Prescription pad with RosuvastatinWhat is Rosuvastatin?

Rosuvastatin is a cholesterol lowering prescription medication. The brand name is Crestor.

 

What is Rosuvastatin used for?

This medication is used to lower your  bad cholesterol called LDL and raise your good cholesterol called HDL. It can also lower another fat called triglycerides. In this way Crestor can slow down the plaque buildup in your arteries. This reduces the chance of heart disease and reduces the chance of stroke and heart attacks.

How does Rosuvastatin work?

Rosuvastatin belongs to a class of medications called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors

They are also called Statins. This medication blocks an enzyme in your liver which results in decreased production of cholesterol. It also increases the uptake of cholesterol in your blood and this in turn is broken down in your liver.This results in less cholesterol that might be used to build on the walls of arteries.

How is Rosuvastatin taken and what is the dosing?

The doses for the tablets are 5mg,10mg, 20mg and 40mg.Crestor can be taken daily with or without food.

Can I drink alcohol with Rosuvastatin?

You should limit alcohol intake(1-2 drinks a day, that would be the equivalent of 5 oz of wine per drink) or preferably not drink it at all. Higher doses of alcohol over time can damage your liver. Remember, Crestor is also metabolized in your liver.

Can I take this drug if I am pregnant?

The FDA does not recommend that you take this drug during pregnancy. The risks outweigh the benefits as this medication can cause birth defects.

What are common side effects?Open prescription bottle with pills coming out and words side effects

All drugs may cause side effects. There will always be some people who have no or only mild side effects. If you do have side effects, call your Doctor ASAP. Do not suddenly stop any medication without consulting your health care provider.

 

Here is a list of common side effects, and this list s by means not exhaustive:

  • Muscle pain is the most common and reported 2-13% of the time.
  • GI side effects: abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, constipation (less than 10% of cases)
  • Muscle and bone: muscle aches, pain and tenderness, joint pain (4-10%)
  • Headache (6-9%)
  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Memory problems
  • Increased blood sugars (3%)

 

     Here are 8 surprising facts with this Rosuvastatin:

 

  • 1)This medication in rare instances causes liver damage. Your health care provider will be checking your liver parameters. If you are feeling unusually tired, have dark urine, yellowing of your skin and the white of your eyes, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite: these could all be signs of liver damage.

 

  • 2)This medication can cause your blood sugars to increase slightly. This can be seen with some individuals. As a diabetic make sure you are monitoring your blood glucose levels.

 

  • 3)Crestor can interact with antacids such as Tums. Make sure you take the antacid 2 hours before or after taking in Crestor to avoid this interaction.

 

  • 4)The FDA does recommend a dosage reduction in Asian patients. This is because per data the FDA looked at Asians had higher plasma levels of this medication when compared to Caucasians.

 

  • 5)When taking in a Statin, especially at higher doses or  if you are an older adult, you are at a higher risk for muscle related adverse events. Here are four muscle injuries that can occur. 
  •                       a)Myalgia characterized by muscle pain and aches without an elevated CK. CK (creatinine kinase) is an enzyme that is leaked out when there is muscle damage.
  •                        b) Myopathy muscle pain and aches with an elevated CK.
  •                        c) Rhabdomyolysis muscle damage and acute renal failure with elevated CK(>40X above normal).
  •                        d) Immune mediated necrotizing myopathy with elevated CK in the presence of these antibodies. of antibodies against HMG-COA

Your health care provider can occasionally check this muscle enzyme in a simple blood test.(CK)

 

  •    6)If you are on a blood thinner called Warfarin(which is a blood thinner) you would be at an increased risk for bleeding.Your  Health Care Provider will have to dose adjust your medication accordingly.

 

  • 7)Having a serious allergic is rare. If you do feel SOB, have chest pain, wheezing, hives, itching, swelling of your face, lips or throat call your DOCTOR or go to the ER ASAP.

 

  • 8) Here are just a few medications which can interact with this medication. This list is by means exhaustive and always talk to your pharmacist or health care provider if you are starting a new medication.
  • Warfarin, Gemfibrozil, Niacin, Daptomycin, red yeast rice products, cyclosporine.

 

Check entire YouTube video here.

 

 

 

 Have a good day and Think Your Health.

 

 

Sources:

 

  1. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2016/021366s033lbl.pdf
  2. https://www.goodrx.com/rosuvastatin/

      3.https://www.uptodate.com/contents/rosuvastatin-drug-information?             

       4.https://www.mdedge.com/familymedicine/

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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