What To Do If I Miss A Dose
Prescribed medication has the power to heal, but the medicinal effects can diminish if patients miss a dose. Depending on the drug type and medical condition, missing a dose could cause almost no adverse reaction or could spell disaster. Even with a doctors guidance and medication labels, missing a dose is a common occurrence. Heres what to do if a medication dose gets forgotten.
What Fibrates Are Available To Treat High Cholesterol Levels
Fibric acid derivatives
- Increased bleeding time.
Adenosine triphosphate-citric lyase inhibitors
The FDA has approved bempedoic acid to lower cholesterol. Bempedoic acid works in the liver to slow down cholesterol production. The medication comes in 180-mg tablets taken once per day with or without food. It should be taken with statin medications, but there are dosage limitations if taken with simvastatin or pravastatin.
S To Take If You Miss A Dose
If you miss a dose of an oral medication, take the dose as soon as possible after realizing you missed it. However, if its been more than a few hours since the missed dose and youre getting close to the next dose, skip the dose and take the next dose at its regular time. Dont double the dose.
Next, call your doctor to ask about your specific medication and what they recommend.
Your medication or the website for your particular brand of medication also comes with a patient information packet that will let you know what to do if you miss a dose. Its useful to keep this packet in a safe place.
Its important to talk to your doctor if you have questions or concerns about your medication or you notice any new symptoms. You should call your doctor if:
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Best At Night: Rheumatoid Arthritis Meds
The problem with taking a steroid-based pain reliever like prednisone when you wake up is that most arthritis sufferers experience joint stiffness and pain in the morning. If you take your medication at nightideally, a low-dose, delayed-release formula that takes effect around 3 a.m.it can curb the inflammation that happens while youre sleeping and ease those morning symptoms. Thats what Italian researchers found: They say this timing takes the bodys circadian rhythms into account and can help tamp down inflammatory substances like cortisol and cytokine that can peak during the night. Other research suggests taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories such as Motrin and Aleve at night may also reduce pain symptoms before they really kick in.
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How Blood Pressure Medications Work
Blood pressure tends to vary during the day. It tends to be higher when you wake up in the morning and during the morning hours, and lower in the night and when sleeping. However, there are people whose blood pressure does not drop at night researchers call these non-dippers.
Most blood pressure medications have been designed for ease of use, meaning they are meant to be taken once per day. Even so, these medications are not equally effective over the entire 24-hour period during which they are active.
The action of blood pressure drugs peaks anywhere from four to 15 hours later after you take a dose. Ideally, the drug is prescribed so that the peak concentration coincides with the time of day when your blood pressure is at its highest.
There are several different types of blood pressure medications that have different mechanisms of action and are thus best taken at certain times of day.
Medications that are best taken in the morning:
- Diuretics, or water-pills:These include Diuril and Lozol , and work by helping your kidneys get rid of extra water in your body. Because diuretics can cause you to urinate more , its best to take them in the morning. If you need a second dose, take it by mid-afternoon.
Some other common blood pressure medications that are best taken at bedtime include:
- ACE inhibitors , including Lotensin and Vasotec
- ARBs , such as Avapro
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Why Have I Been Offered Statins
Having a high level of LDL cholesterol is potentially dangerous, as it can lead to a hardening and narrowing of the arteries and cardiovascular disease .
CVD is a general term that describes a disease of the heart or blood vessels. It’s the most common cause of death in the UK.
The main types of CVD are:
- coronary heart disease when the blood supply to the heart becomes restricted
- angina chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscles
- heart attacks when the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked
- stroke when the supply of blood to the brain becomes blocked
A doctor may recommend taking statins if either:
- you have been diagnosed with a form of CVD
- your personal and family medical history suggests you’re likely to develop CVD at some point over the next 10 years and lifestyle measures have not reduced this risk
Find out more about when statins may be recommended.
Whats The Deal With Grapefruit Juice Does It Affect Statins
This is one difference among statin drugs. Unlike atorvastatin and simvastatin , the enzyme that causes a problem with grapefruit juice does not metabolize rosuvastatin . Grapefruit juice inhibits that enzyme, which inhibits the breakdown of your statin, which results in higher statin levels in your body. You cant have grapefruit juice while on atorvastatin or simvastatin, but you can with rosuvastatin.
