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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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