Generic Crestor - Rosuvastatin

What side effects can this medication cause?
Tell your doctor if any of these side effects are severe or do not go away:

• heartburn
• diarrhea
• headache
• constipation
• stomach pain
• dizziness
• sleeping difficulties
• joint pain or weakness

The following side effects are uncommon, but if you experience any of them, call your doctor immediately:

• weakness
• fever
• dark urine
• upset stomach
• vomiting
• sore throat
• difficult urination
• a skin rash
• swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
• chest pain
• pain in upper right part of stomach
• chills
• yellowing of the skin/eyes
• tingling in fingers
  

What special precautions should I follow?
Before taking Rosuvastatin (Generic Crestor),

• Tell your doctor what medications you are taking, especially the following: niacin); cimetidine (Tagamet); cyclosporine; ketoconazole (Nizoral); other medications for high cholesterol such as clofibrate (Atromid-S), anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin); fenofibrate (Tricor), gemfibrozil (Lopid), and spironolactone (Aldactone).
• If you are taking antacids, take them at least 2 hours after Rosuvastatin (Generic Crestor).
• Tell your doctor if you are allergic to Rosuvastatin (Generic Crestor) or any other medications.
• Tell your doctor if you drink large amounts of alcohol, if you have a family history of high cholesterol, and if you have or have ever had diabetes.
• If you are having surgery, tell the doctor that you are taking Rosuvastatin (Generic Crestor).
• Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had seizures; a heart attack; a stroke; low blood pressure; or kidney , liver, or thyroid disease.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking Rosuvastatin (Generic Crestor), tell your doctor immediately. Do not breastfeed while taking Rosuvastatin (Generic Crestor).

About Crestor Medicine

Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) received final approval for use in the United States in August, 2003.

Crestor is a member of a family of drugs known as "Statins". Other members of the statin family include: Lipitor, Zocor, Pravachol, Lovastatin, Advicor.

Crestor reduces your cholesterol by blocking the liver from manufacturing cholesterol. In humans, the liver creates cholesterol at night while you are sleeping. For this reason, Crestor (as well as all of the other statins) should be taken at night.

Important Background Information:

Think of your liver as a cholesterol factory. Even if your diet was 100% fat-free, your body would still manufacture cholesterol because cholesterol is needed by your body to create certain hormones and cell membranes.

There are two types of cholesterol - LDL and HDL. HDL cholesterol is good for you. Doctors call HDL the "Good Cholesterol".

Conversely, LDL is considered to be the "Bad Cholesterol". High levels of LDL cholesterol are associated with diseases such as heart attack and stroke. Crestor's main job is to reduce LDL levels and increase HDL levels in your blood.

As your LDL levels decrease and your HDL levels increase, your risk of stroke and heart attack decrease.

How does Crestor work?

Crestor works directly in the liver. Crestor inhibits an enzyme that is present in the liver which is necessary to manufacture the bad cholesterol (LDL).

By inhibiting or blocking the action of this liver enzyme, your body's ability to produce cholesterol is dramatically reduced. As an added benefit, Crestor elevates HDL levels.

If you have liver problems such as cirrhosis of the liver, Crestor may not be a good drug for you. For this reason, your doctor will test your liver's function to evaluate if Crestor therapy is appropriate for you.

It is recommended that liver function tests be performed before someone begins Crestor therapy and at 12 weeks following both the initiation of therapy and any elevation of dose, and periodically (e.g., semiannually) thereafter.

This is done with as simple blood test. In most cases, people with vastly elevated liver enzymes should stop taking Crestor or other statin drugs.

The normal starting dose of Crestor is 10mg per day. The maximum dose of Crestor is 40 mg per day.

Crestor therapy usually starts with a 10mg dose. Sometimes the doctor willstart with a 20mg dose. The 40mg dose is reserved for people who are on 20mg but still are not meeting their cholesterol goals.

Crestor's labeling contains comparisons to Lipitor. (Crestor label shows that it is slightly more effective than Lipitor in reducing LDL's). Crestor increases HDL's very nicely.

Some cardiologists call Crestor "the Gorilla" statin. They claim that Crestor is intrinsically much more effective than Lipitor

Crestor Safety

Crestor has been extensively tested and determined to be a safe and effective product. Few products on the market today have experienced the level of scrutiny that the FDA exposed Crestor to.

As long as your doctor is following the manufacturer's directions, you should have nothing to worry about.