Crestor Dosing

Most people begin with Crestor 10 mg once a day, and the dose is adjusted as needed after taking it for several weeks. Your dose may range from 5 mg to 40 mg once daily, depending on your response to the medication. If you are over 65 years of age, are of Asian descent, are taking cyclosporine, or have severe kidney disease, your physician may choose to start you on a lower Crestor dose.
  

Dosing With Crestor: An Introduction

The dose of Crestor® (rosuvastatin calcium) your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
 
  • Your age
  • The medical condition you are being treated for
  • Other existing medical conditions you may have
  • Other medications you may also be taking
  • Your cholesterol goal.
     
As is always the case, do not adjust your dosage unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
 

Available Strengths

Several strengths of Crestor are available. These include:
 

Crestor Dosage for High Cholesterol

The recommended starting dose for most people with
 high cholesterol is Crestor 10 mg once a day (although a starting dose of 20 mg daily can be used if you have very high cholesterol). After several weeks, your healthcare provider will recommend that you return to recheck your cholesterol levels. If you have not reached your cholesterol goal at this time, your healthcare provider may choose to increase your dose of Crestor. The dose can also be decreased if side effects occur. The average daily dose is Crestor 20 mg to Crestor 40 mg once a day.
 
Your healthcare provider may recommend a lower Crestor dose (5 mg per day) if you:
 
  • Are 65 years of age or older
  • Are of Asian descent
  • Take gemfibrozil (Lopid®)
  • Take cyclosporine (Gengraf®, Neoral®, Sandimmune®)
  • Take protease inhibitor medications for HIV (see Crestor Drug Interactions for more information)
  • Have severe kidney disease.
     
(Crestor Dosing Continued: Page 2)
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;
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