
• Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Lipitor clinical practice lipitor side effects. Talkto your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-countermedicines clinical practice lipitor side effects.

Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has additional information about Lipitor written forhealth professionals that you may read clinical practice lipitor side effects.

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