Crestor Tablets (5mg, 10mg, 20mg, 40mg)

Starting dose:

Regardless of whether you have previously taken a different statin at a greater dosage, your treatment with Crestor must begin with the 5 mg or 10 mg dose. Your cholesterol readings will determine which start dose you receive.

Your chance of having a heart attack or stroke, as well as any conditions that might make you more sensitive to potential side effects.

Please consult a doctor or pharmacist to determine the ideal starting dosage of Crestor for you.

If any of the following apply to you:

• If you are Asian (Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, and Indian), your doctor may choose to administer the lowest dosage (5 mg).
• You are over 70 years old; you have mild kidney issues; you are at risk of developing muscular pains; and (myopathy).

Dose increase:

Your dosage might be increased at the doctor's discretion. This is done to ensure that you are consuming the recommended dosage of Crestor.

Your doctor might decide to increase your dosage from 10 mg to 20 mg, then 40 mg if required, starting with 10 mg. Every dose change will be separated by four weeks.

The highest Crestor dosage per day is 40 mg. It is only for patients whose cholesterol levels are not sufficiently lowered by 20 mg and who have a significant risk of heart attacks or stroke.

You should not take Crestor if you have, or have ever had a disease which affects the liver, if you have had any unexplained abnormal blood tests for liver function, if you are a woman able to have children and not using reliable contraception, if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant or if you are breastfeeding.

You must speak to your doctor before taking Crestor, because it may be unsuitable for you if:

• You have ever had a stroke with bleeding into the brain or have small pockets of fluid in the brain from previous strokes.
• You have kidney problems
• You have an under-active thyroid gland
• You regularly drink large amounts of alcohol
• You are older than 70 years old
• You have had repeated or unexplained muscle aches or pains, a personal history or family history of muscle problems
• You have had previous muscle problems during treatment with other lipid-lowering medicines
• You have a history of liver disease
• You have severe respiratory failure

If you take any of the medicines, you must speak to your doctor before taking Crestor, particularly the following:

• Medicines used to alter the way your immune system works
• Certain antibiotics or antifungal medicines
• Other medicines to regulate lipid levels
• Some calcium channel blockers used for angina or high blood pressure
• Medicines used to treat HIV