Rosuvastatin

Generic name: Rosuvastatin
Dosage form: oral capsule, oral tablet
Drug class: Statins

Usage of Rosuvastatin

Rosuvastatin (Crestor, Ezallor Sprinkle) is a prescription medication used to treat high cholesterol and prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Rosuvastatin belongs to a class of drugs called statins. It works in two ways. Rosuvastatin works by blocking an enzyme in the liver called HMG-CoA reductase, which leads to the liver making less cholesterol. It also works by increasing the liver's uptake of cholesterol from your blood and its breakdown.

Rosuvastatin comes as a tablet and a capsule. The tablet formulation for rosuvastatin was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003 under the brand name Crestor. Many generic versions of rosuvastatin tablets have since been approved.

Rosuvastatin is also available as a capsule, which was approved in 2018 under the brand name Ezallor Sprinkle. Adults who can't easily swallow a tablet or capsule can open the capsules and sprinkle the granules onto soft food and eat it. A generic version of the capsules has not been approved.

Rosuvastatin side effects

Serious side effects of rosuvastatin include:

Muscle pain, tenderness and weakness (myopathy). Muscle problems, including muscle breakdown, can be serious in some people and rarely cause kidney damage that can lead to death. Tell your doctor right away if:

you have unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, especially if you have a fever or feel more tired than usual, while you take this medication.

you have muscle problems that do not go away even after your doctor has told you to stop taking this medication. Your doctor may do further tests to diagnose the cause of your muscle problems. Your chances of getting muscle problems are higher if you:

are taking certain other medicines while you take rosuvastatin

are 65 years of age or older

have thyroid problems (hypothyroidism) that are not controlled

have kidney problems

are taking higher doses of this medication

Liver problems. Your doctor should do blood tests to check your liver before you start taking this medication and if you have symptoms of liver problems while you taking it. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms of liver problems:

feel unusually tired or weak

loss of appetite

upper belly pain

dark urine

yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes

The most common side effects of rosuvastain may include:

headache

muscle aches and pains

abdominal pain

weakness

nausea

Additional side effects that have been reported with rosuvastatin include memory loss and confusion.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the possible side effects. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Rosuvastatin

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant. Rosuvastatin may harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant, stop taking rosuvastatin and call your doctor right away. If you are not planning to become pregnant you should use effective birth control (contraception) while you are taking this medication.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Medicines like rosuvastatin can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take this medication.

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How to use Rosuvastatin

Rosuvastatin tablets:

Dose range: 5-40 mg once daily. Use 40 mg dose only for patients not reaching LDL cholesterol goal with 20 mg.

Adults with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia: Starting dose 20 mg/day.

Pediatric patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia: 20 mg/day for patients 7 to 17 years of age.

Pediatric patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia: 5 to 10 mg/day for patients 8 to less than 10 years of age, and 5 to 20 mg/day for patients 10 to 17 years of age.

Rosuvastatin capsules:

Dose range: 5 mg to 40 mg once daily. Use 40 mg dose only for patients not reaching LDL cholesterol goal with 20 mg.

Adults with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia: Starting dose 20 mg/day.

What other drugs will affect Rosuvastatin

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Talk to your doctor before you start taking any new medicines.

Taking rosuvastatin with certain other medicines may affect each other causing side effects.

Especially tell your doctor if you take:

cyclosporine (a medicine for your immune system)

gemfibrozil (a fibric acid medicine for lowering cholesterol)

darolutamide (a medicine for the treatment of prostate cancer)

regorafenib (a medicine used to treat cancer of the colon and rectum)

anti‑viral medicines including certain HIV or hepatitis C virus drugs such as:

lopinavir, ritonavir, fosamprenavir, tipranavir, atazanavir, simeprevir

combination of:

sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir

dasabuvir/ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir

elbasvir/grazoprevir

sofosbuvir/velpatasvir

glecaprevir/pibrentasvir and

all other combinations with ledipasvir including ledipasvir/sofosbuvir

certain anti-fungal medicines (such as itraconazole, ketoconazole and fluconazole)

coumarin anticoagulants (medicines that prevent blood clots, such as warfarin)

niacin or nicotinic acid

fibric acid derivatives (such as fenofibrate)

colchicine (a medicine used to treat gout)

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a list of these medicines if you are not sure.

Know all of the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get new medicine.

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