Rosuvastatin/Crestor

Crestor (Rosuvastatin) tablets are used in conjunction with diet to lower blood levels of "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL), to increase levels of "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL) and to reduce triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood).

Rosuvastatin is also used to treat inherited types of high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia): the heterozygous type (inherited from one parent) and the homozygous type (inherited from both parents).

In the heterozygous type, rosuvastatin can be used in children at least 8 years old. In the homozygous type, rosuvastatin can be used in children at least 7 years old.

Crestor is also used in adults to slow the progression of atherosclerosis (a buildup of plaque in the blood vessels that can block blood flow).

Crestor is also used to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other complications in men of the age of 50 and older and in women age 60 and older who have coronary heart disease or other risk factors.

Crestor (Rosuvastatin) is an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase). This enzyme catalyzes an essential step in the mevalonate pathway, the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate, which is a key metabolite in cholesterol biosynthesis. The attached diagram shows the level of blockage of statins and other substances in cholesterol biosynthesis.

Wherein an HMG-CoA molecule is reduced by the action of HMG-CoA reductase and the coenzyme NADPH resulting in mevalonate and CoA. The inhibition of the enzyme is done in a competitive, partial, and reversible way.

Blocking hepatic cholesterol synthesis produces activation of SREBP regulatory proteins (sterol regulatory elements-binding proteins), which activate protein transcription and, therefore, produce an increased expression of the LDL receptor gene and an increase in the number of functional receptors in the hepatocyte

Known for being tablets for good cholesterol, Crestor (Rosuvastatin) belongs to a group of medicines called statins. It is used to correct the levels of fats in the blood called lipids, the best known being cholesterol. There are different types of cholesterol in the blood, the so-called bad cholesterol or LDL cholesterol and good cholesterol or HDL cholesterol. Rosuvastatin lowers the amount of bad cholesterol and increases the number of good cholesterol. Your doctor has prescribed this medicine because you have high cholesterol levels.

Always use the Crestor tablets exactly as your doctor has told you. If in doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.

Usual doses in adults

If you are taking this medicine for high cholesterol levels:

Starting dose

Your treatment with rosuvastatin should be started with the 5 mg or 10 mg dose, even if you have previously taken a higher dose of another statin. The choice of starting dose will depend on:

• Your cholesterol levels.
• The degree of risk you have of having a heart attack or stroke.
• If you have factors that make you more vulnerable to possible side effects.

Check with your doctor or pharmacist what is the best starting dose of rosuvastatin for you.

Your doctor may decide to start treatment with the smallest dose (5 mg):

• If you are of Asian origin (for example, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, or Indian).
• If you are over 70 years old.
• If you have moderate kidney problems.
• If you are at risk of muscle pain and cramps (myopathy).

Increased dose and the maximum daily dose

Your doctor may decide to increase the dose. This is so that you are taking the dose of rosuvastatin that is right for you. If you started with a 5 mg dose, your doctor may decide to double the dose to 10 mg, then to 20 mg, and then to 40 mg, if necessary. If you started with a 10 mg dose, your doctor may decide to double the dose to 20 mg and then to 40 mg, if necessary. There will be a four-week interval between each dose adjustment.

The maximum daily dose of rosuvastatin is 40 mg. This dose is only for patients with high cholesterol levels and at high risk of heart attack or stroke, whose cholesterol levels do not decrease enough with 20 mg

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

It is important that you know what these side effects may be. They are usually mild and disappear in a short space of time.

Stop taking rosuvastatin and seek medical attention immediately if you experience any of the following allergic reactions:

• Difficulty breathing, with or without swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and/or throat.
• Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and/or throat, which may cause difficulty swallowing.
• Intense itching of the skin (with welts).
• lupus-like disease syndrome (including rash, joint disorders, and effects on blood cells)
• muscle tear

Also, stop taking rosuvastatin and see your doctor immediately if you experience unexplained muscle aches and pains that last longer than expected. Muscle symptoms are more frequent in children and adolescents than in adults. As with other statins, a very small number of people have experienced unpleasant muscle effects that, very rarely, have resulted in a life-threatening muscle injury called rhabdomyolysis.

Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• Headache
• Stomach ache.
• Constipation
• Sickness
• Muscle pain.
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• An increase in the amount of protein in the urine - this usually returns to normal on its own without the need to stop treatment with rosuvastatin tablets (frequent side effects only with the 40 mg daily dose of rosuvastatin).
• This is more likely if you have high blood sugar and lipid levels, are overweight and have high blood pressure. Your doctor will monitor you closely while you are taking this medicine.

Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

• Urticaria, itching, and other skin reactions.
• An increase in the amount of protein in the urine - this usually returns to normal on its own without the need to stop treatment with rosuvastatin tablets (rare side effects with daily doses of 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg rosuvastatin ).

Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)

• Severe allergic reaction - symptoms include swelling of the face, tongue and / or throat, difficulty swallowing and breathing, severe itchy skin (with hives). If you think you are having an allergic reaction, stop taking this medicine, and seek medical attention immediately.
• Muscle injury in adults - As a precaution, stop taking rosuvastatin and see your doctor immediately if you have unexplained muscle aches or pains that last longer than expected.
• Severe stomach pain (a possible sign of inflammation of the pancreas).
• Increased liver enzymes (transaminases) in the blood.

Very rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)

• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes).
• Hepatitis (inflamed liver).
• Traces of blood in the urine.
• Injury to the nerves in the legs and arms (with numbness or numbness).
• Joint pain
• Memory loss.
• Increased breast size in men (gynecomastia).