Are you wondering whether Atorvarstatin is the right medication for you? This
medication does have some side effects that are concerning especially in older
adults! This video will examine the drug Atorvastatin, educate about side effects
and tell you what warning signs to look out for which are potentially deadly!
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aging and if you're new here consider subscribing. Next we are going to look at
the ten most common questions regarding Atorvastatin including the drugs most
common side effects. So the first question is what is Atorvastatin? Atorvastatin is a lipid lowering drug to lower cholesterol. Your body makes a
wax-like fat-like substance called cholesterol in your liver. Triglycerides,
another fat is also made in your liver. They are also found in foods. You need
some cholesterol for good health but too much is not good for you. Cholesterol and
triglycerides can clog your blood vessels and make it hard for your blood
to get to your heart. It is especially important to lower your cholesterol if
you have heart disease or diabetes. Atorvarstatin is used together with your diet
to lower blood levels of bad cholesterol also called LDL to increase levels of
good cholesterol also called HDL and to lower triglycerides which is another
type of fat found in your blood. Why is my doctor recommending Atorvasatin? Atorvastatin
certain is used to treat high cholesterol and to lower the risk
of stroke, heart attack or other heart complications in people with type 2
diabetes and coronary heart disease. It is also used to slow the progression of
heart disease as well renal disease. Atorvastatin takes a
couple of weeks to take effect. So, how does it work? How does Atorvastatin
work? Atorvastatin belongs to the family of medications called Statins
They are also called HMG-COA reductase inhibitors. They work by blocking
the production of cholesterol in the liver by the enzyme HMG co-reductase. How
should I take Atorvastatin? Atorvastatin comes as a tablet so you can
take it by mouth and it comes in the following doses 10 milligrams 20
milligrams 40 milligrams and 80 milligrams and it should usually be taken once
a day with food or without food but take Atorvastatin usually around
the same time every day. And the reason is Atorvarstatin is usually given at night time
because the cholesterol making enzyme is more active at night. Also the half life
of the amount of time it takes for half the dose to leave your body of some
Statins as short. If you're unable to take the dose at nighttime stick to taking
the medication at least at the same time every day. What happens if I miss a dose?
Use the drug as soon as you can, however, if you're more than 12 hours late for
the dose skip the dose and go back to the normal time you take the drug.
Do not use two doses at one time. What sort I avoid of while taking Atorvastatin. Avoid eating foods high in fat or cholesterol or Atorvastatin will
not be as effective. And avoid drinking alcohol it can raise triglycerides and
may increase your risk of liver damage. Grapefruit may interact with Atorvastatin and lead to unwanted side effects Grapefruit contains a chemical that
interferes with your body's ability to break down or metabolize certain Statin
medications. When Statin takers eat large amounts of grapefruit the levels
of statins in their blood can increase raising the possibility of side effects.
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effect Atorvastatin? The following drugs can interact with the Atorvastatin, however,
this list is not exhaustive, so, please talk to your Doctor or pharmacist to see
what is the right choice for you. Diltiazem which is a heart medication, Gemfibrozil
which is a medication to lower your triglycerides. Antibiotics such as
Clarithromycin or Erythromycin, anti fungal medication such as Fluconazole, HIV
medications,medicines that contain Niacin drugs that can weaken the immune
system such as steroids, cancer medications or medications used to
prevent organ transplant rejection such as Cyclosporine, oral contraceptives Antacids, supplements such as St. John's Wort or red yeast rice. Who should absolutely
not take this medication ! You should not use Atorvastatin if you're allergic to
it or if you have liver disease or if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. This
medication can cause birth defects or harm the unborn baby. So do not use it if
you're pregnant, STOP taking a Atorvastatin and tell your
Doctor right away if you become pregnant. Tell your doctor if you ever had any of
these problems before taking Atorvastatin such as liver problems,muscle
weakness, kidney disease, diabetes, thyroid disorder or your drinking more than two
alcoholic beverages daily. What are the most common side effects? All drugs can
cause side effects so talk to your doctor or provider if you have the
following side effects or any other side effects that bother you or do not go
away. GI side effects such as diarrhea joint pain, muscle pain or tenderness,
upset stomach, nose or throat irritation, trouble sleeping, headaches. With my
patients we usually reduce the dose and monitor symptoms for the next couple of
weeks to ascertain if the symptoms are dose related; if very severe we stop the drug
all together to see if the symptoms resolve.
Another strategy you use dosing every other day or every
other day regimens and even every other week regimens have been also evaluated
as strategies for improving tolerability. So what a serious side
effects caused by Atorvastatin? Although rare some people may have very bad and
sometimes deadly side effects when taking this drug. Tell your doctor or
get medical help right away. If you have any of the following symptoms or
signs that may be related to a very bad side effect; signs of an allergic
reaction such as rash, hives, wheezing tightness in the chest or throat trouble
breathing, trouble swallowing or talking swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue
or throat. Signs of a UTI: Urinary tract infections like blood in the urine
burning or pain while passing urine. Feeling very weak or tired, feeling
confused, memory problems or memory loss. This drug may also cause muscle pain or
tenderness or weakness and sometimes a very bad muscle problem that may happen that
may lead to kidney problems. This is a medical condition called a Rhabdomyolysis which can if left untreated lead to death. Call the doctor right away
if you have muscle pain or tenderness or weakness that is not normal.
Sometimes deadly liver problems have happened with this drug. Call your Doctor
right away if you have signs and symptoms of liver problems such as dark
urine, feeling tired and hungry, upset stomach, pain in your stomach area
light colored stools, throwing up, yellow skin or yellow eyes. Can Atorvastatin be
used in older adults? There is benefit from Statin therapy to healthy individuals 75
years of age or above. Statin therapy for these individuals with establish
cardiovascular disease that is having history for stroke or mini stroke also
known as TIAA or heart attack in the past. In my all the patients we start with a
low dose and treat carefully monitoring for side
effects; however, the decision whether to treat high cholesterol in an older
individual should be individualized based on both chronological age and
biological age. But in older adults there's no clear evidence that high cholesterol
leads to heart disease or death; in fact some studies show the opposite that all
the people with the lowest cholesterol levels usually have the highest risk of
death. Moreover, older adults with a limited life span, multiple co-morbidities
affecting overall function and cognition, multiple prescription drugs with the
potential for drug drug interactions are probably not good candidates for drug
therapy, Ultimately the decision to initiate or discontinue a Statin in an
older adult must be individualized, shared decision-making should be taken into
account especially patient preferences and the benefits versus risk for that
individual should be taken into account. So now here's a bonus section. 3 bonus
facts. So long after stopping Atorvastatin will the muscle pains tend to cease. Usually,
it's about four weeks. Cognitive impairment is also listed as a potential
side effect and as a doctor who specializes in treating older adults
especially with the lack of randomized control trials I do take this list of
side effects seriously when reported by my older adults. So can Atorvastatin
cause increased blood sugar levels? Multiple trials were suggestive of the
increased blood glucose levels after long-term statin use.This prompted
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include the risk of diabetes in their
product label of statins. So talk to your Doctor about whether a Stain is the right
choice for you given your other medical problems. So, Question of the day? Have you had one of the side effects mentioned in this video and what did you do about
it? Well go ahead and leave your answers and
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Closer Closer the video is already finished so what we do you rather have, Atorvastatin
or this pack of chips