Lipitor Dosages

There are five different Lipitor dosages available ranging from 10 mg to 80 mg. Pfizer manufactures Lipitor in a variety of dosages because the drug is used to help treat a range of different medical conditions related to cardiovascular disease. Doctors are able to use the available dosage range to provide patients with the most accurate medication concentration and have the flexibility of increasing or decreasing dosage if necessary. All five Lipitor dosages available can be purchased at local and online pharmacies.

Lipitor Starting Dosage

Most patients that have been prescribed Lipitor are advised to start with one 10 mg or 20 mg Lipitor tablet per day. The low starting dosage is primarily designed to allow the body to get accustomed to the medication without experiencing a high frequency of side effects. For some patients, the low 10 mg or 20 mg dosage may also be recommended for long-term use. Lipitor is rarely used as a stand-alone medication so most patients starting recommended dosage will also have to take into account doctor recommended life style adjustments and alternative forms of treatment.

Standard Lipitor Dosage

After a few weeks on the starting dosage, the doctor may increase the dosage to improve the drug? effectiveness in lowering cholesterol and triglycerides levels. The 20, 40 and 80 mg Lipitor dosages available are the most common concentrations for long term therapeutic treatment. One tablet each day should be consumed to elicit the best effects on a regular basis. While on a therapeutic dosage of Lipitor, you may be required to undergo tests to check cholesterol or triglyceride levels. The tests are used to gauge the effectiveness of the current dosage and may be performed once every couple of months to monitor long-term results. The doctor may increase your dosage amount or even replace Lipitor with a different statin class drug if blood tests results show no significant improvements.

Lipitor Side Effects

All of the Lipitor dosages available feature potential side effects. The most common side effects identified during clinical trials were headaches, infections, muscle pain and diarrhea. Other side effects like sinus inflammation, sore throat, back pain, flu symptoms and stomach pain were much more infrequent. Lipitor may also result in rare liver related symptoms. Since Lipitor? active ingredient aims to inhibit specific enzymes of the liver, rare side effects such as an abnormal increase in liver enzymes, hepatitis and jaundice can occur. However, regular medical precautions, check-ups and blood tests can prevent potential liver side effects from becoming serious.