What should you not take with atorvastatin?
Medicines that may not mix well with atorvastatin include:
- some antibiotics and antifungals.
- some HIV medicines.
- some hepatitis C medicines.
- warfarin (stops blood clotting)
- ciclosporin (treats psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis)
- colchicine (a medicine for gout)
- contraceptive pills.
What is atorvastatin used for?
Lowering your blood level of cholesterol and fats with atorvastatin has been shown to prevent heart disease, angina (chest pain), strokes, and heart attacks.
Why do statins have to be taken at night?
They act by inhibiting the enzyme HMG CoA reductase, which controls synthesis of cholesterol in the liver. Most manufacturers of statins recommend that they are taken at night, on the basis of physiological studies which show that most cholesterol is synthesised when dietary intake is at its lowest.
What should you assess before giving atorvastatin?
Evaluate serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels before initiating, after 2–4 wk of therapy, and periodically thereafter.
- Monitor liver function tests prior to initiation of therapy and as clinically indicated.
- If patient develops muscle tenderness during therapy, CPK levels should be monitored.
Why you should never take statins?
Very rarely, statins can cause life-threatening muscle damage called rhabdomyolysis (rab-doe-my-OL-ih-sis). Rhabdomyolysis can cause severe muscle pain, liver damage, kidney failure and death. The risk of very serious side effects is extremely low, and calculated in a few cases per million people taking statins.
Can you eat oranges while taking atorvastatin?
Be mindful that other citrus fruits might also interact with lovastatin, atorvastatin, and simvastatin. The list includes tangelos, pomelos, bitter oranges, and Seville oranges. These foods can also affect how your body metabolizes the medication.
Do statins clear the arteries of plaque?
A: Yes. There have been several clinical studies — many of them done here at Cleveland Clinic — that show statins can reverse plaque buildup. Two statins in particular, atorvastatin, which is sold under the brand name Lipitor, and rosuvastatin, which is sold under the brand name Crestor, are the strongest statins.
Do statins make you age faster?
So, while these findings are interesting and potentially important, there’s quite a large leap from these studies of minced fat cells to the conclusion that being treated with statins will lead a person to age prematurely.
How much will 10 mg of atorvastatin lower cholesterol?
Doses of 20 mg/d lovastatin or pravastatin or 10 mg/d simvastatin generally reduce plasma LDL cholesterol levels by about 20% to 30%. Higher doses of these drugs can reduce LDL cholesterol levels by as much as 40%.
Why are statins so bad?
Their review found statins decrease energy and fitness, and increase fatigue and sleep problems. They also found that statins may increase the risk of muscle aches and pains, kidney and liver problems, bleeding in the brain, and type 2 diabetes.
Is 40 mg of atorvastatin too much?
Conclusions: Atorvastatin in daily dose of 40 mg is a safe and well tolerable medication for the treatment for dyslipidemic disorders in patients of different clinic profile and cardiovascular risk groups in common medical practice.