Crestor Information and Uses

Crestor

Crestor Overview

Crestor (generic: rosuvastatin) is a prescription medicine used to treat high cholesterol. Along with diet, Crestor lowers “bad” cholesterol (LDL-C), increases “good” cholesterol (HDL-C). It also reduces triglycerides.

Crestor is in a group of medications called statins. It works by causing the liver to make less cholesterol while increasing the breakdown of cholesterol that is already in your blood.

This medication comes in tablet form which is taken by mouth once a day, with or without food.

Common side effects are headache, muscle ache, adominal pain, weakness, and nausea.

Uses of Crestor

Crestor is a prescription medicine used to lower "bad" cholesterol (LDL-C), increase "good" cholesterol (HDL-C) and decrease triglycerides.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Side Effects of Crestor

Crestor can cause side effects in some people.

Serious side effects may include:

Muscle Problems. Call your health care professional right away if you experience unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness especially with fever. This may be an early sign of a rare muscle problem that could lead to serious kidney problems. The risk of muscle problems is greater in people who are 65 years of age or older, or who already have thyroid or kidney problems. The chance of muscle problems may be increased if you are taking certain other medicines with Crestor.

Liver problems. Your health care professional should do blood tests to check your liver before you start taking Crestor and if you have symptoms of liver problems while you take Crestor. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms of liver problems:

feel unusually tired or weak
loss of appetite
upper belly pain
dark urine
yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes

The most common side effects may include:

headache
muscle aches and pains
abdominal pain
weakness
nausea

Additionally, memory loss and confusion have been reported with Crestor use.

This is not a complete list of side effects of Crestor. Talk to your health care professional for a complete list or if you have side effects that bother you or that do not go away.

Crestor Interactions

Tell your health care professional about all medicines you take or plan to take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some medicines may interact with Crestor, causing side effects. Especially tell your health care professional if you are taking medications for:

your immune system
cholesterol/triglycerides
blood thinning
HIV/AIDS
preventing pregnancy

Know all of the medicines you take and what they look like. It’s always a good idea to check that you have the right prescription before you leave the pharmacy and before you take any medicine. Keep a list of your medicines with you to show your health care professional.

Crestor Precautions

Statin medications, including Crestor, carry a rare but serious risk of:

liver damage
memory loss or confusion
increase in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia)
type 2 diabetes
immune-mediated muscle breakdown

Certain statins can increase risk of muscle weakness as well. It is important to consult your physician to discuss the benefits and risks associated with using this medication.

Do not take Crestor if you:

are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant
are breastfeeding
have liver problems
have had an allergic reaction to Crestor or are allergic to any of its ingredients.

The safety and effectiveness of Crestor have not been established in pediatric patients under the age of 10.

Crestor Food Interactions

Although grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with other cholesterol-lowering medicines known as statins, leading to potentially dangerous effects, Crestor does not appear to interact with grapefruit products.

Follow dietary (food) recommendations made by your doctor and dietitian which should include a healthy diet.

Inform MD

Tell your health care professional if you:

have a history of muscle pain or weakness
are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant
are breastfeeding
drink more than 2 glasses of alcohol daily
have liver problems
have kidney problems
have thyroid problems
are Asian or of Asian descent

Tell your health care professional about all medicines you take or plan to take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Crestor and Pregnancy

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant. Crestor may harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant, stop taking Crestor and call your health care professional right away

Crestor and Lactation

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Crestor can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby.

Crestor Usage

Take Crestor exactly as prescribed by your health care professional. Do not change your dose or stop Crestor without talking to your health care professional, even if you are feeling well.

Your health care professional may do blood tests to check your cholesterol levels before and during your treatment with Crestor. Your dose of Crestor may be changed based on these blood tests results.

Crestor can be taken at any time of day, with or without food.

Swallow the tablets whole.

Your health care professional may start you on a cholesterol lowering diet before giving you Crestor. Stay on this diet when you take Crestor.

Wait at least 2 hours after taking Crestor to take an antacid that contains a combination of aluminum and magnesium hydroxide.

If you miss a dose of Crestor, take it as soon as you remember. However, do not take 2 doses of Crestor within 12 hours of each other.

Crestor Dosage

The dose range for Crestor is 5 to 40 mg taken by mouth, once daily. The usual starting dose is 10-20 mg.

Crestor Overdose

If you take too much Crestor or overdose, call your health care professional or a Poison Control Center right away or go to the nearest emergency room.

Forms of Crestor

Crestor tablets are available in the following strengths: 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, and 40 mg.

Active ingredient: rosuvastatin calcium

Inactive ingredients: microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate, tribasic calcium phosphate, crospovidone, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, triacetin, titanium dioxide, yellow ferric oxide, and red ferric oxide.