What is the meaning of Lipitor?

Lipitor (LIH-pih-tor) A drug used to lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood and to prevent stroke, heart attack, and angina (chest pain). It is also being studied in the prevention and treatment of some types of cancer and other conditions. Lipitor blocks an enzyme that helps make cholesterol in the body.

Similarly one may ask, what are the dangers of taking Lipitor?

Common side effects of Lipitor include: hemorrhagic stroke, arthralgia, diarrhea, and nasopharyngitis. Other side effects include: urinary tract infection, insomnia, limb pain, muscle spasm, musculoskeletal pain, myalgia, and nausea.

Secondly, how does lipitor make you feel? In clinical studies, patients reported the following common side effects while taking LIPITOR: diarrhea, upset stomach, muscle and joint pain, and alterations in some laboratory blood tests. The following additional side effects have been reported with LIPITOR: tiredness, tendon problems, memory loss, and confusion.

In this manner, does lipitor cause weight loss?

Lipitor Side Effects Unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness. Confusion, memory problems, or other cognitive issues. Fever, unusual tiredness, and dark-colored urine. Swelling, weight gain, urinating less than usual or not at all.

What are the benefits of Lipitor?

Uses. Atorvastatin is used along with a proper diet to help lower "bad" cholesterol and fats (such as LDL, triglycerides) and raise "good" cholesterol (HDL) in the blood. It belongs to a group of drugs known as "statins." It works by reducing the amount of cholesterol made by the liver.

Can you just stop taking Lipitor?

You won't get any withdrawal symptoms. However, stopping atorvastatin may cause your cholesterol to rise. This increases your risk of heart attacks and strokes. If you want to stop taking your medicine, it's important to find another way to lower your cholesterol.

What foods should you avoid when taking Lipitor?

Avoid eating foods high in fat or cholesterol, or atorvastatin will not be as effective. Avoid drinking alcohol. It can raise triglyceride levels and may increase your risk of liver damage. Grapefruit may interact with atorvastatin and lead to unwanted side effects.

Is there a lawsuit against Lipitor?

Like all statins, Lipitor works because it can reduce the liver's production of cholesterol. For over a decade, plaintiffs have filed Lipitor lawsuits against Pfizer claiming the company failed to warn patients, doctors, and the public about the potential severe side effects caused by taking the drug.

Does lipitor cause hair loss?

Atorvastatin (Lipitor) and simvastatin (Zocor) belong to a group of cholesterol-lowering medications known as “statins”. Have hair loss is a reported side effect of both drugs. The newer statin, rosuvastatin (Crestor), luckily does not have this risk.

Does lipitor make you tired?

In recent years, researchers discovered that people taking statins reported increased levels of general fatigue and tiredness, especially after exertion. Research suggests that statins may cause you to feel tired because they play a role in decreasing the amount of energy provided to the cells in your muscles.

Does lipitor cause leg cramps?

Muscle pain and other statin side effects In very rare cases, statins may cause liver problems or a potentially life-threatening breakdown in muscle cells. However, the most common side effect is muscle pain and cramping.

Does Lipitor lower blood pressure?

Doctors discovered that statins can help lower blood pressure, as well as lower cholesterol. Statins include atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Altoprev), pitavastatin (Livalo), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor).

Do Statins lower BP?

Statins and blood pressure. The cholesterol-lowering drugs statins may also reduce blood pressure, reports The Daily Telegraph today. American scientists have found that the statins can “have a 'significant' effect on patients suffering from high blood pressure".

What does lipitor do to your body?

Atorvastatin is in a class of medications called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). 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.

What are the worst foods for high cholesterol?

They suggest limiting the following foods to achieve this:

fatty beef.
lamb.
pork.
poultry with skin.
lard and shortening.
dairy products made from whole or reduced-fat milk.
saturated vegetable oils, such as coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil.

Why do statins cause leg cramps?

Statin medications and low cholesterol levels can both contribute to low CoQ10 levels. Calcium leakage. Calcium helps muscles contract, but when calcium leaks from muscle cells unintentionally, it can damage your muscle cells which causes muscle pain.

Do statins cause brain fog?

Simvastatin and atorvastatin are the most lipophilic while pravastatin and Crestor are the least. The statins that cross the blood-brain barrier have more reported memory and “fuzzy head” problems. While patients have reported these symptoms, further research does not show that statins cause memory loss.

Which statin is safest for liver?

Large randomized trials have proven the safety of low to moderate doses of lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin, atorvastatin, and rosuvastatin, showing no significantly increased risk of liver biochemistry abnormalities.

Do statins cause joint pain?

Joint pain is considered a minor side effect of statin use, though if you suffer from it, it might not seem minor to you. There is little recent research on statins and joint pain.

Does Lipitor Cause Diabetes?

The Food and Drug Administration says taking statins, including Lipitor, has been linked to reported increases in blood-sugar levels and a small increased risk of developing diabetes. That's because the way women's bodies metabolize Lipitor makes them more susceptible to diabetes risk, Hahn said.

What happens if you stop taking cholesterol medication?

However, if you haven't had a stroke or heart attack and you are taking statins due to high cholesterol numbers, ending statin use might be an option. If your cholesterol number is way over the limit, your risk of a heart attack or stroke increases. When you stop statin use, you have to weigh your risks.”

Which cholesterol drug is safest?

Still, all in all, the statins are the safest and best tolerated of all cholesterol-lowering medications. Although most patients respond well to statin therapy, some don't.