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What Are The Side Effects
You may experience some unwanted effects when taking a statin. These can include:
- muscle aches
Ring 111 if you have any of the following:
- severe chest pain
- acute shortness of breath
- swelling of your mouth, lips or tongue, as this could be an allergic reaction.
Talk to your doctor if your side effects are worrying you. Don’t stop taking your medication without talking to your doctor first. The benefit usually outweighs the side effects.
There’s a very small chance that taking a statin can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, the benefits of taking it to reduce your cholesterol usually outweigh the side effects.
Solutions For Common Concerns
Clearly, there are sensible health reasons to take your prescribed thyroid medication. There are experiences, however, that may cause you to question the benefits of your medications and not stick with your treatment plan.
If you are not taking your thyroid medication because of one or more of the following reasons, try the suggested solutions to address your concerns.
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All You Need To Know About Blood Pressure
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How To Take It
Take atorvastatin once a day. 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. If you’re not sure when to take your medicine, ask a pharmacist or your doctor for advice.
You can take atorvastatin with or without food, but taking it after food may help if it makes you feel sick.
Swallow atorvastatin tablets whole with a drink of water. If you’ve been given chewable tablets, you can chew them or swallow them whole with a drink of water.
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Urgent Advice: Call A Gp Urgently And Stop Taking Statins If You Get:
- muscle pain, weakness or cramps, and dark pee – these are dangerous signs, particularly if you also feel unwell or have a high temperature
- yellow skin or eyes, pale poo or dark pee
- a severe skin rash with peeling and swelling of the skin, and pink-red blotches, especially on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- severe stomach pain
What Not To Do
Doubling a dosage should only be done after speaking to the prescribing physician. Typically doubling a dose is not recommended but varies on drug class. Doctors have educated reasoning in place for determining the type and frequency of medication. Adding doses outside of the normal cadence can throw off the treatment plan.
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What Is This Medicine
ATORVASTATIN is known as a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor or ‘statin’. It lowers the level of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. This drug may also reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, or other health problems in patients with risk factors for heart disease. Diet and lifestyle changes are often used with this drug.
This medicine may be used for other purposes ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions.
COMMON BRAND NAME: Lipitor
Are Statins Really Worth Taking For High Cholesterol
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Research has shown that statins are highly effective in reducing the risk of fatal heart attack and stroke. But some people are reluctant to take these life-saving drugs. They worry about taking medicine every day for the rest of their life or have heard that statins have undesirable side effects. What does science have to say about these concerns and others surrounding statins? We talked to UH interventional cardiologist Ian Neeland, MD, Director of the Center of Cardiovascular Prevention at University Hospitals, to learn more.
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Muscle Pain & Cramping
Achy muscles are the most commonly reported side effect of not only Lipitor, but of statin medications in general. The tenderness is typically bilateralwhich means you feel it on both sides of your bodyand shows up in your larger muscle groups, like arms, legs, back, and shoulders. Cramping, however, normally takes place on one side of the body, or unilaterally.
Sometimes muscle pain is due to an interaction with another medication youre taking, or a sign that your thyroid or vitamin D level needs to be checked, says Amy Pollak, M.D., cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic. Other times, its a sign that your body doesnt tolerate the medication and that youre having a more serious reaction, called rhabdomyolysis.
Rhabdomyolysis occurs when muscle tissue breaks down, releasing into the blood stream. It can cause kidney damage or failure, and even death.
Amelia Sattler, M.D., family medicine doctor at Stanford Health Care, says dark, tea-colored pee is one good indication that your muscles are deteriorating. Rhabdomyolysis, however, only occurs in one in 10,000 patients on statins, according to Thomas, and usually happens when there is too much statin in the bloodstream.
How Long Do Lipitor Side Effects Last
Lipitor is typically cleared from the body in about 77 hours, or three days, with a half-life of about 20 to 30 hours. However, Lipitor is intended as a long-term medication that must be taken daily for maximum effectiveness. Side effects are usually mild and temporary, and the severity of side effects may dissipate over time as the body adapts to the medication.
More serious side effects such as severe allergic reactions, blood disorders, or muscle damage may persist longer and require treatment or hospitalization. Muscle pain and weakness could last for several months after Lipitor has been discontinued. Some side effects such as lung injury or muscle damage may be irreversible and require lifelong treatment.
