About Crestor

Crestor belongs to a group of drugs known as statins. Statins are drugs prescribed to treat high cholesterol levels. Statins are only prescribed if changing your diet and doing more exercise hasn’t helped lower your cholesterol. 60% of the population in the UK have high cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fatty substance, which is made by the liver, but is also found in certain foods. Having high cholesterol puts you at risk of having a heart attack or stroke, which can be very dangerous to your health.

While taking Crestor, you should carry on eating a balanced, low-fat diet, and keep exercising regularly. This will all help you stay healthy and lower your cholesterol levels.

How to take Crestor

Always take Crestor as your nurse or doctor have told you. If you’re ever unsure, ask them or your pharmacist.

Otherwise, you should take Crestor as follows:

• swallow your tablet whole, without chewing or crushing
• take it with or without food
• take your tablet once a day at around the same time

If you ever take more Crestor than you should, contact your doctor or nearest hospital for advice.

If you ever forget a dose, don’t take an extra one the next day to make up for it. Just carry on as usual on the next day with another pill.

Who can take Crestor?

Only take Crestor if it’s been prescribed to you by a nurse or doctor. Your doctor will assess whether Crestor is suitable for you. You doctor will take into consideration your medical history and any other medicines you might be taking at the moment.

Keep taking Crestor until your doctor has told you to stop. Even if your cholesterol gets to the right level, it may increase again. Crestor helps keep your cholesterol levels at a healthy level.

Who should not take Crestor?

You shouldn’t take Crestor if you:

• are under 6 years old
• are allergic to any of its ingredients
• are pregnant or breastfeeding
• have liver disease or kidney problems
• have unexplained muscle pain
• take a drug called ciclosporin

You shouldn’t take high doses of Crestor if you:

• are under 18 years old
• have thyroid problems
• often drink large amounts of alcohol
• take medicines called fibrates
• are of Asian origin

Talk to your doctor if you’re not sure whether Crestor is safe for you.

Your doctor will tell you the right dose to take.

The usual starting dose for adults is 5 mg or 10 mg. Your doctor will work out whether you’re more suited to the higher or lower dose depending on:

• how high your cholesterol is
• your risk of heart attacks or strokes
• if you’re sensitive to side effects

Your doctor might increase your dose, up to 10 mg, 20 mg or 40 mg. The maximum daily dose of Crestor is 40 mg. This is only used for patients with very high cholesterol that’s difficult to control.

As with any medicine, there’s a chance of getting some side effects while taking Crestor.

Stop taking Crestor and seek medical attention right away if you ever experience signs of an allergic reaction (breathing problems, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue, and severe itching) or severe muscle pain.

Some common side effects of Crestor are:

• headaches
• upset stomach
• nausea
• muscle pains
• feeling weak or dizzy

Some people find that they get dizzy while taking Crestor. If this happens, talk to your nurse or doctor before driving a car or using heavy machinery. Driving or using machines while dizzy is dangerous both to you and the people around you.