After having been diagnosed with high levels of cholesterol in your blood, a doctor may prescribe Lipitor or its generic equivalent, Atorvastatin, known to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while raising levels of HDL cholesterol. Lipitor is the number on brand name prescription medication on the market that has proven to be effective in the fight against cholesterol. Used in conjunction with diet and exercise, Lipitor can lower levels of cholesterol by as much as 39 to 60%. However, Lipitor is not for everyone as it can react with other medications and there are some warnings which should be observed.
Why Lipitor?
Statistically, high levels of serum cholesterol are proven risk factors for such things as heart attacks and strokes. Since heart disease is rated as the #1 health risk and strokes come in at #3, it is imperative to get levels of cholesterol in check. Doctors will be the first to tell you that many times these problems could have been avoided if you had monitored your cholesterol levels and made an effort to keep them within healthy limits. It is said that heart disease is also the #1 preventable illness in the world if more focus would be paid on a heart healthy lifestyle and diet.
How Lipitor Works
When taking a medication for the first time, most people want to know how it works. In basic terms, Lipitor works in the liver by blocking an enzyme that is used by the body to make cholesterol. This is where most people are confused. Not only do you eat cholesterol every time you eat foods with any kind of fat in them but your body manufactures cholesterol in the liver as well. By blocking the production of cholesterol in the liver, it is forced to draw cholesterol floating around in the bloodstream. The end result is a reduction in serum levels of cholesterol by as much as 60% in some patients. Percentage vary depending on lifestyle, diet, exercise and dosage, but the results have been proven.
Lipitor Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
As with any other pharmaceutical, Lipitor can have side effects or adverse reactions on some people, especially those who take certain other medications. The first thing you should always do is advise your doctor and pharmacist what other medications you are taking whether they are prescription or not. Lipitor is known to have adverse reactions with certain medications such as antifungal medications, Tagamet, Sustiva, oral contraceptives, and certain HIV medications. There is a whole host of other medications which are contraindicated so it is of vital importance to tell your doctor and pharmacist exactly what medications you are currently taking.
Special Precautions
The thing which strikes many people oddly is that pharmaceutical companies will tell you to advise your doctor if you are allergic to this medication. How would you know this if you are taking Lipitor for the first time? However, this is good advise because many times people forget to mention food or medicine allergies and this can have devastating effects if the doctor isn’t aware of your allergies. For the most part, anyone with liver disease would probably not be prescribed Lipitor and you should tell your doctor if you have kidney disease, muscular weakness or aches, thyroid disease and you should certainly advise your doctor if you drink more than two alcoholic beverages daily. You are advised not to breast feed while taking Lipitor.
Since this is a prescription medication, never take Lipitor that has been prescribed to anyone else. Only your doctor knows what is safe for you personally to take or do to lower high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. Even though this is the number one brand name cholesterol lowering medication, it is not for everyone and only a qualified physician can determine if it is safe for you personally.
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