Atorvastatin Information:

Atorvastatin is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (also known as a "statin") used to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in your blood. ATORVASTATIN may also be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor. ATORVASTATIN may be taken with or without food, preferably in the evening. Atorvastatin should be stored in a tightly sealed container in a dry place away from heat and direct light.

Atorvastatin Side Effects:

Atorvastatin side effects may INFREQUENTLY cause muscle damage (which can rarely lead to a very serious condition called rhabdomyolysis). Stop taking this drug and tell your doctor immediately if you develop Atorvastatin side effects like muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness (especially with fever or unusual tiredness). Consult your doctor if you are taking cyclosporine, gemfibrozil, niacin, antibiotics, especially erythromycin, or medications for fungal infections because in combination they can lead to Atorvastatin side effects. All of these drugs may increase the risk of myositis (muscle inflammation) when taken with atorvastatin and may lead to Atorvastatin side effects like kidney failure.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE
ATORVASTATIN is indicated: 1) as an adjunct to diet to reduce elevated total-C, LDL-C, apo B, and TG levels and to increase HDL-C in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia (heterozygous familial and nonfamilial) and mixed dyslipidemia (Fredrickson Types IIa and IIb); 2) as an adjunct to diet for the treatment of patients with elevated serum TG levels (Fredrickson Type IV); 3) for the treatment of patients with primary dysbetalipoproteinemia (Fredrickson Type III) who do not respond adequately to diet; 4) to reduce total-C and LDL-C in patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia as an adjunct to other lipid-lowering treatments (e.g., LDL apheresis) or if such treatments are unavailable; 5) as an adjunct to diet to reduce total-C, LDL-C, and apo B levels in boys and postmenarchal girls, 10 to 17 years of age, with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia if, after an adequate trial of diet therapy, the following findings are present: LDL-C remains 190 mg/dL or LDL-C remains 160 mg/dL and: there is a positive family history of premature cardiovascular disease or two or more other CVD risk factors are present in the pediatric patient Therapy with lipid-altering agents should be a component of multiple-risk-factor intervention in individuals at increased risk for atherosclerotic vascular disease due to hypercholesterolemia. Lipid-altering agents should be used in addition to a diet restricted in saturated fat and cholesterol only when the response to diet and other nonpharmacological measures has been inadequate. DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION The patient should be placed on a standard cholesterol-lowering diet before receiving ATORVASTATIN and should continue on this diet during treatment with Atorvastatin. Hypercholesterolemia (Heterozygous Familial and Nonfamilial) and Mixed Dyslipidemia (Fredrickson Types IIa and IIb) The recommended starting dose of ATORVASTATIN is 10 or 20 mg once daily. Patients who require a large reduction in LDL-C (more than 45%) may be started at 40 mg once daily. The dosage range of ATORVASTATIN is 10 to 80 mg once daily. ATORVASTATIN can be administered as a single dose at any time of the day, with or without food. The starting dose and maintenance doses of ATORVASTATIN should be individualized according to patient characteristics such as goal of therapy and response. After initiation and/or upon titration of v, lipid levels should be analyzed within 2 to 4 weeks and dosage adjusted accordingly. Since the goal of treatment is to lower LDL-C, the NCEP recommends that LDL-C levels be used to initiate and assess treatment response. Only if LDL-C levels are not available, should total-C be used to monitor therapy.