Patient/caregiver was educated on how to take atorvastatin as follows:
- Do not crush or chew the tablet. Take the tablet as a whole.
- Take the medication dose at the same time, every day, to avoid forgetting the intake of medication.
- Maintain strict compliance with intake of the medication as ordered, with regards to dosage and frequency, to derive the benefit of the medication.
- Do not change the dose on this medication without consulting your doctor.
- Taking atorvastatin with meal or a snack can help avoid unpleasant nausea and vomiting sensation with the medication, if any.
- Observe compliance with other measures for reducing blood cholesterol levels, to derive optimum benefit from the medication, such as, low fat diet and smoking cessation. Also, consider life-style changes, such as, physical exercise based on endurance, and weight loss, if obese.
- It takes about 2 – 3 weeks and may be even longer, before the cholesterol levels are lowered and the benefits of medication are noted. So, do not discontinue taking the medication without your physician’s consult, as you failed to see the desired result immediately after taking the medication.
- Your physician could change the dose of atorvastatin, based on the lab results obtained. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments and lab draws ordered. Be accommodative to the plan of frequent dose changes, until you show an optimum response.
- Continue taking atorvastatin as ordered, even if your lab results show the cholesterol levels under control. Discontinuing the medication should only be on your physician’s recommendation.
