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Crestor (rosuvastatin)

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Generic Name : rosuvastatin
Pronounced : roe SOO va sta tin

What is rosuvastatin?

Rosuvastatin is a cholesterol-lowering medication that blocks the production of cholesterol (a type of fat) in the body. It works by reducing levels of "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) and triglycerides in the blood, while increasing levels of "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL).

Rosuvastatin is used to treat high cholesterol. Lowering your cholesterol can help prevent heart disease and hardening of the arteries, conditions that can lead to heart attack, stroke, and vascular disease.

Rosuvastatin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about rosuvastatin?

In rare cases, rosuvastatin can cause a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue. This condition can lead to kidney failure, and may be more likely to occur in older adults and in people of Asian descent who take rosuvastatin. Call your doctor at once if you have unexplained muscle pain or tenderness, muscle weakness, fever or flu symptoms, and dark colored urine. This medication can cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Do not use if you are pregnant. Use an effective form of birth control, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment. Do not take this medication if you are allergic to rosuvastatin, if you have liver disease, or if you are breast-feeding a baby. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medication. Alcohol can increase triglyceride levels, and may also damage your liver while you are taking rosuvastatin. Rosuvastatin is only part of a complete program of treatment that also includes diet, exercise, and weight control. Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking rosuvastatin?

Do not take this medication if you are allergic to rosuvastatin, if you have liver disease, or if you are pregnant or breast-feeding a baby. FDA pregnancy category X. This medication can cause birth defects. Do not use rosuvastatin if you are pregnant. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment. Use an effective form of birth control while you are using this medication. Rosuvastatin may pass into breast milk and could harm a nursing baby. Do not breast-feed while you are taking rosuvastatin.

How should I take rosuvastatin?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Take this medication with a full glass of water. Rosuvastatin is usually taken once a day. You may take the medicine with or without food. Take rosuvastatin at the same time each day.

It is important to use rosuvastatin regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

To be sure this medication is not causing harmful effects, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your liver function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

In rare cases, rosuvastatin can cause a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue. This condition can lead to kidney failure, and may be more likely to occur in older adults and in people of Asian descent who take rosuvastatin. Call your doctor at once if you have unexplained muscle pain or tenderness, muscle weakness, fever or flu symptoms, and dark colored urine. Rosuvastatin is only part of a complete program of treatment that also includes diet, exercise, and weight control. Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely.

Do not stop using rosuvastatin without first talking to your doctor. It may take several weeks of taking the medication before your condition improves. Store rosuvastatin at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. The symptoms of a rosuvastatin overdose are not known.

What should I avoid while taking rosuvastatin?

Avoid eating foods that are high in fat or cholesterol. Rosuvastatin will not be as effective in lowering your cholesterol if you do not follow a cholesterol-lowering diet plan.

Avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medication. Alcohol can increase triglyceride levels, and may also damage your liver while you are taking rosuvastatin. Avoid using antacids without your doctor's advice. Use only the specific type of antacid your doctor recommends, and do not take it within 2 hours after taking rosuvastatin. Antacids contain different medicines and some types can make it harder for your body to absorb rosuvastatin.

What are the possible side effects of rosuvastatin?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop taking rosuvastatin and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness with fever or flu symptoms and dark colored urine;
urinating more or less than usual, or not at all;
nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
chest pain; or
swelling in your hands or feet.

Less serious side effects may include:

weakness, dizziness;
mild nausea, constipation, diarrhea;
sore throat, runny or stuffy nose;
memory loss;
headache; or
pain or burning when you urinate.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect rosuvastatin?

Before taking rosuvastatin, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

cimetidine (Tagamet);
cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Gengraf, Neoral);
ketoconazole (Nizoral);
lopinavir and ritonavir (Kaletra);
niacin (Nicolar, Nicobid, Nicotinex, others);
spironolactone (Aldactazide, Aldactone);
a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin); or
other cholesterol-lowering medications, such as clofibrate (Atromid-S), fenofibrate (Tricor), or gemfibrozil (Lopid).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with rosuvastatin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about rosuvastatin.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Multum version: 146.0 (Oct 22, 2009)

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