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Medically reviewed by Dr Roger Henderson, By Helen Marshall, BPharm, MRPharmS | Netdoctor
Atorvastatin is a statin medicine used to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Here,
we answer the most common questions about takingAtorvastatin, including
whether you need to avoid certain foods or drinks, what side effects to
expect and if you can drive while using the medication:
Do I need to avoid any food or drinks while taking atorvastatin?
Avoid
drinking grapefruit juice or eating grapefruit while taking
atorvastatin. This is because grapefruit can affect the metabolism of
atorvastatin and could increase the amount of the medicine in your
blood, thus increasing the risk of side effects.
Taking
atorvastatin is not a substitute for eating a healthy, balanced diet. It
is important that you continue to follow a cholesterol-lowering diet
and do regular exercise while you are taking atorvastatin. You can get
advice from your doctor or pharmacist.
Can I drink alcohol while taking atorvastatin?
Atorvastatin and alcohol
may increase the risk of liver problems or side effects on the muscles
(see below), so you should avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
while taking atorvastatin.
Can I drive while taking atorvastatin?
Yes - atorvastatin is very unlikely to affect your ability to drive.
What are the side effects of atorvastatin?
Atorvastatin
may rarely have side effects on the muscles that may progress to cause
kidney problems. For this reason you should inform your doctor
immediately if you experience any muscular symptoms while taking
atorvastatin, for example muscle pain, tenderness, cramps, or weakness,
particularly if you also have a fever
or feel generally unwell. Your doctor may need to check for side
effects on the muscles by taking a blood test to measure the level of a
compound called creatinine kinase in your blood. If this is the case,
the test should not be done following strenuous exercise.
Your
doctor will want you to have blood tests to monitor your liver function
before starting treatment and regularly throughout treatment with
atorvastatin. Consult your doctor promptly if you develop unexplained
itching, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice),
unusually dark urine, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pains, loss of
appetite or flu-like symptoms while taking atorvastatin, as these could
be signs of a liver problem.
Statins may very rarely be associated
with a type of lung disease. You should consult your doctor if you
experience shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, a non-productive
cough and deterioration in your general health (eg weight loss, fever,
fatigue) while taking atorvastatin.
Can Atorvastatin be taken when pregnant?
Atorvastatin should not be used during pregnancy because it may be harmful to a developing baby. Women who could get pregnant
should use an effective method of contraception to prevent pregnancy
both while taking atorvastatin and for at least one month after stopping
treatment.
Talk to your doctor straight away if you think you
could be pregnant while taking atorvastatin, or if you want to try for a
baby. It's recommended that statins are stopped three months before
trying to get pregnant.
See more at Netdoctor
