lipitor indications

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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