$28.00

ATORVASTATIN

(Also Known As: LIPITOR)

Use this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not use more or less of it, and do not use it more often or for a longer time than your doctor ordered. Also, this medicine works best if there is a constant amount in the blood. To help keep this amount constant, do not miss any doses and take the medicine at the same time each day.

Remember that this medicine will not cure your condition but it does help control it. Therefore, you must continue to take it as directed if you expect to keep your cholesterol levels down.

Follow carefully the special diet your doctor gave you. This is the most important part of controlling your condition and is necessary if the medicine is to work properly.

Atorvastatin should not be taken with large amounts of grapefruit juice or other grapefruit products because these may increase the concentrations of atorvastatin in the body

Dosing

The dose of atorvastatin will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of atorvastatin. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so:

• For oral dosage form (tablets):
  • Adults: 10 milligrams (mg) once daily. Your doctor may increase your dose if needed.
  • Children (10 to 17 years of age): 10 milligrams (mg) once daily. Your doctor may increase your dose if needed.
  • Children (less than 10 years of age): Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.

In addition to its helpful effects in treating your medical problem, this type of medicine may have some harmful effects.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For atorvastatin, the following should be considered:

Allergies Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to atorvastatin. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Diet Before prescribing medicine for your condition, your doctor will probably try to control your condition by prescribing a personal diet for you. Such a diet may be low in fats, sugars, and/or cholesterol. Many people are able to control their condition by carefully following their doctor's orders for proper diet and exercise. Medicine is prescribed only when additional help is needed and is effective only when a schedule of diet and exercise is properly followed.

Also, this medicine is less effective if you are greatly overweight. It may be very important for you to go on a weight-reducing diet. However, check with your doctor before going on any diet.

Pregnancy Atorvastatin should not be used during pregnancy or by women who plan to become pregnant . This medicine blocks formation of cholesterol, which is necessary for the fetus to develop properly. Atorvastatin may cause birth defects or other problems in the baby if taken during pregnancy. An effective form of birth control should be used during treatment with these medicines. Check with your doctor immediately if you think you have become pregnant while taking this medicine. Be sure you have discussed this with your doctor.

Breast-feeding It is not known if atorvastatin passes into breast milk. However, it should not be used during breast-feeding because it may cause serious unwanted effects in nursing babies.

Children This medicine is safe to use in boys and some girls 10 to 17 years of age for treating certain types of high cholesterol.

Older adults This medicine has been tested in a limited number of patients 65 years of age or older and has not been shown to cause different problems in older people than it does in younger adults. However, blood levels of atorvastatin tend to be higher in older people than they do in younger adults.

Other medicines Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking atorvastatin it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following medications:

• Alcohol abuse (or history of)May cause liver problems and should not be used while taking atorvastatin

• Antifungals, azole (e.g., fluconazole [Diflucan], miconazole injection [Monistat IV], ketoconazole [Nizoral], itraconazole [Sporanox], voriconazole [Vfend]) or
• Cyclosporine (e.g., Sandimmune) or
• Erythromycin (e.g., Erythrocin) or
• Fibric Acid Derivatives. such as
  • Clofibrate (e.g., Atromid-S) or
  • Fenofibrate (e.g., Tricor) or
  • Gemfibrozil (e.g., Lopid) or
• Niacin (nicotinic acid) in lipid-lowering doses Use of these medicines with atorvastatin may increase the risk of developing muscle problems (causing the release of muscle pigment into the urine) that may lead to kidney failure

• Digoxin (e.g., Lanoxin) Using this medicine with atorvastatin may cause there to be more digoxin in your body

• Alcohol abuse (or history of) or
• Liver disease (or history of) or
• Liver enzymes, persistently high levels Use of this medicine may make liver problems worse

• Convulsions (seizures), not well-controlled, or
• Electrolyte or metabolic enzyme deficiencies or disorders or
• Infection, severe or
• Low blood pressure or
• Major surgery or trauma, recent Patients with these conditions may be at risk of developing muscle problems (causing the release of muscle pigment into the urine) that may lead to kidney failure