Lipitor 40mg Tablets 30

LIPITOR - CMI

(Parke Davis)
CONSUMER MEDICINE INFORMATION

What is in this leaflet?
The name of your medicine is Lipitor. It contains the active ingredient called atorvastatin.

This leaflet answers some of the more common questions about Lipitor. It does not contain all of the available information. It does
not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.

All medicines have benefits or risks. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking Lipitor against the benefits he/she expect it
will have for you.

If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Keep this information with your medicine.

You may want to read it again later.
What Lipitor is used for
Lipitor belongs to a group of medicines called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and is used to lower high cholesterol.

Everyone has cholesterol in their blood. It is a type of blood fat needed by the body for things such as building cell walls, making
bile acids (which help to digest food) and some hormones. However, too much cholesterol can be a problem.

Cholesterol is present in many foods and is also made in your body by the liver. If your body makes too much cholesterol or you
take too much cholesterol in your diet, then your level becomes too high.

A problem is more likely to occur with certain diseases or if you have a family history of high cholesterol.

There are different types of cholesterol. LDL is the 'bad' cholesterol that can block your blood vessels. HDL cholesterol is the 'good'
cholesterol that is thought to remove the bad cholesterol from the blood vessels.

When you have high levels of 'bad' cholesterol in your blood, it may begin to 'stick' to the inside of your blood vessels instead of
being carried to the parts of the body where it is needed. Over time, this can form hard areas, also called plaque, on the walls of
your blood vessels, making it more difficult for the blood to flow. This blocking of your blood vessels can lead to several types of
blood vessel disease, heart attack, angina and stroke.

There is another type of blood fat called triglyceride which is a source of energy. However, high levels of triglyceride can be
associated with a low level of 'good' cholesterol and may increase your risk of heart disease.

In some patients, Lipitor is used to treat high cholesterol and high triglycerides together.

Lipitor does not reduce the cholesterol that comes from fat in food.

Therefore, when you are taking Lipitor, you also need to follow a low fat diet and other measures, such as exercise and weight
control.

In most people, there are no symptoms of abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels. Your doctor can measure your levels with a
simple blood test.

Your doctor may have prescribed Lipitor for another reason.

Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Lipitor has been prescribed for you.

Lipitor is not addictive.
Before you take Lipitor
When you must not take it

Do not take Lipitor if:

you have an allergy to Lipitor or any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.

Some of the symptoms of allergy may include skin rash, itching, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face

you are pregnant or breastfeeding

Your baby may absorb this medicine in the womb or from breast milk and therefore there is a possibility of harm to the baby.

you have active liver disease

you have had muscle pain, tenderness or weakness from other medicines used to treat high cholesterol or triglycerides

the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering

the expiry date on the pack has passed.

If you take this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work or it may make you unwell.

If you are not sure whether to start taking Lipitor, talk to your doctor.

Before you start to take it

You must tell your doctor:

If you intend to become pregnant or plan