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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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