Will lipitor cause weight loss

Second, statins can cause muscle pain and weakness, which may make you less likely to exercise.

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Statin users consumed 9. Redberg, M. Read more about treating high cholesterol with statins in our free Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs report. Statins might also contribute to weight gain by causing muscle pain and weakness, which in turn can make you less physically active. Some experts estimate that as many as a third of people who take statins are affected.

Other published materials suggest the number is closer to between 5 and 10 percent of people. High-dose statins have been targeted by the FDA, which found that the mg dose of simvastatin Zocor and generic as well as the combination drug Vytorin and Simcor was far more likely to cause muscle injury than the lower doses or other drugs in the same class, especially in the first year of taking them—and that it was particularly a problem for women , in addition to those also taking certain blood pressure drugs.

Based on those findings, the FDA recommended that people who start taking simvastatin , or who have been taking it for less than a year, start with a lower dose. Our consultants take that advice one step further and recommend that most people who start taking any statin medication begin with the lowest available dose, increasing slowly only if necessary. Muscle pain associated with statins is most often not serious and typically can be resolved by switching to a lower dose, or different statin drug. This article and related materials are made possible by a grant from the state Attorney General Consumer and Prescriber Education Grant Program, which is funded by the multistate settlement of consumer-fraud claims regarding the marketing of the prescription drug Neurontin gabapentin.

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Become a Member. Remember Me. It's also taken to prevent heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes. Your doctor may prescribe atorvastatin if you have a family history of heart disease, or a long-term health condition such as type 1 or type 2 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis.

This medicine is available on prescription only. It comes as tablets, including chewable tablets for people who have difficulty swallowing. Lipitor chewable tablets contain a substance called aspartame - check with your doctor before taking these if you have phenylketonuria a rare inherited disorder of protein metabolism. 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. 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.

Swallow atorvastatin tablets whole with a glass of water.

If you've been given chewable tablets, you can chew them or swallow them whole with a glass of water. In children, the usual dose is 10mg to 20mg once a day. Your doctor will use your child's age to work out the amount of atorvastatin that's right for them. Your dose depends on the reason for taking it, your cholesterol levels , and what other medicines you're taking. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you're unsure how much to take.

Don't reduce your dose without talking to your doctor first. 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. Like all medicines, atorvastatin can cause side effects in some people - and different statins affect people in different ways. One rare but serious side effect is unexplained muscle aches and pains , tenderness or weakness.

This can happen a few weeks or months after you first start taking this medicine. Talk to your doctor or a pharmacist if side effects are bothering you. They may recommend trying an alternative statin. Keep taking the medicine, but talk to your doctor or pharmacist if these side effects bother you or don't go away:. Less than 1 in people may have some memory loss.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if this side effect bothers you. It usually goes away after you stop taking the medicine. Serious side effects when taking atorvastatin are rare and happen in less than 1 in 1, people. In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to atorvastatin. These are not all the side effects of atorvastatin. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet. You can report any suspected side effect to the UK safety scheme. Atorvastatin isn't recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding, as there's no firm evidence it's safe.

Talk to your doctor if you want to get pregnant. It's best to stop taking atorvastatin at least 3 months before you start trying for a baby. It's not known if atorvastatin gets into breast milk, but it may cause problems for your baby. Speak to your doctor about what's best for you and your baby while you're breastfeeding.

It may be possible to delay starting or restarting atorvastatin until you've stopped breastfeeding completely. Some medicines affect the way atorvastatin works and can increase the risk of serious side effects. These are not all the medicines that can interfere with atorvastatin. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicine packet or check with your pharmacist.

St John's wort, a herbal medicine taken for depression , reduces the amount of atorvastatin in your blood, so it doesn't work as well. Talk to your doctor if you're thinking about starting St John's wort, as it will change how well atorvastatin works. Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements. Atorvastatin acts on the liver to stop it making cholesterol.

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This lowers your blood cholesterol level. For the first 12 months on this medicine, you'll be offered a couple of routine tests to make sure your liver is working normally. Your cholesterol levels should drop noticeably within 4 weeks - if you take your medicine regularly, as prescribed.

Usually, treatment with a statin such as atorvastatin is for life. The benefits will only continue for as long as you take it. If you stop taking atorvastatin without starting a different treatment, your cholesterol level may rise again. You may have read negative stories about statins, but they're thought to be very safe, effective medicines. Statins are thought to have very few side effects. Sometimes the side effects that people report aren't related to their medicine.

However, if you're concerned about the safety of statins, talk to your doctor. Atorvastatin is safe to take for a long time, even many years. In fact, it works best when you take it for a long time. No, there's no evidence that atorvastatin is addictive. You won't get any withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking it. You may want to stop atorvastatin if you think you're having side effects. Talk to your doctor first to see if it really is a side effect of atorvastatin or an unrelated problem. Your doctor may decide to lower your dose or change your medicine.

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. There's some interest in taking CoQ10 together with statins. However there's no firm evidence that taking CoQ10 at the same time as atorvastatin will benefit your health. More research is needed.