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Atorvastatin medications belong to the family of drugs known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors or ‘statins’.
Used alongside a healthy diet and exercise, Atorvastatin is indicated for use as a treatment to help regulate cholesterol, as well as other fats in your blood (i.e., triglycerides).
Too many fats or cholesterol can lead to blockages, which in turn, can cause heart disease or other cardiovascular issues.
In some cases you may see Atorvastatin under the brand name Lipitor, but they are the same medication. Lipitor is just the brand name Atorvastatin is sold under. They contain the same active ingredients.
If you’d like to learn more about Atorvastatin medications, click here to explore more information about it.
Atorvastatin is a type of medication called a ‘statin’, which works to help you control cholesterol levels in your body, through reduction of excess cholesterol. It accomplishes this by inhibiting the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme, which is needed by your body to produce cholesterol.
Using medications like Atorvastatin doses, alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise, can help your body control cholesterol levels in a number of ways, including:
- Increasing HDL (good) cholesterol
- Decreasing LDL (bad) cholesterol
- Decreasing triglyceride levels
- Decreasing other lipids/fats in your blood
- Decreasing your total Total Cholesterol HDL-Cholesterol Ratio (TC:HDL-C Ratio), which represents your balance between good and bad cholesterol
What is Lipitor used to treat?
Atorvastatin prescriptions are primarily used to treat people that have high cholesterol, triglycerides, or lipids/other fat levels in their blood.
In some cases, doses of Atorvastatin medications may also be used to help reduce the risk of issues like heart attacks and strokes, in patients who are at a high risk for these conditions, because of things like diabetes or high blood pressure.
Also, some diabetes medications are known to increase cholesterol levels in your blood, so in these cases, Atorvastatin may be suggested to help control cholesterol levels during treatment cycles.
How long does Lipitor last after you take it?
Many people won’t experience any kinds of side effects when taking Atorvastatin medication. However, some people may experience some side effects on Atorvastatin, such as:
- Skin rash
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Bloating/gas
- Depression (particularly in younger patients)
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Vomiting
If these side effects of Atorvastatin start to become severe, be sure to talk to your practitioner right away, as they may be able to suggest an alternative dosage of Atorvastatin or another medication that may work better for you.
In addition to these side effects of Atorvastatin, there are some more serious concerns that are only rarely occurring, but should be watched for, including:
- Sudden appearance of erectile dysfunction (ED) symptoms
- Persistent cough, breathing problems, and/or shortness of breath
- Fever
- Difficulty sleeping, insomnia, or intense nightmares
- Mood related disorders (i.e., anxiety, depression, etc.)
- Confusion
- Poor memory or memory loss
In the event you start to experience any of these side effects of Atorvastatin, be sure to contact your practitioner immediately for guidance.
There are a number of people who shouldn’t take Atorvastatin as interactions may occur, such as:
- Patients who are allergic to Atorvastatin or any of the other ingredients in these medications
- Patients who have active liver disease or unexplained increases in liver enzymes
- Patients who are taking glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (i.e., Maviret)
- Patients who are taking cyclosporine (i.e., Sandimmune and Neoral)
- Patients who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed
On top of these people, there are other patients who should be cautious about taking doses of Atorvastatin, where interactions may occur because of other factors such as:
- You have thyroid problems
- You have had a stroke or mini-stroke (TIA)
- You regularly drink three or more alcoholic drinks per day
- You have a family history of muscular disorders
- You have had past issues with muscle pain from statin medications (i.e., Atorvastatin, Fluvastatin, Lovastatin, etc.)
- You have kidney or liver problems
- You have diabetes (Atorvastatin doses may need to be adjusted accordingly)
- You have undergone surgery or other tissue injury recently
- You exercise excessively
- You’re taking fusidic acid
In these situations, your practitioner may need to adjust your dose of Atorvastatin, or suggest alternative medications to Atorvastatin without interactions that could cause negative side effects.
How Does Atorvastatin Help Manage Diabetes?
When someone has diabetes, their risk of experiencing heart attacks and strokes may increase, which then may require treatments to minimize the chances of these issues occurring.
This is where taking Atorvastatin with diabetes can be beneficial, because Atorvastatin reduces bad cholesterol levels, which in turn, reduces the risks of these types of issues occurring.
What Should I Avoid While Taking Atorvastatin?
There are certain things that should be avoided while taking Atorvastatin, such as both grapefruit juice and antacids (antacids and doses of Atorvastatin should be taken no closer than 2 hours apart)
In addition to this, there are a number of different medications that may cause negative interactions with Atorvastatin, including:
- Fenofibrate (i.e., Lipidil, Lipidil EZ, and Supra)
- Gemfibrozil (i.e., Lopid)
- Cyclosporine (i.e., Sandimmune and Neoral)
- Corticosteroids
- Bezafibrate (i.e., Bezalip)
- Erythromycin, clarithromycin or azole antifungal agents (ketoconazole or itraconazole)
- Letermovir (i.e., Prevymis)
- Nefazodone
- Indinavir sulfate
- Nelfinavir mesylate (i.e., Veracept)
- Ritonavir (i.e., Norvir)
- Saquinavir mesylate (i.e., Iniverase)
- Lopinavir/ritonavir (i.e., Kaletra)
- Telaprevir (i.e., Incivek)
- Tipranavir (i.e., Aptivus)
- Darunavir (i.e., Prezista)
- Fosamprenavir (i.e., Telzir)
- Boceprevir (i.e., Victrelis)
- Elbasvir/grazoprevir (i.e., Zepatier)
- Simeprevir (i.e., Galexos)
- Digoxin
- Diltiazem
- Fusidic acid (i.e., Fucidin)
- Efavirenz
- Rifampin
- Colchicine
If you’re taking any of the medications listed above, you should talk to your practitioner before requesting a prescription online for Atorvastatin. They may suggest alternative medications to Atorvastatin without interactions.
Is It Safe to Take Atorvastatin During Pregnancy?
No, there is no concrete evidence to prove or disprove whether Atorvastatin medications pass through to an unborn fetus or nursing child.
Due to these potential interactions, it’s recommended to avoid using doses of Atorvastatin while pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed.
Can I Drink Alcohol While Taking Atorvastatin?
Although you may be able to consume small amounts of alcohol while on Atorvastatin without interactions, it’s not recommended to drink large amounts or regularly while taking this medication.
Specifically, if you drink three or more alcoholic beverages daily, you should not take Atorvastatin.
In order to provide the safest, most effective treatments, it’s best to entirely avoid alcohol on any statin medications, so that you don’t run the risk of experiencing any additional/unnecessary side effects.
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