Atorvastatin belongs to a group of medicines called statins. It is used to lower cholesterol if you've been diagnosed with high blood cholesterol and prevent heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes.
Your doctor may also prescribe atorvastatin if you have a family history of heart disease, or a long-term health condition such as type 1 or type 2 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis.
This medicine is available on prescription only. It comes as tablets, including chewable tablets for people who have difficulty swallowing.
Key facts
- You'll usually take atorvastatin once a day.
- The most common side effects are headaches, feeling sick (nausea), diarrhoea and cold-like symptoms.
- Do not take atorvastatin if you're pregnant.
- If you take your medicine as your doctor prescribed, your cholesterol levels should drop within 4 weeks. Keep taking atorvastatin even if you feel well, as you will still be getting the benefits. Most people with high cholesterol do not have any symptoms.
- Try not to drink more than a litre of grapefruit juice a day. Too much of it can increase the level of atorvastatin in your blood. This can increase the risk of side effects.