Lipitor (Atorvastatin)

Lipitor is an effective treatment for high cholesterol that has been clinically proven to lower the risk of heart disease and fatal conditions including heart attacks and strokes. It can also be used to treat people that have inherited conditions that result in high cholesterol levels, such as homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH).

Lipitor is the brand name for the treatment Atorvastatin which belongs to a group of medications known as statins. These medications reduce the levels of bad cholesterol and fats in the blood, whilst increasing the levels of good cholesterol.

You can buy Lipitor online at euroClinix without having to visit your doctor to obtain a prescription, provided you are already taking Lipitor for high cholesterol.

Lipitor works to lower cholesterol levels by targeting the enzymes in your body that make what is commonly referred to as ‘bad cholesterol’, which is scientifically referred to as LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein) or non-HDL cholesterol (non-high density lipoprotein).

Too much of this cholesterol is bad because it sticks to the inside of your arteries and builds up, a phenomenon known as atherosclerosis, meaning your heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body. This puts you at an increased risk of several fatal heart conditions.

Lipitor targets the production of bad cholesterol. It contains the active ingredient Atorvastatin, which belongs to a family of drugs called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. These are more commonly known as statins, and include fellow high cholesterol treatments such as Simvastatin, Lovastatin and Pravastatin.

These medicines specifically target bad cholesterol levels by stopping the HMG-CoA reductase enzymes that produce it in the liver. Over time, this also allows the good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) to remove the excess cholesterol and other fats from your blood so they can be broken down in your liver.

The main benefit of Lipitor and statin therapy in general is that it significantly reduces your risk of several serious cardiovascular diseases.

You will lower your risk of developing:

• high blood pressure
• coronary heart disease
• chest pain (angina)
• peripheral vascular disease
• chronic kidney disease
• stroke
• heart attack

High cholesterol is also a significant risk factor for obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Patients who take Atorvastatin see a significant impact on their cholesterol levels. One study found that participants observed up to a 65% decrease in their cholesterol after 6 weeks of treatment.

It also effectively reduces other fats in your blood such as triglycerides, another harmful fat that causes heart problems in high levels. One clinical trial found that Atorvastatin reduced triglyceride levels, a type of fat, by around 46%.

Whilst Lipitor is safe for most people with high cholesterol levels, there are some people who should not take Lipitor if they have certain medical conditions.

Do not take Lipitor if you:

• are pregnant or breastfeeding
• are a woman able to have children and not using reliable contraception
• have liver problems or liver disease (e.g hepatitis)
• have had unexplained abnormal blood tests for liver function
• have had an allergic reaction or an adverse reaction to Lipitor or Atorvastatin

Other groups of people may be fine to take it, but should take special care such as those who:

• have had a stroke
• have kidney problems (e.g kidney failure)
• have bleeding or fluid in the brain from previous strokes or injury
• have hypothyroidism - an underactive thyroid gland
• have unexplained muscle pain
• are over the age of 70

For a full list of contraindications, please refer to the patient information leaflet.

You should always take Lipitor exactly as your doctor has prescribed. If you are in any doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking it.

You can take Lipitor at any time of the day, as long as you take it at roughly the same time each day. Some doctors recommend taking Atorvastatin at night because that is when your body makes the most cholesterol, therefore the medicine will be most effective then.

Lipitor tablets can be taken with or without food, but you should aim to take them at the same time each day to get the most out of your treatment.

If you forget to take a dose, do not take a double dose to make up for it. Just take your next dose at the right scheduled time. Do not stop taking Lipitor without your doctor’s advice.

What dosage of Lipitor should I take?

Your dose must be decided and monitored by your doctor.

The typical starting dose is 10mg a day, and your doctor will increase your dose if they find your cholesterol is not sufficiently managed.

The maximum dosage is 80mg a day. If you take more than you think you should, seek medical advice as soon as possible.

As with all prescription medicines, Lipitor can cause some side effects. Most of the common side effects are mild and should go away on their own once your body adjusts to treatment.

Some common side effects of Lipitor include:

Serious side effects of Lipitor are rare, only affecting around 1 in every 10,000 patients. If you experience any sudden muscle weakness or pain, any unexplained bleeding or bruising (could be a sign of liver damage), swelling of the face or serious skin reaction, please seek immediate medical attention.

You should not drink more than 1 - 2 small glasses of grapefruit juice a day as it can alter the effects of Atorvastatin. You should also not drink excessive amounts of alcohol.

It’s important to implement healthy lifestyle changes whilst using this medicine to lower your cholesterol levels. This includes eating cholesterol-lowering foods that are rich in healthier fats and other good nutrients as well as doing regular exercise.

You should also be cautious if you take other medicines with Lipitor, as it could cause adverse effects. For that reason, you should always tell your prescriber all the medicines you currently take.

You should tell your doctor if you take:

• medicines that alter your immune system (e.g cyclosporine)
• medicines to regulate heart rhythm (e.g digoxin)
• medicines for high blood pressure (e.g amlodipine)
• medicines that treat HIV (e.g protease inhibitors like ritonavir)
• other medicines to regulate lipid levels in the blood (e.g gemfibrozil)
• certain antibiotics (e.g clarithromycin)
• certain antifungals (e.g itraconazole)
• niacin supplements (vitamin B3)

For a full list of potential drug interactions, please consult the patient information leaflet. If you’re not sure whether you take any of these medicines, check with a healthcare professional before taking Lipitor.

You can buy 10mg, 20mg, 40mg and 80mg of Lipitor here at euroClinix, provided you have already been prescribed that dose by your doctor. All you have to do is fill out a short, confidential medical questionnaire which will be reviewed by one of our UK registered doctors. Once approved by treatment, your medication will be dispensed and dispatched with free next-day delivery.