What is Lipitor Used For?

Lipitor is a prescription medication that is made by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. It is a kind of drug that is commonly known as a statin. There are many different types of statins and they are all used for their ability to excessive cholesterol levels in patients. Unfortunately, the prolonged use of statins such as Lipitor also carries certain potential dangers.

Function

The main ingredient in Lipitor is a chemical known as atorvastatin. Atorvastatin works to lower cholesterol levels in the same basic fashion as all statins. Essentially, Lipitor is a competitive inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase. The exact chemical processes involved are both extremely complex and irrelevant as far as the layperson is concerned. Basically, Lipitor's statin effects inhibit an enzyme in the body that is required for the production of cholesterol. Over time this inhibiting effect causes the cholesterol levels in the blood to drop significantly.

Types

Lipitor is simply a brand name for one atorvastatin medication. The Lipitor name is a product of the Pfizer group. There are many other medications that work the same way and contain the same chemicals. The following are all cholesterol medications which contain atorvastatin as a main ingredient: Lipitor, Lipidra, Aztor, Torvatin, Sortis, Torvast, Torvacard, Totalip, Tulip, Xarator, Atorpic, Liprimar, Atorlip, Avas and Storvas.

Size

The exact dosage that is prescribed to a patient to lower their cholesterol depends of several factors. The main ones are age, weight, gender, and cholesterol level. For an average adult, however, a moderate dose of Lipitor would be 40 mg per day. For those with higher cholesterol levels, however, higher dosages might be indicated. For an average adult with very high cholesterol, for example, a common dose would be 80 mg per day.

Benefits

The benefits of Lipitor for those suffering from high cholesterol levels are immense. High cholesterol can lead to blockages within a person's circulatory system. These blockages are generally made of both plaque and cholesterol. Such blockages can cause many negative effects on those who are stricken with them. Heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots are all possible risks of those who have high cholesterol. Treating the cholesterol level, however, and managing it with a statin like Lipitor can seriously improve a person's longevity and decrease their risk of catastrophic cardiovascular events.

Considerations

Unfortunately, statin drugs are not without side effects. While the vast majority of patients may notice virtually no side effects whatsoever, others suffer from cardiac myalgia, upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea, elevated kidney enzymes, joint pain, insomnia, headache, dizziness, and/or muscle pain. When deciding whether or not to begin a Lipitor regimen a patient and their physician should discuss the benefits of the medication and weigh those against the possible risks.