Lipitor 20mg Tablets

Atorvastatin is a statin medicine that lowers high cholesterol. Too much cholesterol can build up in the arteries and lead to heart attacks and strokes.

It is used to:

• lower cholesterol when diet and exercise are not enough
• help prevent heart disease, angina, heart attacks and strokes
• protect people at higher risk, such as those with diabetes, kidney disease or inherited high cholesterol

It is usually taken long term, alongside a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Take it exactly as your doctor or pharmacist tells you, once a day at about the same time.

• Tablets can be taken with or without food. Swallow them whole with water, or chew chewable tablets.
• Take the liquid on an empty stomach and measure it with the syringe or spoon provided.
• Keep taking it even if you feel well. Your cholesterol may go up again if you stop.
• If you miss a dose, skip it and take your next dose at the usual time. Never take two doses together.
• Do not drink more than 1 or 2 small glasses of grapefruit juice a day.

Common side effects include:

• headache or dizziness
• feeling sick, constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion or wind
• muscle aches or joint pain
• a blocked or runny nose, or nosebleeds
• sleep problems

Get medical help straight away if you have:

• unexplained muscle pain, tenderness or weakness, especially with fever or feeling unwell
• red or brown urine
• yellow skin or eyes, dark urine or pain in the upper right tummy
• severe tummy pain
• swelling of the face, lips or throat, or difficulty breathing

Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking it if you:

• have had a reaction to atorvastatin or another statin
• have liver or kidney problems, or an underactive thyroid
• have, or have a close relative with, a muscle condition
• have had a bleed in the brain
• regularly drink a lot of alcohol
• take fibrates, some antibiotics (such as clarithromycin or fusidic acid), some antifungals, HIV or hepatitis C medicines, diltiazem, verapamil, ciclosporin, warfarin or St John's wort

Keep in the original container, tightly closed, at room temperature away from heat and moisture (not in the bathroom), and out of the reach of children.

Pregnancy: do not take atorvastatin if you are pregnant, as it may harm the baby. Stop and contact your doctor if you become pregnant. Your doctor may advise stopping 3 months before trying for a baby.

Breastfeeding: check with your doctor before breastfeeding.

Alcohol: limit alcohol, as it increases the risk of liver problems.