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How To Avoid Lipitor Side Effects
As with all medications, Lipitor can produce unwanted side effects. However, Lipitor can only prevent life-threatening illnesses if the medication is taken every day over the long term. Since Lipitor and other statins may be a lifelong project, its helpful to learn a few ways to both minimize adverse effects and promote the benefits of this drug.
How To Avoid Missing Pills
More than half of patients with hypertension miss at least one dose a year. What is your reason for skipping a dose? Is it the cost, the side effects, or the number of pills? Whatever it is, talk to your doctor. There are many medicines available for hypertension in the market, and it is often possible to switch to another medication that suits you instead.
References:
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Missing Blood Thinners Can Be Life Threatening According To Dr Pradip Shah
Written by Sandhya Raghavan | Updated : May 8, 2017 5:52 PM IST
What exactly are blood thinners? They are medicines that have a thinning effect on your blood by breaking down clots that could pose health problems. Blood thinners are real life savers for people who suffer from a variety of health problems mainly related to the circulatory system.
There are two types of blood thinners: anticoagulants like heparin or warfarin which cause chemical reactions in the body to extend the time it takes for blood to clot. And the second type is antiplatelet drugs like aspirin which prevent the platelets from sticking together and forming clumps. Millions of people all over the world take these drugs for a variety of health problems such as like deep vein thrombosis, heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and atrial fibrillation.
But like most drugs, even blood thinners have their own share of side effects some of which include shortness of breath, bruising and profuse bleeding. These side effects cause many patients to skip their doses or go off these medications completely. However, these effects are not life threatening and are nothing compared to the consequences of their health conditions if they were to stop taking their medication. Dr Pradip Shah, specialist in general medication at Fortis, Navi Mumbai urges patients to be more responsible when it comes to taking blood thinners.
Mistake : You Forget To Take Your Medication Or Have Stopped Altogether
Drugs to treat high cholesterol, including statins, have a proven impact on cholesterol levels and may prevent heart attack in people with coronary heart disease. But according to an article published in May 2018 in the journal Vascular Health and Risk Management, not taking statins as prescribed was linked to a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular problems and even death.
The article cites reviews showing medication compliance problems worldwide:
- One Italian study examining the effectiveness of statins found that only 61 percent were still taking their meds as prescribed after 3 months.
- A Canadian study found that as many as 60 percent of patients who had experienced acute coronary syndrome, such as a heart attack, stopped taking their statin within 2 years of hospitalization.
- Discontinuing statins is estimated to add a staggering $44 billion to healthcare costs in the U.S.
According to the Vascular Health and Risk Management article, researchers theorize that noncompliance may be due to a combination of factors, including cost, infrequent visits with cardiologists, concerns about side effects, and forgetting to take the medication. They also note that statins may be discontinued at a higher rate than other medications because high cholesterol is a symptomless condition with infrequent tests compared with something like diabetes, which requires constant monitoring of blood sugar levels.
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What Other Information Should I Know
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor may order certain lab tests during your treatment , especially if you develop symptoms of liver damage.
Before having any laboratory test, tell your doctor and the laboratory personnel that you are taking atorvastatin.
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
Special Considerations Of Statins
Statins should not be taken if you have severe liver disease or blood tests suggest your liver may not be working properly.
This is because your body uses the liver to remove statins from the body and if there is a serious problem with your liver it could lead to a dangerous build-up of statins.
Before you start taking a statin, your doctor should ensure your liver is in relatively good condition. This will involve a blood test to check for the liver enzyme serum transaminase.
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What Are Some Possible Side Effects Of Pcsk9 Inhibitors
Possible side effects include pain, including muscle pain and back pain, or swelling at the injection site and cold-like symptoms. Another drawback may be cost as these products may be expensive.
Fibric acid derivatives
Fibric acid derivatives make up another class of drugs that reduce blood lipid levels, especially triglycerides. Triglycerides are fats that come from food that are created when you consume calories that are not spent.
Fibric acid derivatives may also increase the level of HDL, also called the good cholesterol, while lowering liver production of LDL, the bad cholesterol. People who have severe kidney disease or liver disease should not take fibrates.