Patient/caregiver was educated on the precautions to be observed while taking atorvastatin as follows:
- Avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grape fruit juice with atorvastatin. Grapefruit can inhibit metabolism of atorvastatin by the liver. Slowing down of the drug metabolism can result in increased blood levels of the medication, thus contributing to risk for toxic side-effects of the medication, such as, hepatic damage and muscle breakdown.
- Certain other cholesterol lowering medications, such as, cholestyramine and colestipol, if taken together with atorvastatin, can inhibit absorption of atorvastatin, thereby compromising the therapeutic benefit of atorvastatin. So, spacing these medications out, by taking them 2 – 3 hours apart, can help derive the intended therapeutic benefit of the medication without any compromise.
- Observe compliance with low fat diet. Atorvastatin intake with dietary recommendation compliance can help with better maintenance of blood cholesterol levels.
- 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.
