Lipitor - What is it?
Lipitor, active ingredient atorvastatin calcium, is a medication that is available by prescription only. It is used for the treatment of many conditions that have to do with heart disease. Some of the uses of Lipitor include:
Lowering the amount of cholesterol in those that have high cholesterol. This medication has been shown to reduce the total amount of bad cholesterol, known as LDL; ApoB cholesterol, which is also a bad type of cholesterol; lower triglycerides.
Help to raise good cholesterol, also called HDL.
Lowers triglycerides in those that have high levels of triglycerides.
Who Is the maker?
Pfizer, Inc. is the maker of Lipitor.
How It Works
Lipitor belongs to the class of medications known as statins. It works to block the enzyme called HMG-CoA redcuctase. This enzyme controls how fast cholesterol is made in the body. This can help the liver to make lower amounts of cholesterol. This medication also helps to:
Increase the ability of the liver to gather and eliminate the bad cholesterol from the body.
Increase the amount of good, or HDL cholesterol.
Possible Side Effects
Possible side effects of Lipitor might include: muscle pain, headache, joint pain, diarrhea, abdominal pain and unexplained rash.
Generic Forms of Lipitor
At this time, there is no generic form of Lipitor on the market. The earliest that a generic form could come to the market would be sometime in November of 2011.