Description

Crestor: instructions for use

Crestor is a hypolipidemic drug. The active ingredient of the drug is Rosuvastatin – a competitive selective inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme transforming 3-hydroxy 3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A into cholesterol precursor – mevalonate.

The maximum concentration of the active substance in plasma is observed about 5 hours after internal use of Crestor. Bioavailability is approximately 20%.

Crestor 10 mg is prescribed for treatment of atherosclerosis, slowing down of disease progression in patients who are shown hypolipidemic treatment; in homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia as addition to other cholesterol-lowering treatment (for example, LDL-apheresis) or diet, as well as in cases when such treatment is not effective. As an adjunct to diet – in mixed hypercholesterolemia (type IIc), when non-drug methods (weight loss, physical activity) and dietary changes are ineffective.

Primary hypercholesterolemia type IIa (including familial heterozygous hypercholesterolemia).

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Crestor vs Lipitor

Both Crestor and Lipitor belong to a class of drugs called statins. Crestor is a brand name for rosuvastatin and Lipitor is a brand name for atorvastatin.

Crestor and Lipitor also specifically lower LDL (bad cholesterol), raise HDL (good cholesterol), and improve triglyceride levels (types of fat molecules in the bloodstream).

Both drugs are relatively well tolerated. In rare cases, serious side effects may occur.

If you do not know which medication is best for you, you should consult your doctor. Take into account the cost, side effects, other medications you are taking, and other important factors.

Side effects of Crestor in women

Crestor is not recommended for women of reproductive age who are not using reliable contraception. If a patient decides to become pregnant during treatment with Atorvastatin, she must stop taking the drug at least one month before the planned pregnancy.

Statins may be harmful to the fetus. Crestor may be used in women of reproductive age only if the probability of pregnancy is very low and the patient has been informed about the potential risk. If a woman becomes pregnant during treatment with the drug, Crestor should be stopped immediately and the patient should be re-informed about the potential risk to the fetus and the lack of known clinical benefit of continuing the drug during pregnancy.

Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels are elevated during normal pregnancy. Taking hypolipidemic medications during pregnancy will have no beneficial effect because cholesterol and its derivatives are necessary for normal fetal development. Gynecomastia can also occur in women.

What foods should be avoided when taking Crestor?

Statins (reduce blood cholesterol levels) are not recommended to be combined with grapefruit, pomelo and various hybrid citrus fruits. The substances that grapefruit and hybrid citrus fruits contain block the liver enzyme that breaks down statins. This can result in increased concentrations of statins in the body, causing liver dysfunction and leading to muscle breakdown.

Side effects of Crestor in men

Decreased cholesterol levels can negatively affect male fertility. First, cholesterol is involved in the synthesis of steroid hormones, including testosterone. Second, because it is part of the signaling pathway that controls sperm volume and maturation.

Several studies have shown that the use of statins can lead to worse sperm counts. Therefore, men with decreased sperm counts need additional consultation with a urologist before starting Crestor treatment.

Does Crestor cause weight gain?

Before starting Crestor therapy, the patient should start a standard hypolipidemic diet and continue to follow it during the entire treatment period. Some patients gain extra pounds while taking Crestor 10.

Doctors recommend adhering to a healthy diet. But in practice, patients taking drugs of this group and do not comply with dietary recommendations. Some patients who are prescribed statins even begin to eat fatty foods more often and increase the caloric content of their daily diet, so as a result their body weight increases.

When is the best time to take Crestor?

Usually, the best time to take Crestor is in the evening, since cholesterol biosynthesis peaks at night.

Crestor and alcohol

The use of Crestor with alcohol is fraught with negative consequences:

1. Increasing the effects of the drug. Symptoms of overdose may occur when taking a normal dose of Crestor.
2. Weakening of the effect of the drug. The opposite effect, in which statins begin to work too weakly and do not have the desired therapeutic effect.
3. Regular alcohol abuse may have no effect at all.
4. Progression of the underlying disease. Neither therapy nor medication may have any effect on the alcoholic’s body.
5. Problems with cholesterol and the cardiovascular system continue to worsen. Increased side effects, unforeseen side effects from other illnesses and medications taken.

For safety reasons, even small doses of alcohol should be avoided during a course of treatment with pills.

Ignoring the advice of doctors and drug manufacturers can end in serious health problems or death.

Contraindications

Crestor is prescribed only by a doctor, as the drug has contraindications:

1. Liver disease in the active stage, including a persistent increase in trasaminases of unknown genesis, as well as an increase in transaminases with levels 3 times or more exceeding the upper limit of normal.
2. Severe renal impairment with creatinine clearance ≤30 ml/min.
3. Concomitant use of cyclosporine.
4. During pregnancy and lactation.
5.  Immune system hypersensitivity to rosuvastatin or any other component of Crestor.
6. The drug is not prescribed to patients who do not use highly effective and efficient methods of contraception.
7. Myopathy.
8. The dose of Crestor 40 mg/day is contraindicated in patients with an increased risk of rhabdomyolysis or myopathy.
9. Under 18 years of age.

When engaging in potentially hazardous activities, patients should consider that dizziness may occur during therapy.

Crestor versus Atorvastatin

These drugs have the same purpose of taking – to reduce cholesterol concentrations. Their pharmacological action is limited to inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase. The consequence of the induced reactions is a decrease in the content of cholesterol in cells and activation of LDL cholesterol catabolism. The degree of its concentration reduction depends exponentially on the drug dose. Additional positive effects of taking Rosuvastatin or Atorvastatin will be:

• improvement of endothelial condition in its dysfunction;
• normalization of rheologic properties of blood;
•  improvement of the condition of vascular walls and atheroma.

Despite the similarities, these drugs belong to different generations of statins.

Rosuvastatin is a newer development, which allows reducing the average and maximum doses of the active substance at the expense of greater efficiency.

The considered drugs have different excretion routes: Atorvastatin is excreted with bile in the form of metabolites, which it is converted into by liver enzymes; rosuvastatin – in unchanged form with feces.

Crestor (Rosuvastatin) is a hydrophilic substance, while Atorvastatin is soluble in fat. In type 2 diabetes, Rosuvastatin is preferred because it has less effect on carbohydrate metabolism.

Freely available data comparing the effectiveness of these drugs show that therapy with Rosuvastatin has a more pronounced effect on reducing cholesterol concentrations. In addition, this drug belongs to the 4th generation of statins and suggests greater efficacy as a prophylactic agent for coronary artery disease. However, the choice of drug should be made by the attending physician for each patient, taking into account his or her individual characteristics, comorbidities and financial capabilities.

“I accidentally took a double dose of Crestor”

You should strictly follow your doctor’s recommendations and try not to increase the dosage yourself. If you accidentally took an extra pill, you should not worry about serious side effects. Monitor your well-being and tell your doctor if you experience any unpleasant symptoms.

Does Crestor raise blood sugar levels?

Taking Crestor tablets increases your risk of developing diabetes by 22 percent. This is because statins reduce insulin sensitivity and secretion.

Crestor 10 mg price

To find out the price of the drug, you need to go to the website of the online pharmacy. The price and information about current availability is available for buyers.