What is the downside of atorvastatin?

Worsening liver problems and liver failure
Though rare, atorvastatin (Lipitor) can cause serious liver problems that can lead to liver failure. You'll need to get blood tests to check your liver health before and during treatment to make sure their liver is working properly.


What is the most serious side effect of atorvastatin?

Serious side effects

you get unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, weakness or cramps – these can be signs of muscle breakdown and kidney damage.

Can atorvastatin be harmful?

There are many risks associated with taking atorvastatin, so the drug is not as commonly prescribed as it once was. Memory loss, liver damage, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease are all serious side effects associated with atorvastatin.


What should I avoid when taking atorvastatin?

Cautions with other medicines
  • antibiotics such as erythromycin, clarithromycin, rifampicin or fusidic acid.
  • antifungals such as ketoconazole, voriconazole or fluconazole.
  • some HIV medicines.
  • some hepatitis C medicines.
  • warfarin, a medicine to help prevent blood clots.


What damage can atorvastatin cause?

summarized several forms of side effects attributed to the use of atorvastatin, including hepatocellular injury, cholestatic injury, mixed pattern of atorvastatin-associated hepatocellular and cholestatic injury, autoimmune-type reaction and fulminant liver failure [2].


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



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.

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.

Is it better to take atorvastatin at night or morning?

You can choose to take it at any time, as long as you stick to the same time every day. This prevents your blood levels from becoming too high or too low. Sometimes doctors may recommend taking it in the evening. This is because your body makes most cholesterol at night.


Can you stop taking atorvastatin once you start?

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.

Can I take vitamin D with atorvastatin?

Interactions between your drugs

No interactions were found between atorvastatin and Vitamin D3.

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.


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.

What can I take instead of statins to lower cholesterol?

7 cholesterol-lowering alternatives to statins
  • Fibrates. Mostly used for lowering triglyceride levels in patients whose levels are very high and could cause pancreatitis. ...
  • Plant stanols and sterols. ...
  • Cholestyramine and other bile acid-binding resins. ...
  • Niacin. ...
  • Policosanol. ...
  • Red yeast rice extract (RYRE) ...
  • Natural products.


What is the best statin with the least side effects?

According to a research review people who take simvastatin (Zocor) or pravastatin (Pravachol) may experience fewer side effects.


Does atorvastatin cause memory loss?

A 2021 study looked at data of more than 18,000 adults over 65 years old who were taking statins: Main finding: There was no significant link between statins and dementia — or statins and any cognitive impairment.

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 happens if you take atorvastatin every other day?

Atorvastatin every other day significantly reduced total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and LDL-c versus baseline. The TC, TG, and LDL-c levels were lower by 23 per cent, 8 per cent, and 30 per cent. Increase in HDL-c level was not statistically significant.


Why do people not want to take statins?

Fear of side effects and perceived side effects are the most common reasons for declining or discontinuing statin therapy. Willingness to take a statin is high, among both patients who have declined statin therapy and those who have never been offered one.

What should a 70 year old cholesterol be?

After having their cholesterol tested, seniors should be given a number between 190 and 260. Healthy seniors should keep their total cholesterol below 200 and their LDL cholesterol around 100. If your elderly loved one's LDL cholesterol level is above 160, he or she must start making sweeping lifestyle changes.

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).


Why is atorvastatin supposed to 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.

Why should atorvastatin be taken at night?

This is because the cholesterol-making enzyme 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 statins increase belly fat?

People who did take statins consumed more calories and fat over time, and gained more weight. The study also showed that statin users had a faster increase in body mass index (BMI) than those who didn't use statins.


Does atorvastatin give you energy?

In recent years, researchers discovered that people taking statins reported increased levels of general fatigue and tiredness, especially after exertion. A study from the University of California San Diego found that people taking statins experienced lower levels of energy than people who took a placebo.

Does atorvastatin lower blood pressure?

BP-lowering effects of atorvastatin were consistent in both daytime and nighttime periods. This study shows a mild, but consistent throughout the 24-h period BP-lowering effect of atorvastatin in patients with mild hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia.