Why Is This Medication Prescribed
Atorvastatin is used together with diet, weight loss, and exercise to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke and to decrease the chance that heart surgery will be needed in people who have heart disease or who are at risk of developing heart disease. Atorvastatin is also used to decrease the amount of fatty substances such as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood and to increase the amount of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood. Atorvastatin may also be used to decrease the amount of cholesterol and other fatty substances in the blood in children and teenagers 10 to 17 years of age who have familial heterozygous hypercholesterolemia . Atorvastatin is in a class of medications called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors . It works by slowing the production of cholesterol in the body to decrease the amount of cholesterol that may build up on the walls of the arteries and block blood flow to the heart, brain, and other parts of the body.
Accumulation of cholesterol and fats along the walls of your arteries decreases blood flow and, therefore, the oxygen supply to your heart, brain, and other parts of your body. Lowering your blood level of cholesterol and fats with atorvastatin has been shown to prevent heart disease, angina , strokes, and heart attacks.
What About Using Red Rice Yeast Or Plant Stanols Instead Of Prescription Drugs To Lower Cholesterol
Many people say they prefer to take natural medicines over prescription drugs. However, just because something is natural doesnt mean that its safe. In the U.S., supplements are not regulated as closely as medicines. Supplements can also interfere in dangerous ways with medications that you already take.
However, red rice yeast extract does contain lovastatin, which is the same chemical that is in Mevacor. In some cases, you and your healthcare provider might agree that you should try the supplement with monitoring.
Plant stanols are another nonprescription choice for lowering cholesterol. Plant stanols work by stopping the body from absorbing cholesterol in the intestines. One brand is CholestOff® capsules, while plant stanols are also available in margarine substitutes like Benecol®.
How to take your cholesterol-lowering medicines
When you are taking medicines, it is important to follow your healthcare providers advice carefully. If you dont take medicines exactly as prescribed, they can harm you. For example, you could unknowingly counteract one medicine by taking it with another one. Medicines can make you feel sick or dizzy if not taken properly.
Taking your medicine
Dont decrease your medicine dosage to save money. You must take the full amount to get the full benefits. If your medicines are too expensive, ask your provider or pharmacist about finding financial assistance. Some companies provide discounts for certain medications.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Who Is Prescribed A Statin
People with elevated risks for heart disease, including those who smoke, have diabetes, strong family history of early heart disease or high LDL cholesterol levels, are often candidates to talk about statins with their doctor. You can get your lab results in your inbox with MyUnityPoint. Some people have family histories of early heart disease and extremely high levels of LDL cholesterol, which is anything over 190 and can be significantly higher, Dr. Carimi say. Statins are also usually prescribed to people who have already had heart attack or have been diagnosed with coronary artery disease. Cad is the most common type of heart disease and occurs when arteries supplying blood to the heart become hard or narrow. In people with known CAD, statins offer about 25 percent reduction in cardiac events, like heart attacks, and a roughly 20 percent reduced risk for stroke.
* Please keep in mind that all text is machine-generated, we do not bear any responsibility, and you should always get advice from professionals before taking any actions.
* Please keep in mind that all text is machine-generated, we do not bear any responsibility, and you should always get advice from professionals before taking any actions
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What Are The Side Effects Of High Cholesterol On Your Bodys Metabolism
The increased amount of cholesterol is a factor, which contributes further to the development of atheromatous plaque. Thats how cardiovascular diseases are developed.
These plaques develop in the wall of the artery. They grow and grow and thats how they reduce the blood flow to a specific organ.
In most cases they reduce the blood flow towards the heart, which means that the heart will get less blood. Some of the complications of unruptured plaque are:
1.Angina Pectoris – in the heart. This disease manifests with a strong pain on the chest. It last shortly and it is well controlled with nitroglycerin. This is one of the most common high cholesterol side effects.
2.Transient Ischemic Attacks, called TIAs. The reduced blood flow could lead to development of necrosis in the brain. This necrosis is due to the ischemic periods, when the brain is getting less blood then it is supposed to get.
3.The plaque could develop in the blood vessels, supplying with blood the legs. Patients could lose sensitivity there. Amputation might be required to save patients life, if the case is not revealed by the doctor.
When the plaque rupture, there come many other different problems, which, sometimes, are life-treating. When the plaque ruptures there are several possible events to happen:
1.The ruptured part, called thrombus goes to the brain. In this situation, a major blood vessel is obliterated and a huge space of the brain is superfloused from blood.
How Should This Medicine Be Used
Atorvastatin comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken once a day with or without food. Take atorvastatin at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take atorvastatin exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Your doctor may start you on a low dose of atorvastatin and gradually increase your dose, not more than once every 2 to 4 weeks.
Continue to take atorvastatin even if you feel well. Do not stop taking atorvastatin without talking to your doctor.
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Get A Prescription For Rosuvastatin Online
Did you know you can get a refill prescription for Crestor online* without having to go to a providers office? With GoodRx Care, you can connect with a licensed healthcare provider for a virtual visit from the comfort and privacy of your home. And with GoodRx Gold Mail Delivery, you can order your Crestor prescription and have it mailed right to your door.
Connect with a provider within minutes
Pick up your prescription at your pharmacy or get it discreetly delivered
No insurance needed
* Crestor is a refill-only medication. We cant start you on Crestor if you dont have an existing prescription.
How Long Will I Need Cholesterol Medication
Typically, people who take cholesterol medication need it for the rest of their lives, and youre more likely to need it as you get older. However, children and teens can have high cholesterol, too. Lifestyle changes can often prevent the need for medication or work with medication to lower your risk of coronary artery disease.
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What If I Forget To Take It
If you occasionally forget to take a dose, take your next dose the next day at the usual time. Never take 2 doses at the same time. Never take extra doses.
If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.
Statin Side Effects Risk Factors
Some things can increase your risk of side effects with statins. You may be more likely to have side effects if you:
- Take more than one medication to control your cholesterol
- Are a woman
- Have a small body frame
- Are 80 or older
- Have kidney or liver disease
- Drink a lot of alcohol
- Have some other health conditions, such as hypothyroidism or neuromuscular disorders
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Is Memory Loss A Possible Side Effect Of Zetia
Memory loss isnt a side effect of Zetia. It wasnt reported during studies of the drug.
But some people have reported memory loss, confusion, and forgetfulness while taking a statin drug. Statins are commonly prescribed with Zetia to treat certain types of high cholesterol.
If youve noticed memory problems while taking Zetia, talk with your doctor.
Effective Alternatives To Cholesterol Medications Without Side Effects
First you can simply use diet, foods& exercise to lower cholesterol. Easier said than done, I know. But it is an option which with discipline does work. A number of visitors have emailed us and mentioned that they have been able to lower cholesterol with these methods.
A major method that many people use is thru effective cholesterol supplements. There are many ingredients that are proven to lower cholesterol like red yeast, garlic, guggul, niacin.
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Path To Improved Health
Even if you take cholesterol-lowering medicine, its important to keep up with your lifestyle changes. Eating healthy and being physically active can make your medicine more effective. Your doctor can give you tips on how to make healthy food choices. He or she also can suggest how to include physical activity in your daily routine.
The Side Effects Of Statin Drugs And Other Cholesterol Medication Side Effects
Any prescription medication will have side effects. Most of these are not good. The reasoning of why we put up with these side effects is that it is better to deal with them than the condition which the medication treats. The problem with that is that often medications are prescribed to deal with the side effects and the vicious cycle may never end.Most of the popular drugs used to treat high cholesterol are in a class of drugs known as statins. These include popular brands such as Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor, and Pravachol. Common side effects are nausea and more severe side effects are muscle soreness that is a result of kidney malfunction. It is important to know and understand the risks of taking any prescription medication and how they interact with other drugs.
Read the following articles to know Cholesterol Medication Side Effects:
Are You In the Dark About Lower Cholesterol?A common drug used to lower cholesterol may have you in the dark both figuratively and literally. Zocor, is often prescribed to lower cholesterol, but has the side effect of making skin highly sensitive to sun light exposure. Rhabdomyolysis: A Serious Side-Effect of Cholesterol Lowering DrugsYour cholesterol reducing drugs may be causing more than mere muscle pain and soreness. The most popular class of cholesterol lowering drugs, known as statin drugs, come with the explicit warning to report any muscle pain or sore muscles to your doctor immediately.
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Drugs Effect On Patients
FACT: Over 2 million people are seriously injured, and 106,000 die every year, from the correct use of prescription drugs.
And what action is taken as a result of this. Let’s see. In 1992 there were 2.03 billion prescriptions dispensed. In 1998 it rose to 2.78 billion. And in 2005 it was 4 billion. By 2020 there will probably be 10 billions prescriptions or more.
There are already more than 100,000 people dying every year. And the action taken is to increase the number of drugs available. It sounds like insanity. It’s just like if someone were drowning in a pool, you add water to the pool, in order to save the person.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rosuvastatin
Do I have to take rosuvastatin at bedtime?
Rosuvastatin may be taken at any time of the day. This is different from other statins that work best when they’re taken at night. This is because some statin medications do not stay in your body for very long , and the body makes the most cholesterol at night.
Does rosuvastatin make you gain weight?
