Dosing With Rosuvastatin

For most people with high cholesterol, rosuvastatin dosing starts at 10 mg once daily. Your healthcare provider may choose to start you on a lower dose of rosuvastatin (such as 5 mg daily) if you have severe kidney disease or are over 65 years of age, of Asian decent, or taking cyclosporine. Make sure to talk with your healthcare provider, nurse, or pharmacist if you are unsure about your dosage or anything related to dosing with rosuvastatin.

  

Rosuvastatin Dosing: An Introduction

The dose of rosuvastatin calcium your healthcare provider recommends will vary depending on a number of factors, including:
 
  • Your age
  • The medical condition you are being treated for
  • Other existing medical conditions you may have
  • Other medications you may be currently taking.
     
As always, do not adjust your rosuvastatin dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
 

Strengths of Rosuvastatin

There are several strengths of rosuvastatin available. These strengths (sold under the brand name Crestor®) include:
 
  • Rosuvastatin 5 mg
  • Rosuvastatin 10 mg
  • Rosuvastatin 20 mg
  • Rosuvastatin 40 mg.
     

Dosing for Rosuvastatin and High Cholesterol

The recommended starting dose of rosuvastatin for people with high cholesterol is rosuvastatin 10 mg once a day. After several weeks, your healthcare provider will recommend that you return to have your cholesterol levels rechecked. If you have not reached your cholesterol goal at this time, your healthcare provider may choose to increase your rosuvastatin dose. The rosuvastatin dose can also be decreased if side effects of rosuvastatin occur. The average daily dose for people taking rosuvastatin is rosuvastatin 20 mg to rosuvastatin 40 mg once a day.
 
Your healthcare provider may recommend a lower Crestor dose (5 mg per day) if you:
 
  • Are 65 years of age or older
  • Are of Asian decent
  • Take gemfibrozil (Lopid®)
  • Take cyclosporine (Gengraf®, Neoral®, Sandimmune®)
  • Take protease inhibitor medications for HIV (see Drug Interactions With Rosuvastatin for more information)
  • Have severe kidney disease, your healthcare provider may choose to start you on a lower dose, such as rosuvastatin 5 mg daily.
     
(Dosing With Rosuvastatin Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;