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Crestor

Crestor

Brand Names

Crestor

What is Crestor

Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) is a prescription medicine that belongs to a group of drugs called HMG CoA reductase inhibitors or statins. It is effective in the treatment of a number of conditions related to heart disease, including high cholesterol and high triglycerides.

Crestor works by reducing levels of "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or LDL) and triglycerides in the blood while increasing levels of "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein or HDL). It is very important to note that Crestor is used in adults and children who are at least 10 years old.

Side effects of Crestor

Crestor may cause the following side effects:

constipation
heartburn
dizziness
difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
depression
joint pain
cough

If you have noticed any of these side effects, you should stop taking this medicine and inform your doctor as soon as possible:

muscle pain, tenderness or weakness
lack of energy
fever
chest pain
yellowing of the skin or eyes
pain in the upper right part of the abdomen
nausea
extreme tiredness
unusual bleeding or bruising
loss of appetite
flu-like symptoms
sore throat, chills or other signs of infection
rash
hives
itching
difficulty breathing or swallowing
swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles or lower legs
hoarseness
numbness or tingling in fingers or toes

Indication

Crestor is used for the following purposes:

To lower cholesterol in people with high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia). Crestor is also used to help raise HDL (good cholesterol).
To lower triglycerides in patients with high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia). Triglycerides are the chemical form in which most fats exist in the body.
To treat dysbetalipoproteinemia, a rare genetic condition characterized by high cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
As an add-on treatment for people with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia to help lower total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol and ApoB cholesterol (another type of "bad cholesterol").
To slow the progression of atherosclerosis (a hardening and narrowing of the arteries).
To reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and bypass surgeries (or other revascularization procedures) in people who do not yet have heart disease, but have certain risk factors for heart disease.

Precautions

You should not take crestor if you have:

Liver disease or liver failure
Kidney disease or kidney failure
An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
Any allergies, including allergies to foods, dyes or preservatives
a history of heart attack or stroke

It is also very important to inform your doctor if you are:

Pregnant, want to be pregnant or breastfeeding
Undergoing a procedure or surgery in the near future
Of Asian descent
Drinking alcohol frequently
Taking any other prescription and non-prescription medicines, antacids, vitamins and herbal supplements

Dosage forms

Crestor dose for High Cholesterol

The standard dose of crestor for treating high cholesterol is 10 mg once a day (although a starting dose of 20 mg daily can be used if you have very high cholesterol). After several weeks, your doctor will recommend you to recheck your cholesterol levels. If you have not reached your cholesterol goal at this time, your doctor may increase your dose of Crestor. Your doctor may reduce your dose if side effects occur. The average daily dose is Crestor 20-40 mg once a day.

Your doctor may recommend a lower Crestor dose (5-10 mg per day) if you: