Atorvastatin Dosing: An Introduction
Atorvastatin calcium ("atorvastatin") is a prescription medication sold under the brand name
Lipitor®. The dose of atorvastatin your healthcare provider recommends will vary depending on a number of factors, including:
- Your age
- The medical condition for which you are being treated
- Other medical conditions you may have
- Other medications you may be currently taking.
As is always the case, do not adjust your atorvastatin dose unless specifically instructed by your healthcare provider to do so.
Atorvastatin Dosing for People With High Cholesterol
Atorvastatin dosing guidelines for treating
high cholesterol generally call for starting with a dose from 10 to 20 mg once a day; however, some people may start on atorvastatin 40 mg if they require a large drop in their
cholesterol numbers.
After several weeks, your healthcare provider will likely recommend that you have your
cholesterol levels checked once again. If you have not reached your
cholesterol goal at this time, your healthcare provider may choose to increase your atorvastatin dosage. He or she may decrease the dose if you experience
side effects of atorvastatin. On average, atorvastatin dosing for people taking the drug to
lower cholesterol ranges from atorvastatin 20 mg to atorvastatin 40 mg once a day.