Atorvastatin
Atorvastatin, sold by the brand name Lipitor is a statin drug.
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| ECHA InfoCard | 100.125.464 |
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Use in pregnancy category is: UK and US unsafe[1] or contravened[2], AU: D.
It is used for preventing cardiovascular disease and treating abnormal lipid levels[3][1] (to lower cholesterol). In addition heart disease, it is also given to prevent strokes[1]. It may also be prescribed for people with a family history of heart disease, or a long-term health condition such as type 1 or type 2 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis[1].
The medication is available as a generic drug.[4][5] In 2021, it was the most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 116 million prescriptions filled for over 28 million patients[6]. Atorvastatin was first synthesized in 1985 by Dr. Bruce Roth and approved by the FDA in 1996[7]. Patented by Pfizer.
It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines[8].
It does have interactions with grapefruit[1][9] which increases the risk of side effects. This happens when the patient doesn't try to drink less than 1 liter of grapefruit juice per day.
Side effects[change | change source]
- nausea or indigestion
- constipation or flatulence
- diarrhea
- muscle pains and joint pain
- headache
Is the beginning of the list. People often feel well after taking it, but this doesn't mean they should stop. These common side effects happen in more than 1 in 100 people[1]. They can also cause sore throat, runny or blocked nose, and sneezing this often in people, or nosebleeds[1].
Severe breathing or swallowing problems are an emergency[1] and could be signs of an allergic reaction: 'seek medical attention right away'. Reaction to these other symptoms: 'see a doctor or phone an ambulance right away'.
Severe side effects:[1]
- unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, weakness or cramps. These can be signs of muscle breakdown and kidney damage
- skin turns yellow, or whites of the eyes turn yellow (jaundice), which may be less obvious on brown or black skin. pale poo and dark pee. These things can be signs of liver problems
- skin rash with pink or red blotches, especially on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet – this could be a sign of erythema multiforme
- severe stomach pain – this can be a sign of acute pancreatitis
- a cough, feel short of breath, and are losing weight. This can be a sign of lung disease
- weakness in the arms or legs that gets worse after activity. double vision, drooping eyelids, problems swallowing or shortness of breath. These can be a sign of mysathenia gravis
Related pages[change | change source]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "About atorvastatin". nhs.uk. 2022-03-16. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
- ↑ "Re: Statins and The BMJ (Statin use in pregnancy)". BMJ. 349. 07 August 2014.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ↑ "Atorvastatin". Drugs.com. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- ↑ Top 100 Drugs. Elsevier Health Services. 30 March 2014. ISBN 9780702055157. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- ↑ Hitchings, Andrew; Lonsdale, Dagan; Burrage, Daniel; Baker, Emma (2014-03-30). The Top 100 Drugs e-book: Clinical Pharmacology and Practical Prescribing. Elsevier Health Sciences. ISBN 978-0-7020-5515-7.
- ↑ "The Top 300 of 2021". clincalc.com. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
- ↑ PubChem. "Atorvastatin". pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
- ↑ Organization, World Health (2021). "World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 22nd list (2021)". WHO.
- ↑ Commissioner, Office of the (Wed, 07/14/2021 - 15:40). "Grapefruit Juice and Some Drugs Don't Mix". FDA.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