No, weight gain is not a typical side effect with rosuvastatin .
Are rosuvastatin and atorvastatin the same?
Rosuvastatin and atorvastatin are different medications, though both belong to the same class of medications known as statins. Both are strong statins that work to lower your cholesterol levels.
Does rosuvastatin make it hard to fall asleep?
Some people have reported insomnia and nightmares with rosuvastatin , but these are not common side effects.
Can I drink alcohol while taking rosuvastatin ?
Drinking alcohol while taking rosuvastatin can raise your risk of liver problems or serious side effects. Take care to avoid drinking a lot of alcohol while taking rosuvastatin .
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Dangers Of Statin Drugs: What You Havent Been Told About Popular Cholesterol
Hypercholesterolemia is the health issue of the 21st century. It is actually an invented disease, a problem that emerged when health professionals learned how to measure cholesterol levels in the blood. High cholesterol exhibits no outward signsunlike other conditions of the blood, such as diabetes or anemia, diseases that manifest telltale symptoms like thirst or weaknesshypercholesterolemia requires the services of a physician to detect its presence. Many people who feel perfectly healthy suffer from high cholesterolin fact, feeling good is actually a symptom of high cholesterol!
Doctors who treat this new disease must first convince their patients that they are sick and need to take one or more expensive drugs for the rest of their lives, drugs that require regular checkups and blood tests. But such doctors do not work in a vacuumtheir efforts to convert healthy people into patients are bolstered by the full weight of the US government, the media and the medical establishment, agencies that have worked in concert to disseminate the cholesterol dogma and convince the population that high cholesterol is the forerunner of heart disease and possibly other diseases as well.
The drugs that doctors use to treat the new disease are called statinssold under a variety of names including Lipitor , Zocor , Mevacor and Pravachol .
How Can The Benefits And Risks Be Managed
There have been questions raised in the media over the benefits of statins. Peak health organisations have urged people who take statins to consult their doctors before stopping any prescribed medicines.
The benefits of statin treatment have been shown to outweigh the risk of possible side effects in most people at high risk of heart attack or stroke. If you are taking statins and have any concerns, talk to your doctor before making any changes.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners recommends that you regularly review with your doctor or specialist any medicines you are taking for high blood pressure or high cholesterol to assess the ongoing benefits and risks. For further information, visit the Choosing Wisely Australia website.
For more information, check these frequently asked questions about statins.
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Managing The Side Effects Of Cholesterol
September 29, 2018 by Wendy Bordman
People with diabetes have a two to four times greater risk of cardiovascular disease than those who do not have the condition. Even if their low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is within a normal range, the risk is still increased.
This is because high blood sugar levels can damage nerves and blood vessels throughout the body. As well, diabetes is often accompanied by high cholesterol, high triglycerides and high blood pressure, which together can greatly increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
In fact, CVD is the primary cause of death among people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Aggressive management of all CVD risk factors is generally necessary in individuals with diabetes. Good control of blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure can reduce the risk of CVD by as much as 50%.
Statins are the most effective medications used to treat high cholesterol. They are known to lower bad cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. Other medication classes such as fibrates, ezetimibe, resins and niacin can be added as well. However, cholesterol-lowering medications can come with some unwanted side effects.
Before a decision is made to stop a medication, read on to learn how your doctor and pharmacist can help you manage the side effects of cholesterol-lowering medications. And remember that the vast majority of people who take statins about 90% dont experience any side effects at all.
What Are Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin Kexin Type 9 Inhibitors
What are some examples of PCSK9 inhibitors?
Examples of PCSK9 inhibitors approved in the U.S. include:
- alirocumab
- evolocumab
How do PCSK9 inhibitors work?
Alirocumab and evolocumab are man-made injectable drugs that reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. They are members of a new class of drugs called proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 inhibitors. Cholesterol is carried in the blood to a large extent by particles of LDLs that are removed from the blood by liver cells. The particles are removed from the blood by low-density lipoprotein receptors on liver cells. PCSK9 is a protein on liver cells that promotes the destruction of LDLR. Therefore, a decrease in LDLR levels by PCSK9 results in higher blood levels of LDL cholesterol.
Alirocumab and evolocumab are antibodies, which means that they are proteins that bind to another protein and inactivate them. Alirocumab and evolocumab bind to the PCSK9 protein and prevent it from destroying LDLR. By inhibiting PCSK9, alirocumab and evolocumab increase the number of LDLRs available to remove LDL cholesterol and consequently reduce LDL cholesterol levels in blood.
Who should not use these PCSK9 inhibitors?
People should not use PCSK9 inhibitors if they fit any of the following situations:
- You are allergic to PCSK9 inhibitors or their ingredients.
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