Can I ever stop taking Lipitor?
My total cholesterol was 232 a year ago, and once my doctor started talking about statins, I worked my butt off to lower it on my own. Get off that crap as fast as you can. The drug companies (and some doctors) are the ones perpetuating the myth that you need to take it indefinitely. Sure, if you want to be a lazy slob the rest of your life (like I was), then you'll probably need to keep taking it. If not, try this: 1. Eat oatmeal and/or cheerios every day. 2. Buy a bag of ground flax seed and take 2 table spoons per day (mix with OJ, smoothie, milk, or whatever). 3. Start counting the total fat grams in the food you eat. Try to stay under 40 grams per day. 4. Exercise. In the last year, I lowered my cholesterol by 11 points. That may not seem like much, but considering that it had been going up about 20 points per year, that's pretty significant.
Fatty Liver and Lipitor 10mg?
I was recently diagonised fatty liver in the ultrasound did, and cholestrol levels are out of normal. I am 29 years old male. Doc prescribed me Lipitor 10mg, I am worried to take this medicine, as I read mixed responses in the internet, that it will damage or it is good. Please help me to understand the medicine and situation, I do not want to worsen my situation by taking wrong medicine
Can I still take lipitor before a colonoscopy?
You can take that, if you take it at least 1 hour before your prep, or 4 hours after you finish your prep. Remember, colon cancer is the Number 1 cancer killer each year, in non-smokers. Lung cancer is #1 for them. A colonoscopy can lower your risk for colon cancer by 90%. Less than half of the people who need this exam have had it done.
Is there much difference between Vytorin and Lipitor other than price?
My Cholesteral is high and my DR prescribed Vytorin. I have no prescription insurance and was shocked to find the cheapest price on Vytorin was 124.00 per month. Lipitor (which is another choleteral lowering drug) comes in generic and is much cheaper. Before I consult my DR does anyone know if there is a real big difference in Vytorin and Lipitor other than the outstanding cost difference? Thanks.
Why is it recommended to not eat grapefruit if you are taking Lipitor?
Grapefruit juice affects the normal processing of Lipitor (atorvastatin) by the liver. Specifically, drinking grapefruit juice will result in higher levels of Lipitor in the body, with potential toxicity and side effects.Like many medications, atorvastatin is processed and cleared by the liver. One of the key enzymes that helps to process it is cytochrome P450 3A4. Grapefruit inhibits this enzyme, and so by slowing down how quickly something like atorvastatin is cleared, there are higher drug levels in the body. The issue isn't solely inhibitory function per se, since if one consistently had grapefruit juice every day, one could just use lower amounts of Lipitor. The danger comes with the inconsistency of drug levels when people drink a few cups of grapefruit juice on some days and none on others. A related situation is the consumption of vitamin K containing foods/"leafy green vegetables" and warfarin (Coumadin). In contrast to what some people think, it's ok to eat green vegetables when using warfarin--one just needs to take care to try to eat a fairly consistent amount every day to keep dosing within a safe range.Here's an example of scientific literature related to this topic: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubm...
How can Lipitor cause weight loss?
I took Lipitor for about six months, because my PCP said my LDL-Cholesterol was "dangerously" high. After six months, I quit, mostly because it didn't work, while I was being careful to follow the recommended diet. I also discovered that it didn't lower the risk of cardio disease. In fact, 75% of heart attacks happen to people with "optimal" levels, less than 100 mg/dl of LDL-C: http://newsroom.ucla.edu/release... Low cholesterol is also associated with low immunity, and in fact, some European hospitals will not allow surgery on patients with low cholesterol. I don't have that link, but an online search should find it. Currently, there are 2500 lawsuits against Phizer for, among other things, liver damage to women. Statins keep the liver from making cholesterol, a vital molecule that is in every cell of our body, and somewhere between 20% and 30% in our brains. Some cholesterol is synthesized in our small intestine, anyway. Diabetes is also associated with Lipitor and muscle damage, as are other maladies which are included in some lawsuits.Nowhere is there a written claim from a reliable medical source that statins cause weight loss, but that rumor may be supported by the drug industry, indirectly, to increase sales to women. I suspect it is worded carefully to suggest it is responsible for weight loss, but if you read it, there is a good chance it says "in addition to a regime of diet and exercise". Another rumor is that it helps clear the plaque in the arteries. This is absolutely not true, and finally, the FDA directed MD's not to prescribe statins unless the patient has a history of heart disease, last year. High or low levels of cholesterol are not heart disease. Do not be fooled into hurting yourself.Long article with details: The benefits of high cholesterol - Uffe Ravnskov Regards,
Should I quit taking Lipitor if my blood sugar is going up?
Lipitor is for cholesterol not glucose.
Can I drink grapefruit juice whilst taking lipitor medication?
No, just like Lara mentioned it is not ok to drink grapefruit juice while on any ‘statin’ medication like Lipitor (atorvastatin).The grapefruit juice would inhibit the body processing and getting rid of the ‘statin’ and that would lead to a build up of the medication in your body.Having too much medication can start to cause side effects associated with the medication so in this case that would be muscle pain, fatigue and nausea to only name three of the many potential effects of having grapefruit juice with Lipitor