Crestor Drug Side Effects

Crestor, rosuvastatin calcium, is a prescription drug that fights cholesterol. Created by AstraZeneca, it reduces the absorption of bad cholesterol by the liver. This drug is intended to stop the build up of bad plaque in the arteries that can lead to a heart attack or heart disease. It is prescribed to individuals to work with a diet plan to reduce the cholesterol level in the body, limiting the amount of cholesterol the liver produces.

Headache

AstraZeneca completed a fifteen week study of Crestor using a test group of 5,394 people. 5.5 percent of this group reported a headache using the 5 mg dosage. At the 10 mg dosage this group increased to 4.9 percent. A dip was reported in 20 mg dosage with only 3.1 percent reporting headaches. The highest dosage given was 40 mg. At this level 8.5 percent of the study group said they were experiencing headaches. The overall percentage, including all dosages, reporting headaches was 5.5 percent.

Nausea

According to the same Astra Zeneca study, there were also members of the group that experienced nausea. At the 5 mg dosage 3.8 percent reported feeling nauseous. At 10 mg the percentage was 3.5 percent. At 20 mg the percentage rose to 6.3 percent. The last dosage given was the 40 mg level and at this level no one reported nausea. The overall percentage of people reporting nausea who took Crestor at any dosage level was 3.4 percent.

Muscle Pain

Myalgia, a condition commonly known as muscle pain, was also experienced by some of the test group. At the 5 mg dosage 3.1 percent of patients complained about muscle pain. At the 10 mg dosage the numbers dipped to 2.1 percent. 6.3 percent of the group reported muscle pain at the 20 mg dosage. At 40 mg the numbers dropped again to 1.9 percent. The overall percentage of patients reporting muscle aches in this control group was 2.8 percent.

Constipation

Another significant side effect of the drug Crestor is constipation. According to the AstraZeneca study, 2.1 percent of patients taking the 5 mg dosage were constipated. At 10 mg the percentage remained at 2.1 percent. At 20 mg the number of people experiencing the condition rose to 4.7 percent and at 40 mg the percentage was 2.8 percent. Overall 2.8 percent of the study group reported constipation that includes all dosage levels.