What should you assess before giving Lipitor

Monitor liver function tests prior to initiation of therapy and as clinically indicated. … If patient develops muscle tenderness during therapy, CPK levels should be monitored.

What are the nursing considerations for statins?

Nursing considerations – Carry out lipid profile. – Assess cholesterol at six weeks. – Perform liver function tests in first year of treatment. – In the case of rhabdomyolysis with increased muscle tenderness and creatine phosphokinase, therapy should be discontinued.

What should I assess after giving atorvastatin?

Examination and Evaluation Assess any muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if accompanied by fever, malaise, and dark-colored urine. Advise patient that these symptoms may represent drug-induced myopathy, and that myopathy can progress to severe muscle damage (rhabdomyolysis).

What should I watch with Lipitor?

Common Lipitor side effects are diarrhea, upset stomach, muscle and joint pain, and changes in some blood tests, according to Pfizer Inc. The drug label also warns of serious side effects such as liver problems and muscle problems that can lead to kidney failure.

What should be monitor with statin?

The ATP III recommendations for monitoring of statin therapy are as follows: check lipid panel at baseline, 6–8 weeks after starting or adjusting the medication/dose, and then every 4–6 months; check LFTs at baseline, approximately 12 weeks after starting therapy, then annually or more frequently if indicated; and …

How are statins administered?

The medicine comes in tablet or capsule form. Do not open capsules, or break or chew tablets, before taking the medicine. Most people who take statins do so once a day. Some should be taken at night, but others can be taken anytime.

What should you assess before administering simvastatin?

Examination and Evaluation Assess any joint pain, muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if accompanied by fever, malaise, and dark-colored urine. Advise patient that these symptoms may represent drug-induced myopathy and that myopathy can progress to severe muscle damage (rhabdomyolysis).

How do you manage the side effects of Lipitor?

Take a brief break from statin therapy. …
Switch to another statin drug. …
Change your dose. …
Take it easy when exercising. …
Consider other cholesterol-lowering medications. …
Try coenzyme Q10 supplements.

What is the indication for Lipitor?

Indications for: LIPITOR Adjunct to diet in treating elevated serum TG (Type IV). Treatment of primary dysbetalipoproteinemia (Type III) not adequately responsive to diet. Adjunct to other lipid-lowering treatments (or when these are unavailable), in homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia to reduce total-C and LDL-C.

What is Lipitor given for?

Atorvastatin is used along with a proper diet to help lower “bad” cholesterol and fats (such as LDL, triglycerides) and raise “good” cholesterol (HDL) in the blood. It belongs to a group of drugs known as “statins.” It works by reducing the amount of cholesterol made by the liver.

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What should you assess before administering Lipitor?

Monitor liver function tests prior to initiation of therapy and as clinically indicated. …
If patient develops muscle tenderness during therapy, CPK levels should be monitored.

How is Lipitor administered?

Atorvastatin comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken once a day with or without food. Take atorvastatin at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand.

What is the contraindications for Lipitor?

LIPITOR should be used with caution in patients who consume substantial quantities of alcohol and/or have a history of liver disease. Active liver disease or unexplained persistent transaminase elevations are contraindications to the use of LIPITOR [see Contraindications (4.1)].

How do you monitor Lipitor?

Patients starting atorvastatin should have liver function tests and a lipid panel performed at baseline, with a repeat lipid panel after six weeks on therapy. Liver function tests should be repeated as clinically indicated. Once the patient is stable, lipids can be checked every 6 to 12 months.

How do you test for statin toxicity?

A blood test is usually ordered to measure creatine kinase levels and rule out rhabdomyolysis. If rhabdomyolysis is the culprit, statin treatment will be stopped immediately. In the majority of situations, creatine kinase will be normal or only mildly elevated.

When do you recheck labs after starting statin?

Lipid levels should be rechecked one to three months after starting statins, although guidelines differ on subsequent checks. Other lipid-lowering drugs (e.g., bile acid sequestrants, ezetimibe) can be considered if patients do not tolerate statins.

What should you assess before giving hydrochlorothiazide?

Monitor signs of fluid, electrolyte, or acid-base imbalances, including dizziness, drowsiness, blurred vision, confusion, hypotension, or muscle cramps and weakness. …
Assess dizziness and weakness that might affect gait, balance, and other functional activities (See Appendix C).

What are the side effects of atorvastatin?

The most common side effects are headaches, feeling sick (nausea), diarrhoea and cold-like symptoms. Do not take atorvastatin if you’re pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding. Keep taking atorvastatin even if you feel well, as you will still be getting the benefits.

What special instructions must be followed when administering simvastatin?

Take simvastatin at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take simvastatin exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

When should a statin be administered?

Statins that you should take at night These statins are best taken at night. Simvastatin is an example of a statin that works better if taken in the evening. Studies show that when simvastatin is taken at night, there’s a greater reduction in LDL cholesterol than when it’s taken in the morning.

What are 3 contraindications of statins?

Statins are contraindicated for use by patients with active hepatic disease or unexplained persistent elevations in aminotransferase levels. Statins are contraindicated during pregnancy and while breastfeeding because of the effects on the cholesterol pathway.

What is the action of statin?

Statins are a widely prescribed class of drugs to lower cholesterol. Their mode of action is primarily via inhibition of HMG-CoA (hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A) reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway.

Which of the following is an indication for Lipitor?

In adult patients with clinically evident coronary heart disease, LIPITOR is indicated to: Reduce the risk of non-fatal myocardial infarction. Reduce the risk of fatal and non-fatal stroke. Reduce the risk for revascularization procedures.

What do I need to know about Lipitor?

The dosage of Lipitor needs to be individualized but initially should start at 10-20 mg/day and be guided by the results of cholesterol tests taken 2 to 4 weeks later. Take Lipitor exactly as directed by your doctor. Do not increase or decrease the dosage without his or her advice.

What are the side effects of atorvastatin calcium?

constipation,
diarrhea,
nausea,
fatigue,
gas,
heartburn,
headache, and.
mild muscle pain.

What are the side effects when you stop taking statins?

Stopping your statin has been linked to increased risk for cardiovascular events (like heart attack) and death in patients with coronary artery disease. In a recent 8-year study, more than half of patients stopped their statin believing they were experiencing a side effect.

Does Lipitor affect blood pressure?

Changes in blood pressure weren’t reported in people taking Lipitor in clinical trials. However, since the drug was approved, there have been a few studies looking at statins, including Lipitor. These studies showed that statins may slightly lower blood pressure.

What does Lipitor do?

Lipitor is a prescription drug used to lower bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other heart and blood vessel problems. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the medication in 1996. Its active ingredient is atorvastatin calcium.

Does atorvastatin lower heart rate?

Atorvastatin therapy increases heart rate variability, decreases QT variability, and shortens QTc interval duration in patients with advanced chronic heart failure.

What is Lipitor 20mg used for?

Lipitor is indicated as an adjunct to diet for reduction of elevated total cholesterol (total-C), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein B, and triglycerides in adults, adolescents and children aged 10 years or older with primary hypercholesterolaemia including familial hypercholesterolaemia (heterozygous variant) or …