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

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

Who should not take Lipitor?
• Do not take Lipitor without first talking to your doctor if you haveliver disease damage from 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 damage from 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 damage from lipitor.
• Lipitor is in the FDA pregnancy category X damage from lipitor. This means that Lipitor willcause birth defects if it is taken during pregnancy damage from lipitor. Cholesterol is very importantfor the proper development of a baby damage from lipitor. Do not take Lipitor if you are pregnantor are planning a pregnancy damage from lipitor.
• It is not known whether Lipitor passes into breast milk damage from lipitor. Do not takethis medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feedinga baby damage from lipitor.

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

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

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

What should I avoid while taking Lipitor?
• Alcohol and Lipitor can both damage your liver damage from 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 damage from lipitor.
• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Lipitor damage from lipitor. The interactioncould lead to potentially dangerous effects damage from lipitor. Discuss the use of grapefruit andgrapefruit juice with your doctor damage from lipitor. Do not increase or decrease the amount ofgrapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor damage from 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 damage from lipitor.
• Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur damage from lipitor. Continueto take Lipitor and talk to your doctor if you experience
· headache;
· upset stomach or flatulence; or
· a rash damage from lipitor.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur damage from lipitor. Talk to yourdoctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome damage from 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) damage from lipitor.
• The medications listed above interact with Lipitor and may cause damageyour muscles damage from 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) damage from lipitor.
• You may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatmentif you are taking any of the medicines listed above damage from lipitor.
• Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Lipitor damage from lipitor. Talkto your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-countermedicines damage from lipitor.

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

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