What are the dangers of atorvastatin?

What does atorvastatin do to the body?

Atorvastatin is used together with a proper diet to lower cholesterol and triglyceride (fats) levels in the blood. This medicine may help prevent medical problems (eg, chest pain, heart attack, or stroke) that are caused by fats clogging the blood vessels.

Who should not take atorvastatin?

Is long term use of atorvastatin harmful?

Long-term exposure (≥ 5 years) to statins was associated with a statistically significant increase in the risk of new onset type 2 diabetes in all statin subtypes explored, with the highest magnitude for simvastatin (HR = 1.916, 95% CI 1.647–2.228) followed by atorvastatin (HR = 1.830, 95% CI 1.487–2.252).

How long can you stay on atorvastatin?

The benefit of high-dose atorvastatin has been sustained for at least 5 years. Conclusion: After an ACS, high-dose atorvastatin should be continued for at least 5 years. High-dose atorvastatin demonstrated a reduction in coronary events but dose reductions and higher discontinuation rates were also noted.

Statin Side Effects | Atorvastatin, Rosuvastatin, Simvastatin Side Effects & Why They Occur

Can you ever get off atorvastatin?

If you're taking a statin medication to lower your cholesterol, you will need to keep taking your prescription, or your cholesterol will likely go back up. Stopping your statin can put you at risk of having heart disease and other preventable health problems like stroke and heart attack from high cholesterol.

Do I need to take atorvastatin for life?

Check with your doctor whether there's a particular time of day you should take your statin. You usually have to continue taking statins for life because if you stop taking them, your cholesterol will return to a high level.

Is 20 mg of atorvastatin a lot?

Adults—At first, 10 or 20 milligrams (mg) once a day. Some patients may need to start at 40 mg per day. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 80 mg per day.

What should I avoid when taking atorvastatin?

What can I take instead of statins to lower cholesterol?

What should I watch for atorvastatin?

Call your doctor right away if you have dark-colored urine, fever, muscle cramps or spasms, muscle pain or stiffness, or unusual tiredness or weakness. These could be symptoms of a serious muscle problem called rhabdomyolysis, which can cause kidney problems.

Why would a doctor stop atorvastatin?

Dr. Carimi says muscle-related complications are the most common side effect from taking statins. “The most common reason people stop taking statins is because of side effects, like muscle aches, but many have muscle pains from other causes and stop taking the medication in error,” Dr. Carimi says.

Why should atorvastatin be taken at night?

Many statins work more effectively when they are taken at night. This is because the enzyme which makes the cholesterol is more active at night. Also, the half-life, or the amount of time it takes for half the dose to leave your body, of some statins is short.

Do you gain weight with atorvastatin?

No, weight gain and hair loss are not side effects of Lipitor. But there may be a link between taking statin medications such as Lipitor and an increase in appetite. An older study showed that people taking statins consumed more calories and fat than people not taking such drugs.

Can atorvastatin affect your heart?

Atorvastatin therapy increases heart rate variability, decreases QT variability, and shortens QTc interval duration in patients with advanced chronic heart failure.

Does atorvastatin affect sleep?

The current evidence, from well-run research trials of more than 100,000 patients, is that statins do not cause insomnia or any other sleep disturbance, compared with a dummy pill (placebo).

Is it better to take atorvastatin at night or morning?

Most cholesterol is created at night, when the body is closer to a fasting state. Because atorvastatin is prescribed to block the production of excess cholesterol, it's often recommended to be taken at night - though it will generally work if you take it during the day, too.

What foods should not be eaten while taking a statin?

Grapefruit juice is the only food or drink that has a direct interaction with statins. Statins do not directly interact with any food but people taking statins should moderate their intake of saturated fats to help lower their LDL cholesterol and overall risk of cardiovascular disease.

Does coffee affect atorvastatin?

Your morning coffee may make Lipitor less effective

A 2008 study on rats suggests caffeinated coffee may reduce one of the cardioprotective benefits of atorvastatin. That's because caffeine is a nonspecific adenosine receptor blocker. Adenosine receptor activation is essential for Lipitor to work.

What are the most common side effects of atorvastatin 20 mg?

How quickly will atorvastatin lower cholesterol?

Atorvastatin has a rapid onset of action; approximately 90% of the LDL cholesterol reduction from baseline occurred within the first 2 weeks of treatment (Figure).

Can I take atorvastatin every other day?

Alternate-day treatment with atorvastatin is comparable in efficacy and safety to the established daily treatment regimen, thus being a cost effective alternative.

How can I safely come off statins?

Is it better to take statins or not?

If your risk is very low, you probably won't need a statin, unless your LDL is above 190 mg/dL (4.92 mmol/L). If your risk is very high — for example, you've had a heart attack in the past — a statin may be helpful even if you don't have high cholesterol.

What happens if a person stops taking statins?

If you quit cold turkey, your body can go into shock. It is not recommended that you stop statins suddenly if you have a history of heart attack or stroke, as it can put you at a higher risk of recurrent heart attack. You should speak with your doctor before stopping the medicine under any circumstance.