| The following Information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist or other healthcare professional. It should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. Atorvastatin is a prescription drug in one of the newest classes of cholesterol-lowering medications, called statins. These drugs have been used widely for the last five years. For people with high cholesterol, Atorvastatin, in combination with a low-fat diet, can reduce your LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. How does Atorvastatin work? Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. If you take Atorvastatin with certain other medicines, they may affect one another. Atorvastatin may interact with certain other cholesterol-lowering drugs, some antibiotics, and antifungal medications. It may also interact with less-frequently prescribed medications as immunosuppressives (given after transplants). Be sure to tell your doctor or pharmacist about all prescription and nonprescription drugs you are taking. Your body produces three to four times more cholesterol than you eat. The production of cholesterol increases when you eat little cholesterol and decreases when you eat much. This explains why the ”prudent” diet cannot lower cholesterol more than on average a few per cent. The following Information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist or other healthcare professional. It should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. Atorvastatin is used with diet changes (restriction of cholesterol and fat intake) to reduce the amount of cholesterol and certain fatty substances in your blood. Accumulation of cholesterol and fats along the walls of your arteries (a process known as atherosclerosis) decreases blood flow and, therefore, the Atorvastatin is generally well tolerated and side effects are usually mild. In studies, the most common side effects associated with Atorvastatin were constipation, flatulence, indigestion, and abdominal pain. If you are prescribed Atorvastatin, your healthcare professional may want to conduct routine blood tests to check your liver function before and after starting treatment. Be sure to tell your healthcare professional if you have any allergies to food or medication. Also, report promptly any unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, particularly if accompanied by discomfort or fever, as these symptoms may be signs of serious side effects. Store at room temperature between 59 and 86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Keep this and all medications out of the reach of children. The new cholesterol-lowering drugs, the statins, do prevent cardio-vascular disease, but this is due to other mechanisms than cholesterol-lowering. Unfortunately, they also stimulate cancer in rodents. |