lipitor 80 mg side effect

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 lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Alcohol and Lipitor can both damage your liver lipitor 80 mg side effect. 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 lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Do not take Lipitor if you are pregnant, if you are planning a pregnancy,or if you are breast-feeding a baby lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• 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 lipitor 80 mg side effect.

What is Lipitor?
• Lipitor blocks the production of cholesterol (a type of fat) in yourbody lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• 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 lipitor 80 mg side effect. Lipitor is also used to increasethe level of HDL (good) cholesterol in your blood lipitor 80 mg side effect. These actions are importantin reducing the risk of hardening of the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks,stroke, and peripheral vascular disease lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Lipitor may also be used for purposes other than those listed in thismedication guide lipitor 80 mg side effect.

Who should not take Lipitor?
• Do not take Lipitor without first talking to your doctor if you haveliver disease lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Before taking Lipitor, tell your doctor if you
· drink alcoholic beverages,
· have a chronic muscular disease,
· require major surgery, or
· have a blood disorder lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• 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 lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Lipitor is in the FDA pregnancy category X lipitor 80 mg side effect. This means that Lipitor willcause birth defects if it is taken during pregnancy lipitor 80 mg side effect. Cholesterol is very importantfor the proper development of a baby lipitor 80 mg side effect. Do not take Lipitor if you are pregnantor are planning a pregnancy lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• It is not known whether Lipitor passes into breast milk lipitor 80 mg side effect. Do not takethis medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feedinga baby lipitor 80 mg side effect.

How should I take Lipitor?
• Take Lipitor exactly as directed by your doctor lipitor 80 mg side effect. If you do not understandthese directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Take each dose with a full glass of water lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Lipitor can be taken with or without food lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Lipitor is usually taken once a day lipitor 80 mg side effect. Try to take your dose at the sametime each day lipitor 80 mg side effect. Follow your doctor's instructions lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• 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 lipitor 80 mg side effect. Depending on the results of these tests, your doctor can determinehow much monitoring you will require lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Lipitor lipitor 80 mg side effect. The interactioncould lead to potentially dangerous effects lipitor 80 mg side effect. Discuss the use of grapefruit andgrapefruit juice with your doctor lipitor 80 mg side effect. Do not increase or decrease the amount ofgrapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet lipitor 80 mg side effect. To realize beneficial effects fromLipitor, avoid fatty, high-cholesterol foods lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Do not stop taking Lipitor without first talking to your doctor lipitor 80 mg side effect. It maybe weeks or months before beneficial effects are seen from this medication lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Store Lipitor at room temperature away from moisture and heat lipitor 80 mg side effect.

What happens if I miss a dose?
• Take the missed dose as soon as you remember lipitor 80 mg side effect. However, if it is almosttime for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take only your next regularlyscheduled dose lipitor 80 mg side effect. Do not take a double dose of this medication lipitor 80 mg side effect.

What happens if I overdose?
• Seek emergency medical attention lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• The symptoms of an overdose of Lipitor are not known lipitor 80 mg side effect.

What should I avoid while taking Lipitor?
• Alcohol and Lipitor can both damage your liver lipitor 80 mg side effect. 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 lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Lipitor lipitor 80 mg side effect. The interactioncould lead to potentially dangerous effects lipitor 80 mg side effect. Discuss the use of grapefruit andgrapefruit juice with your doctor lipitor 80 mg side effect. Do not increase or decrease the amount ofgrapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor lipitor 80 mg side effect.

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 lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur lipitor 80 mg side effect. Continueto take Lipitor and talk to your doctor if you experience
· headache;
· upset stomach or flatulence; or
· a rash lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur lipitor 80 mg side effect. Talk to yourdoctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome lipitor 80 mg side effect.

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) lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• The medications listed above interact with Lipitor and may cause damageyour muscles lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• 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) lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• You may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatmentif you are taking any of the medicines listed above lipitor 80 mg side effect.
• Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Lipitor lipitor 80 mg side effect. Talkto your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-countermedicines lipitor 80 mg side effect.

Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has additional information about Lipitor written forhealth professionals that you may read lipitor 80 mg side effect.

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