Precautions and Warnings With Atorvastatin

Specific Precautions and Warnings With Atorvastatin

Safety precautions and warnings to be aware of prior to taking atorvastatin include the following:

Atorvastatin may interact with certain other medications (see Drug Interactions With Atorvastatin).
If you are an alcoholic or drink alcohol frequently, discuss this with your healthcare provider prior to starting this medication. Alcohol can affect the way the liver works, indirectly affecting atorvastatin.
You should not eat grapefruit, drink grapefruit juice, or take supplements with grapefruit while you are taking atorvastatin (see Lipitor and Grapefruit).
Statins may cause an increase in liver enzymes. Therefore, your doctor may recommend that you have a blood test that looks at your liver function before starting atorvastatin, 12 weeks after treatment has started, and then periodically thereafter.
Rhabdomyolysis (the severe breakdown of muscles) is a rare side effect of atorvastatin and other statins. Make sure to contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any muscle pain, weakness, or tenderness (especially if it is accompanied by a fever or if you feel ill).
Atorvastatin is a pregnancy Category X medicine, meaning that it could potentially cause harm to your unborn child. Therefore, you should not take the drug if you are pregnant. If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider (see Lipitor and Pregnancy for more information).
If you are nursing, you should not take atorvastatin. Ask your healthcare provider whether you should stop nursing or stop taking atorvastatin (see Lipitor and Breastfeeding).

(Precautions and Warnings With Atorvastatin Continued: Page 3)
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