Lipitor

atorvastatin

The active ingredient of Lipitor is atorvastatin. Lipitor functions by reducing the cholesterol production in the liver.

There are two types of cholesterol namely LDL and HDL. LDL is deposited in the arteries and blood vessels and increases the risk of heart disease by blocking the arteries. The condition is termed as atherosclerosis and the HDL cholesterol; protects the arteries against atherosclerosis. Lipitor decreases the production of LDL cholesterol by blocking the action of the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase in the liver. A lower amount of cholesterol in the liver causes the absorption of LDL cholesterol from the blood, thus reducing the total amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood.

As cholesterol is produced mainly during the night times, Lipitor is active mainly during the night hours.

Lipitor is used for lowering blood cholesterol and bad fats level in the blood, which can be the result of diet, life style, etc. Therefore the main use of Lipitor is to prevent artery hardening and coronary heart disease with type 2 diabetes irrespective of the cholesterol levels in the blood.

Lipitor also reduces the risk of needful procedures like artery balloon dilation, heart bypass graft, and also prevents heart attacks, stroke, death, etc.

During the administration of this drug:

• You should follow low cholesterol diet
• You should not consume excess alcohol
• Avoid grape fruit juice, as it can affect the metabolism of Lipitor making the drug excessively available in the blood

Lipitor rarely causes liver problem, however, it is wise monitoring your liver function during the administration of Lipitor. Contact doctor if you experience

• Itching
• Pigmentation of skin
• Whites of the eyes
• Unusually dark urine
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Loss of appetite
• Flu-like symptoms

Also inform doctor if you experience muscular symptoms like

• Pain
• Tenderness
• Cramps
• Weakness accompanied by a fever
• Feeling generally unwell

It is wise to check muscular side effects of Lipitor by taking blood test to determine the amount of creatininie kinase in the blood and the test should be done after complexly relaxing your muscles.

In some cases, the drug affects the type of lung diseases, hence, be cautious if you experience

• Shortness of breath
• Trouble breathing
• Non-productive cough
• Deterioration of general health leading to weight loss, fever, fatigue

Lipitor should be used cautiously in patients over 70 years as it causes

• Decreased kidney function
• Decreased liver function.

Lipitor also should not be used among people who

• Have a history of liver disease
• Drinks large amounts of alcohol
• Hypothyroidism
• Personal or family history of hereditary muscle disorders
• History of muscular side effects during previous treatment with a statin or fibrate medicine
• Had a stroke caused by bleeding in the brain or hemorrhagic stroke
• Suffer from active liver disease
• Unexplained raised results in liver function tests
• As the drug contains lactose, it is not suitable for people who suffer from galactose intolerance, lapp deficiency disorder, glucose-galactose malabsorbtion
• The drug should also be not used in individual who are allergic to one or more ingredients of the drug
• The drug also should not be used in pregnant mothers and breast feeding mothers.
• The drug passage into the breast milk is not known, however, it is wise to consult the doctor before drug administration

Some of the side effects of Lipitor include

• Headache
• Insomnia
• Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain
• Flatulence
• Muscle pain
• Feeling of weakness
• Dizziness
• Chest pain (angina)
• Decreased sensitivity to touch or pain, pins and needles sensations
• Back pain, joint pain
• Hair loss (alopecia)
• Loss of appetite
• Muscle cramps
• Skin reactions such as rashes and itching
• Decrease in the number of blood cells called platelets in the blood (thrombocytopenia)
• Increase in body weight
• Loss of Memory
• Depression
• Sexual problems
• Liver dysfunction
• Muscle disorders
• Changes in blood sugar levels

Lipitor interacts with the following drugs and increases the efficacy of the drug side effects. Lipitor interacts with

• Amiodarone
• Amlodipine
• Azole antifungal like itraconazole, ketoconazole, and posaconazole (if used with itraconazole the maximum daily dose of atorvastatin should not exceed 40mg)
• Cyclosporine (if used with cyclosporine the maximum daily dose of atorvastatin should not exceed 10mg)
• Clarithromycin (if used with Clarithromycin the maximum daily dose of atorvastatin should not exceed 20mg)
• Daptomycin
• Diltiazem
• Erythromycin
• Ezetimibe
• Fibrates for lowering cholesterol like bezafibrate, gemfibrozil
• Fusidic acid
• Niacin like nicotinic acid
• Protease inhibitors for HIV infection like nelfinavir, ritonavir
• Telithromycin
• Verapamil
• Warfarin
• Digoxin
• Ethinylestradiol
• Norethisterone

The following drugs reduce the amount of atorvastatin in the blood making the drug less effective. These drugs include

• Efavirenz
• Rifampicin
• Herbal remedy St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum).