Generic Name: Rosuvastatin
Use
Crestor is used to lower high levels of fatty substances in the blood called lipid (mainly cholesterol and trigylcerides), when changes to diet and exercise have failed to do this.
Dosage
Treatment with Crestor is usually started with on 10mg tablets taken once a day. Your doctor will decide the dosage best for your condition. The maximum daily dose is 40mg. Swallow each tablet whole with a drink of water. You can take your tablet at any time of the dy, with or without food. Do not stop taking your tablets, even if you are feeling well, unless your doctor tells you to or unless you become pregnant.
Side effects
Most people feel well while they are taking Crestor. However, as with all medicines, side effects are sometimes experienced. These effects are usually mild and disappear after a short time. The most common side effects are headache, muscle pain, stomach pain, a general feeling of weakness, constipation, dizziness and feeling sick. In a small number of patients increases in liver enzymes have occurred and most patients did not develop any symptoms. In these patients the enzyme levels returned to normal or became more normal when treatment was stopped. Your doctor will usually carry out liver function tests before and during treatment with Crestor. Unpleasant muscle effects have occurred in a small number of patients. So, as a precaution, if you have any unexplained aches or pains in your muscles which go on for longer than you might expect, you should talk to a doctor as soon as possible. The doctor may perform a blood test to check the condition of your muscles. An increase in the amount of protein in the urine has also been reported in a small number of patients. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you think you have any of these side effects, or any other problems while taking Crestor.
Precautions
You must not take Crestor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to Crestor or any of the other tablet ingredients; if you have any liver problems or have ever had a disease which affected your liver; if you have any kidney problems; if you have been told that you have a condition affecting your muscles called myopathy; if you are taking the immunosuppressive drug, cyclosporin; if you are pregnant or if there is a possibility that you may become pregnant; if you are breast-feeding. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including those which you may have bought over the counter. In particular tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following: gemfibrozil (used to lower cholesterol), cyclosporin (used after organ transplant), warfarin (or any other drug used for thinning the blood), antacids (used to neutralize acidic stomachs), erythromycin (an antibiotic) or an oral contraceptive (the Pill). |
