Lipitor is indicated for the treatment of patients with high cholesterol. Lipitor is dosed in tablets of 10, 20, 40 and 80 milligrams. It belongs to a group of drugs called HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, which are called "statins."
Patients diagnosed with hyperlipidemia or high cholesterol should not take lipitor if the patient is pregnant or trying to become pregnant, or if the patient is breastfeeding. Atorvastatin is the main active ingredient in Lipitor, and if a person is allergic to the drug, he should not consume Lipitor. Lipitor can cause liver disease, and therefore, if the patient has a history of liver disease, than, of course, medication should be avoided.
The most common side effects of the drug are constipation, gas, bloating and diarrhea, rash, heartburn and vomiting. It is known that statins have side effects, mainly on the digestive system.
Serious side effects such as liver disease have been reported in patients who have taken Lipitor for a long period of time. A significant number of patients experienced severe liver disease, which decreased liver function, which was harmful to the patient. It has been shown that liver function increases after the drug has been stopped, although tests are inconclusive, indicating that the liver returns to normal function. In any patient taking Lipitor, regular monitoring is important through laboratory tests of liver function.
Signs of liver disease that patients should monitor; fever, severe skin rash, including pain, bloating or peeling. Yellow skin, discolored urine or stools, or even difficulty breathing and abdominal pain can mean severe liver damage.
Signs of a serious muscular disease should also be observed, while taking medication — muscle tenderness, weakness or discoloration, or blood in the urine.
Many substances and drugs can interact with the drug, including; grapefruit juice, niacin, antacids, birth control pills, fibrads and macrolide antibiotics and digoxin. Some supplements may also interact with medications that cause serious side effects, including; caffeine and nicotine.
Lipitor can cause serious side effects in the muscles of the body, and grapefruit juice can seriously interact with these side effects, increasing the chances of developing serious muscle problems. Enzymes in grapefruit or grapefruit juice, which destroy the lipitor, increase the effectiveness of drugs and the chances of side effects. One study showed that grapefruit / lipitor interaction increased the effectiveness of the drug up to eighty percent in patients who consumed grapefruit juice, compared with those who did not. These increased levels increased the incidence of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis, which can lead to renal failure in patients taking Lipitor.
Older people taking medications and those who are over seventy years old must be especially careful when taking the medicine as the side effects become more pronounced.
There are many things you can do to prevent or reduce high cholesterol without using statins (which have been proven dangerous and come with many side effects). Diet and exercise, as well as the introduction of the right vitamins and nutrients in the diet can have a great effect on lowering cholesterol.
