lipitor negative side effects

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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