rosuvastatin

Rosuvastatin is a long-acting medication, which means that its effects last throughout the day. You can take Rosuvastatin any time during the day or at night time. Just make sure you try to take it around the same time each day.

Your healthcare team can discuss with you how long you need to take Rosuvastatin. Typically, the length of treatment of depends on different factors, like your cholesterol levels and your risk for heart problems. For example, people who have genetic conditions that lead to higher cholesterol levels, like familial hypercholesterolemia, might need to take a statin their entire life. But others might be able to stop Rosuvastatin once their cholesterol levels are well-controlled and maintained with diet and exercise, and their risk for stroke or heart problems is low. Talk with your care team if you have specific questions about taking Rosuvastatin.

If you accidentally miss a dose of Rosuvastatin, take it as soon as you remember. But if more than 12 hours have passed since the time you were scheduled to take your dose, then skip that dose and take your next dose at your regularly scheduled time. Don't take 2 doses at the same time to make up any missed doses. Missing a single dose of Rosuvastatin likely won't cause any problems. But missing several doses cause your cholesterol levels to go up and put you at higher risk for serious heart-related problems. If you're having trouble remembering to take your pills, discuss with your healthcare team ways to organize your medications like downloading a reminder app on your phone.

There are several medications that can interact with Rosuvastatin. While you might not need to avoid taking them together, your care team will likely need to make some dosage adjustments or check your labs more often. For example, if you take cyclosporine (Sandimmune), your care team might lower your dose of Rosuvastatin. This is because cyclosporine (Sandimmune) can raise the levels of Rosuvastatin in your body and put you at higher risk for side effects. Another example is if you're taking warfarin (Coumadin), your care team might check your international normalized ratio (INR) more often after you start Rosuvastatin. This is because Rosuvastatin can cause the INR to go up, which raises the risk of bleeding. Make sure to tell your prescriber and pharmacist about all of the medications you're taking before and during treatment with Rosuvastatin.

Weight gain isn't commonly reported by people who took Rosuvastatin in clinical studies. If you've gained weight after starting Rosuvastatin, talk with your healthcare team. They can help you figure out what factors might be contributing to the weight gain. Keep in mind that while Rosuvastatin can help lower your cholesterol levels, this medication works best when you also make lifestyle changes to keep your cholesterol levels low and to help maintain a healthy body weight. For example, your care team might recommend that you do cardio and strength training for at least 150 minutes per week. They will also recommend that you avoid foods that are high in trans and saturated fats, such as fast food, and to build meals with healthy foods, such as whole grains, nuts, and vegetables.

Some common side effects of Rosuvastatin, such as headache, nausea, and constipation, typically go away with time. In the meantime, your healthcare team can recommend lifestyle changes to ease these side effects, such as eating foods high in fiber to help with constipation or eating foods that are more bland to prevent nausea. But taking Rosuvastatin can also put you at risk for rare but serious side effects, such as liver problems or muscle breakdown. The risk for these side effects will likely stay with you as long as you're taking Rosuvastatin. Talk with your healthcare team if you have questions about any specific side effect.

The risk of long-term side effects with Rosuvastatin is low. Some studies suggest that taking Rosuvastatin can raise blood sugar levels to the range of Type 2 diabetes. But this side effect is more likely for people who already have pre-diabetes. Other studies suggest that taking Rosuvastatin can raise the risk of liver problems, but this side effect is also rare. More often, people reported higher levels of liver enzymes that got better over time, and no serious liver damage. In general, the benefits of taking Rosuvastatin is greater than the potential for harm. Talk with your healthcare team if you have any specific concerns about taking this medication.