Lipitor

Generic Name: Atorvastatin
Brand Name: Lipitor

Indications

Lipitor is indicated for

• High blood cholesterol levels (primary hypercholesterolaemia).
• Inherited high blood cholesterol levels (familial hypercholesterolaemia).
• High levels of any or all of the fats in the blood, such as cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoproteins (mixed hyperlipidaemia).
• Reducing the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, strokes or needing heart bypass surgery, in people with type 2 diabetes who have at least one other risk factor for heart disease (for example smoking, high blood pressure, diabetic eye disease or diabetic kidney disease). The medicine can be used for this purpose in people who don't currently have evidence of coronary heart disease, irrespective of what their cholesterol levels are.

Dosage and Administration

Lipitor tablets for oral administration contain 10, 20, 40 or 80 mg

Normal dosage: The patient should be placed on a standard cholesterol-lowering diet before receiving Lipitor and should continue on this diet during treatment with Lipitor.

Overdose: symptoms of an overdose are not known

Drug Description

Lipitor is a synthetic lipid-lowering agent. Atorvastatin is an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. This enzyme catalyzes the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate, an early and rate-limiting step in cholesterol biosynthesis.
Atorvastatin calcium is [R-(R*, R*)]-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-β, δ -dihydroxy-5- (1-methylethyl)-3-phenyl-4-[(phenylamino) carbonyl]-1H-pyrrole-1-heptanoic acid, calcium salt (2:1) trihydrate. The empirical formula of atorvastatin calcium is (C33H34 FN2O5)2Ca•3H2O and its molecular weight is 1209.42. Its structural formula is:

Side Effects

The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

• Headache.
• Difficulty in sleeping (insomnia).
• Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain.
• Excess gas in the stomach and intestines (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 rash and itch.
• Decrease in the number of blood cells called platelets in the blood (thrombocytopenia).
• Weight gain.
• Memory loss.
• Depression.
• Sexual problems.
• Liver disorders.
• Muscle disorders.
• Changes in blood sugar levels.

Precautions

• Avoid eating food that is high in fat or cholesterol. Lipitor will not be as effective in lowering your cholesterol if you do not follow a cholesterol-lowering diet plan.
• Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Lipitor. Alcohol can raise triglyceride levels, and may also damage your liver while you are taking Lipitor.
• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with Lipitor and lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit products with your doctor. Do not increase or decrease the amount of grapefruit products in your diet without first talking to your doctor.

Drug Interactions

Do not take atorvastatin without first talking to your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:

• cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral)
• gemfibrozil (Lopid), clofibrate (Atromid-S), or fenofibrate (Tricor)
• niacin (Nicolar, Nicobid, Slo-Niacin, others)
• erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, others) or clarithromycin (Biaxin)
• cholestyramine (Questran) or colestipol (Colestid)
• hormonal birth control (pills, patches, or implants)
• an antifungal medication such as itraconazole (Sporanox), fluconazole (Diflucan), or ketoconazole (Nizoral)

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