What is Lipitor?
Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) is a prescription only medicine that is used along with a low-fat diet. It lowers the LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. It can raise your HDL ("good") cholesterol as well. Lipitor can lower the risk for heart attack, stroke, certain types of heart surgery, and chest pain in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease such as age, smoking, high blood pressure, low HDL, or family history of early heart disease.
Lipitor can lower the risk for heart attack or stroke in patients with diabetes and risk factors such as diabetic eye or kidney problems, smoking, or high blood pressure.
How does it work?
Before taking any medicine, it's good to know how it works. Lipitor is a statin. Statins lower cholesterol in the body by blocking anenzyme in the liver. The body uses this enzyme to make cholesterol. When less cholesterol is made, the liver uses more of it from the blood. This results in lower levels of cholesterol in the blood.
Along with diet and exercise, Lipitor is clinically proven to lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol by 39%-60% (average effect depending on dose).
How Should I Take Lipitor?
Take Lipitor exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not change your dose or stop Lipitor without talking to your doctor.
Your doctor may do blood tests to check your cholesterol levels during your treatment with Lipitor. Your dose of Lipitor may be changed based on these blood test results.
Take Lipitor each day at any time of day at about the same time each day. Lipitor can be taken with or without food.
Don't break Lipitor tablets before taking.
Your doctor should start you on a low-fat diet before giving you Lipitor. Stay on this low-fat diet when you take Lipitor.
If you miss a dose of Lipitor, take it as soon as you remember. Do not take Lipitor if it has been more than 12 hours since you missed your last dose. Wait and take the next dose at your regular time. Do not take 2 doses of Lipitor at the same time.
If you take too much Lipitor or overdose, call your doctor or Poison Control Centre right away. Or go to the nearest emergency room.
How can I buy Lipitor online
You can buy Lipitor online with or without a prescription at Medical Specialists, after completing a simple online consultation. If you prefer to order Lipitor UK over the phone, just give us a call and we will be pleased to help. We are the UK’s leading supplier of cholesterol lowering medication, and Cialis for sale in the UK by a pharmacy is regulated by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.
For full patient information, please read or print out the leaflet provided at the bottom of this page about Lipitor.
This patient information leaflet is provided for information purposes only. This leaflet information should not be used in contradiction with your Doctor or Pharmacist's advice. Medical Specialists recommend that you carefully read the information leaflet provided with your medication. Medical Specialists will not accept liability for information displayed. Please refer to the leaflet provided with your medication for the latest manufacturer's information.
What Are the Possible Side Effects of Lipitor?
Lipitor can cause serious side effects. These side effects have happened only to a small number of people. Your doctor can monitor you for them. These side effects usually go away if your dose is lowered or Lipitor is stopped.
These serious side effects include:
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Muscle problems. Lipitor can cause serious muscle problems that can lead to kidney problems, including kidney failure. You have a higher chance for muscle problems if you are taking certain other medicines with Lipitor.
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Liver problems. Lipitor can cause liver problems. Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before you start taking Lipitor, and while you take it.
Call your doctor right away if:
- You have muscle problems like weakness, tenderness, or pain that happen without a good reason, especially if you also have a fever or feel more tired than usual
- You have allergic reactions including swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and/or throat that may cause difficulty in breathing or swallowing, which may require treatment right away
- You experience nausea and vomiting
- You pass brown or dark-colored urine
- You feel more tired than usual
- Your skin and whites of your eyes get yellow
- You have stomach pain
- You have an allergic skin reaction
In clinical studies, patients reported the following common side effects while taking Lipitor:
- Diarrhea
- Upset stomach
- Muscle and joint pain
- Alterations in some laboratory tests
The following additional side effects have been reported with Lipitor:
- Tiredness
- Tendon problems
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have side effects that bother you or that will not go away. These are not all the side effects of Lipitor. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a complete list.
Before You Start Lipitor
Tell your doctor if you:
- Have muscle aches or weakness
- Drink more than 2 glasses of alcohol daily
- Have diabetes
- Have a thyroid problem
- Have kidney problems
Some medicines should not be taken with Lipitor. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including:
- Prescription and non-prescription medicines
- Vitamins
- Herbal supplements
Lipitor and certain other medicines can interact causing serious side effects. Tell your doctor if you are taking any medicines, especially those for:
- Your immune system
- Cholesterol
- Infections
- Birth control
- Heart failure
- HIV or AIDS
Know all the medicines you take. Keep a list of them with you to show your doctor and pharmacist.