What is atorvastatin 20 mg used for?
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 most common side effects of atorvastatin?
Common Lipitor side effects are diarrhea, upset stomach, muscle and joint pain, and changes in some blood tests, according to Pfizer Inc….Common Side Effects of Lipitor
- Cold-like symptoms.
- Joint pain.
- Diarrhea.
- Urinary tract infection.
- Stomach pain.
- Nausea.
- Muscle pain and spasms.
- Difficulty falling and staying asleep.
What foods should be avoided when taking atorvastatin?
While taking atorvastatin (Lipitor), avoid high-fat and high-cholesterol foods as part of your overall treatment. You should avoid large quantities of grapefruit or grapefruit juice, which can increase the risk of serious side effects. Also, avoid excess alcohol use, as this may cause serious liver problems.
Does atorvastatin affect sleep?
The top-selling statins are atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor). How they can cause insomnia: The most common side effect of all types of statins is muscle pain, which can keep people who take them awake at night and unable to rest.
Why you should not take atorvastatin?
Very rarely, statins can cause life-threatening muscle damage called rhabdomyolysis (rab-doe-my-OL-ih-sis). Rhabdomyolysis can cause severe muscle pain, liver damage, kidney failure and death. The risk of very serious side effects is extremely low, and calculated in a few cases per million people taking statins.
How good is atorvastatin?
Atorvastatin has an average rating of 4.3 out of 10 from a total of 258 ratings on Drugs.com. 29% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 56% reported a negative experience.
Can I drink coffee while taking atorvastatin?
Your morning coffee may make Lipitor less effective A 2008 study on rats suggests caffeinated coffee may reduce one of the cardioprotective benefits of atorvastatin. That’s because caffeine is a nonspecific adenosine receptor blocker. Adenosine receptor activation is essential for Lipitor to work.
Does atorvastatin make you sleepy?
Atorvastatin oral tablet doesn’t cause drowsiness, but it can cause other side effects.
Does atorvastatin cause weight gain?
Weight gain isn’t a side effect of Lipitor. However, Lipitor belongs to a class of medications known as statins, which have been linked to weight gain. Some researchers have found that people who use statins tend to take in more calories than those who don’t. This includes getting more calories from fat.