Hi dear. Thanks for trusting HealthCareMagic. I'm dr. Asti.
You have used Lipitor which contains
Atorvastatin as the anti
cholesterol agents. The dosage of Lipitor may vary depends on the cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL score. It can be given 10-80 mg/day based on cholesterol score. You have used it for 3 weeks. I suggest you to re-check the laboratory after 4 weeks, so your doctor can do dosage adjustment.
The adverse effects of Lipitor may affect your
arthritis, because 4-12% patients get
arthralgia (the pain in joints) after using this drug, 2-5% have
musculoskeletal pain and spasm, and also myalgia. Lipitor should be used with caution especially in elderly, because it can increase the risk of myopathy, the disorders if the muscles.
If you have arthritis, better you consult with your doctor about the side effects that you feel. Your doctor may withhold the use of Lipitor or only adjust the dose.
Do you use the other medicines for your arthritis? Because Lipitor may have interactions with the other drugs such as steroid (methylprednisolone,
Prednisone etc), and
colchicine as the therapy for gout arthritis. It would make the side effects worsen. You should tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, to make using of atorvastatin safer for you.
If I were your treating doctor, I would suggest you to do laboratory first. Then if the results show improvement, we can titrate the dose, and you can have ½ pill of Lipitor or 10mg. But it all depends on your cholesterol score.
I hope these can be helpful for you. If you have something to be discussed, feel free to ask me more in HealthCareMagic. I hope you will get well soon.
Regards,
dr. Asti Yuliadha