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

What is Lipitor?
• Lipitor blocks the production of cholesterol (a type of fat) in yourbody garlique 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 garlique vs lipitor. Lipitor is also used to increasethe level of HDL (good) cholesterol in your blood garlique 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 garlique vs lipitor.
• Lipitor may also be used for purposes other than those listed in thismedication guide garlique vs lipitor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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