crestor vs lipitor

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 crestor vs lipitor.
• Alcohol and Lipitor can both damage your liver crestor vs lipitor. 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 crestor vs lipitor.
• Do not take Lipitor if you are pregnant, if you are planning a pregnancy,or if you are breast-feeding a baby crestor vs lipitor.
• 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 crestor vs lipitor.

What is Lipitor?
• Lipitor blocks the production of cholesterol (a type of fat) in yourbody crestor vs lipitor.
• 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 crestor vs lipitor. Lipitor is also used to increasethe level of HDL (good) cholesterol in your blood crestor vs lipitor. These actions are importantin reducing the risk of hardening of the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks,stroke, and peripheral vascular disease crestor vs lipitor.
• Lipitor may also be used for purposes other than those listed in thismedication guide crestor vs lipitor.

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

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

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

What happens if I overdose?
• Seek emergency medical attention crestor vs lipitor.
• The symptoms of an overdose of Lipitor are not known crestor vs lipitor.

What should I avoid while taking Lipitor?
• Alcohol and Lipitor can both damage your liver crestor vs lipitor. 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 crestor vs lipitor.
• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Lipitor crestor vs lipitor. The interactioncould lead to potentially dangerous effects crestor vs lipitor. Discuss the use of grapefruit andgrapefruit juice with your doctor crestor vs lipitor. Do not increase or decrease the amount ofgrapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor crestor vs lipitor.

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 crestor vs lipitor.
• Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur crestor vs lipitor. Continueto take Lipitor and talk to your doctor if you experience
· headache;
· upset stomach or flatulence; or
· a rash crestor vs lipitor.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur crestor vs lipitor. Talk to yourdoctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome crestor vs lipitor.

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) crestor vs lipitor.
• The medications listed above interact with Lipitor and may cause damageyour muscles crestor vs lipitor.
• 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) crestor vs lipitor.
• You may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatmentif you are taking any of the medicines listed above crestor vs lipitor.
• Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Lipitor crestor vs lipitor. Talkto your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-countermedicines crestor vs lipitor.

Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has additional information about Lipitor written forhealth professionals that you may read crestor vs lipitor.

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