lipitor and muscle soreness

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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