Lipitor

Lipitor^® (atorvastatin) is a prescription oral medication used to lower unhealthy cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. It’s in a class of drugs called statins, which work by blocking an enzyme in the liver that produces cholesterol.

Lipitor helps decrease low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad” cholesterol), raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol), and lower triglycerides. It’s commonly prescribed for people with high cholesterol, a history of heart disease, or other cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes or high blood pressure.

Lipitor is taken once daily, with typical doses ranging from 10 to 80 milligrams (mg) depending on the person’s cholesterol levels and overall risk. It’s often combined with lifestyle changes such as a heart-healthy diet and regular exercise.

Side effects are generally mild, but serious risks include liver enzyme abnormalities and muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), especially at higher doses or in combination with certain medications. While taking Lipitor, you should have regular cholesterol and liver function checks.

Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) is indicated:

• To reduce the risk of:

  • Myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, revascularization procedures, and angina in adults with multiple risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) but without clinically evident CHD

  • MI and stroke in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus with multiple risk factors for CHD but without clinically evident CHD

  • Non-fatal MI, fatal and non-fatal stroke, revascularization procedures, hospitalization for congestive heart failure, and angina in adults with clinically evident CHD

• As an adjunct to diet to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) in:

  • Adults with primary hyperlipidemia

  • Adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH)

• As an adjunct to other LDL-C-lowering therapies to reduce LDL-C in adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia

• As an adjunct to diet for the treatment of adults with:

  • Primary dysbetaliproteinemia

  • Hypertriglyceridemia

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin)

Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥5%) are:

• Inflammation of the nose and throat

• Joint pain

• Diarrhea

• Pain in extremity

• Urinary tract infection

The cost of Lipitor varies depending on factors such as your insurance plan, which pharmacy you use, the dosage, and the quantity. Without insurance, the average retail cost of Lipitor is about $675 for a month’s supply of 40-mg tablets, but coupons and discount cards can bring down the cost as low as about $556.

With the Lipitor Savings Card, eligible people may pay as little as $4 per month for the medication.

Generic Lipitor (atorvastatin) costs about $124 for the same amount and dose, but coupons may bring down the price to as low as about $7.

Health insurance plans may cover some or all of the cost of these medications.

• Acute liver failure or decompensated cirrhosis

• Hypersensitivity to atorvastatin or any excipient in Lipitor

• Drug interactions: rifampin, oral contraceptives, digoxin, see full prescribing information for details regarding concomitant use of Lipitor with other drugs or grapefruit juice that increase the risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis

• Myopathy and rhabdomyolysis

• Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM)

• Liver dysfunction

*This information is from the label for brand name Lipitor^®. See the Full Prescribing Information for more complete information. Atorvastatin the active ingredient in Lipitor, may also be the active ingredient in other medications, and this information may not be accurate for all medications that include the active ingredient atorvastatin.