Colchicine And Atorvastatin | 40Mg Vs 80Mg
Colchicine And Atorvastatin With Diltiazem & Fenofibrate – 80 mg vs 40 mg:- I’m going to explain everything you need to know about Atorvastatin.
Especially, what does atorvastatin do to the body and specific side effects of atorvastatin?
This is especially important if you are about to start the medication or you’re already established on atorvastatin. So let’s get started!
What Is Atorvastatin?
Atorvastatin is a type of medication called an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, also known as “statins”.
The generic name is called atorvastatin, but it is most commonly known by its brand name which is Lipitor.
What Is Atorvastatin Used For?
We all know that we need fats or lipids in our diet as it helps us grow, it allows us to absorb important nutrients and vitamins in our diet and it also gives us energy.
Cholesterol is a type of lipid that is made in the liver from the fatty foods that we eat.
If the cholesterol levels go up in your blood, you won’t necessarily feel ill, but it will cause problems later down the line if it is left untreated.
Too much cholesterol can end up depositing in the arteries of the heart and in the blood vessels of the brain, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
How Does Atorvastatin Work?
Atorvastatin reduces the amount of cholesterol made by your body. It does this by blocking the action of an enzyme HMG-CoA which is needed to make cholesterol.
It is used together with your diet to lower blood levels of bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) or LDL.
This lowers your risk of heart and blood vessel disease. Atorvastatin can also reduce your risk of heart disease if you have an increased risk of it, even if your cholesterol levels are normal.
How do you take Atorvastatin Or Lipitor?
Lipitor comes as a pill or a tablet in different dosages. 10, 20, and 40-milligram tablets.
You can also get a chewable version if you prefer. The amounts that are prescribed will differ depending on your condition and your risk factors.
But usually, they’re prescribed as a long-term medicine. Please follow the instructions from your healthcare provider, as they know you best and will give you the specifics of what you should do.
Usually, you start on atorvastatin taking it once a day, which is normally at night-time.
Although, I recommend that you take it at any time which is easiest for you to remember. You can have it on an empty or a full stomach – it doesn’t make a difference.
Cholesterol levels will start to improve after two weeks of taking atorvastatin usually and this can be measured with a lipid blood test.
Please also remember to minimize the alcohol that you drink on Atorvastatin and to avoid drinking grapefruit juice, as this can cause serious side effects.
Does Atorvastatin Interact With Any Other Medications?
In a minute I’ll dive into the side effects of atorvastatin because these are related to this question.
But, yes. Atorvastatin does interact with quite a few different medication classes and I’d always recommend speaking with your pharmacist, preferably, before starting a new medication.
As they will go through with you the potential interactions that could happen.
Particular classes of meds that you need to be aware of that interact with statins or atorvastatin include Antibiotics, antifungal medications, birth control pills, heart medicines, other cholesterol medicines and drugs that are used to treat HIV and AIDS.
Other serious adverse effects that can happen from taking Atorvastatin, in an interaction, can be causing liver disease or a condition called Rhabdomyolysis.
This is a serious medical condition where the muscles in the body start breaking down rapidly and you need to be seen in hospital.
This is very rare, but the bottom line is that you should always check first before starting a new medication in case of a drug interaction.
Is There Anyone Who Should Not Take Atorvastatin?
Atorvastatin is taken by millions of people all across the world but there are still some groups of people that should not take this medication.
These people are: if you’re previously allergic to other statin medicines if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
This is because it can cause birth defects and also if you have severe liver disease, it is not recommended.
The other groups of people, and again I’ll talk about this in a minute, but if you suffer from chronic muscle aches and pains I wouldn’t recommend starting a statin, because it may make things worse.
Also, people who have an underactive thyroid, if you have kidney problems or if you regularly drink large amounts of alcohol.
You can potentially go onto a statin, but or atorvastatin, but I would talk about it with your doctor first and see if there’s another alternative.
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What Are The Common Side Effects Of Atorvastatin (Lipitor)?
There are six side effects that you should know, that can potentially happen with taking atorvastatin. These happen in less than one out of ten people and they are:-
Muscle aches and pains. Although this may not be anything to be concerned about, you should tell your doctor about it.
This is because there is a rare but serious side effect of atorvastatin, which is a severe form of muscle inflammation called rhabdomyolysis.
Headache. Drink plenty of water and ask your pharmacist to recommend a suitable painkiller. If the headaches continue, let your doctor know.
Constipation. Try to eat a well-balanced diet and drink plenty of water each day.
Feeling sick, indigestion, or flatulence. Stick to simple meals, avoid rich or spicy food.
Diarrhea. Drink plenty of water to replace any lost fluids.
Nosebleeds cold-like symptoms or sneezing. Speak with your doctor if any of these become troublesome.
What Are The Serious Side Effects Of (Lipitor) Atorvastatin?
If you develop any muscle aches or cramps particularly in your legs, that is severe.
You also feel unwell with associated fever, please see your doctor straight away.
Also if you develop an unexplained cough or shortness of breath after starting Atorvastatin – stop the medicine and see your doctor.
Rarely, atorvastatin can cause a condition called interstitial lung disease.
Also if you develop any signs of allergies, so swelling around your mouth and neck and face, with an associated rash – please see your doctor straight away.
Are My Muscle Aches Being Caused By Atorvastatin (Lipitor)?
So the quickest way to answer this question is to stop the medication and to see what happens.
If it is caused by atorvastatin, you’ll know almost immediately, because the muscle aches will go away.
And when you restart the medication, they’ll restart back up again. The patients that I’ve seen that are intolerant to statins have a particular pattern that they present with.
Usually, they get very, very severe pain in the big muscle groups. So in their legs and their back and their shoulders and they feel extremely tired with the medication.
As soon as you stop it goes away. Thankfully, there are a whole host of new medications that are coming out.
And the drug companies are competing left, right, and center to get them out to market on time.
This new class of drugs that don’t seem to cause the same level of muscle aches are called PCSK9 inhibitors.
So I think if you are suffering from these conditions or you’re thinking about something else and you’ve got high cholesterol, I’d talk to your doctor about potentially trying a pcsk9 inhibitor to see if that works for you.
Can Statins Cause Memory Loss? Especially In The Elderly Population?
The short answer to this question is no. There have been some very large studies looking at this question and found absolutely no association in all of them.
If anything statins showed an improvement. They were protective against developing conditions like dementia.
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