Crestor

Crestor Medicine

What Is Crestor?

Crestor^® (rosuvastatin calcium) is a prescription medication used for treating a number of conditions related to heart disease, including high cholesterol and high triglycerides. Approved uses of Crestor include:

Lowering cholesterol in people with high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia). Crestor can reduce total cholesterol, LDL ("bad cholesterol"), ApoB, non-HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides -- as well as raise HDL ("good cholesterol").
Lowering triglycerides in people with high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia).
As an add-on treatment in people with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia to help lower total and LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol.
Treating dysbetalipoproteinemia, a rare genetic condition characterized by high cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Slowing the progression of atherosclerosis (a hardening and narrowing of the arteries).

(Click Crestor Uses for more information on what the medication is used for, including possible off-label uses.)

Who Makes It?

Crestor is manufactured by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.

How Does Crestor Work?

Crestor is part of a class of drugs called

statins. It works by blocking a particular enzyme (HMG-CoA reductase) that controls the rate of cholesterol production in the body. This causes the liver to make less cholesterol. The medication also:

Increases the liver's ability to collect and get rid of LDL cholesterol
Increases HDL cholesterol
Decreases triglycerides.

Effects of Crestor

In general, cholesterol treatment begins with lifestyle changes (weight loss, exercise, and diet). If lifestyle changes alone do not lower cholesterol enough, medication such as Crestor may be necessary.

The main goal of high cholesterol medication is to lower LDL cholesterol levels enough to reduce your risk of developing problems related to high cholesterol, such as heart disease or heart attack (see Effects of High Cholesterol). The higher your risk, the lower your LDL goal will be.

(Click High Cholesterol Risk to determine your cholesterol risk and find out what your LDL cholesterol level should be.)

Since Crestor can lower LDL cholesterol (along with lowering total cholesterol and increasing HDL), a person can lower his or her risk for developing certain health problems in the future by taking the medication.

In previous research studies, people taking Crestor for high cholesterol treatment were able to, on average:

Decrease LDL cholesterol by up to 63 percent
Decrease triglycerides by up to 35 percent
Decreases ApoB cholesterol by up to 54 percent
Decrease total cholesterol by up to 46 percent
Raise HDL by up to 14 percent.

In general, greater responses were seen with higher Crestor doses.

When and How Do I Take It?

Some general considerations include the following:

Crestor comes in tablet form. It is usually taken by mouth once a day.
It does not matter if you take it with a meal or on an empty stomach. If it seems to bother your stomach, try taking it with food.
You can take this medication any time of the day. However, it is best to take it at the same time every day.
Although some statins can interact with grapefruit, it is okay for people to eat grapefruit while on this medication (see Crestor and Grapefruit).
For the medication to work properly, it must be taken as prescribed. Crestor will not work if you stop taking it.

Dosing Information

The dose of Crestor your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:

Your age
The medical condition being treated
Other existing medical conditions you may have
Any other medications you may be taking.

As with any drug, do not adjust your dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.

(Click Crestor Dosing for more information.)

Side Effects of Crestor

As with any medicine, side effects are possible with Crestor. However, not everyone who takes it will experience side effects. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by your healthcare provider.

The most common side effects are:

Headaches
Joint pain
Nausea
Muscle pain or tenderness (see Crestor and Muscle Pain)
Constipation
Nausea
Body weakness (asthenia).

(Click Crestor Side Effects to learn more, including potentially serious side effects you should report to your healthcare provider.)

Drug Interactions

There are a number of medicines that may interact with Crestor (see Crestor Drug Interactions for more information).

What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?

Prior to taking Crestor, talk to your healthcare provider if you have:

Liver disease or liver failure
Kidney disease or kidney failure
An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
Any allergies, including allergies to foods, dyes, or preservatives.

Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:

Pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant (see Crestor and Pregnancy)
Breastfeeding (see Crestor and Breastfeeding)
Will be undergoing a procedure or surgery
Of Asian descent
A frequent user of alcohol (see Crestor and Alcohol).

Also, tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you may already be taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, antacids, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

(Click Crestor Precautions and Warnings to learn more, including information on who should not take the drug.)

What If I Take an Overdose of Crestor?

It is not known what exactly to expect in the case of an overdose. If you happen to overdose on Crestor, seek immediate medical attention (see Crestor Overdose).

How Should Crestor Be Stored?

Crestor should be stored at room temperature, away from moisture and heat. Keep this and all medications out of the reach of children.

What Should I Do If I Miss a Dose?

If you forget to take your Crestor as scheduled, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule. Never take a double dose.

Available Strengths

Crestor tablets are available in the following strengths:

Crestor 5 mg
Crestor 10 mg
Crestor 20 mg
Crestor 40 mg.

Is There a Generic Version of Crestor?

Currently, Crestor is not available in generic form (see Generic Crestor for more information).