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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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